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Girl Names More Popular Than You Think

Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Wed Apr 16 2025
Girl Names More Popular Than You Think

It's many a baby namers' nightmare: You pick a name that you think is original, undiscovered, only to find out that every other girl in the playground seems to be named Sevyn. Or Zola.

But unless you've been hanging out in hospital nurseries or toddler daycares recently, it's understandable how you might think a name is unique and rare only to discover it's given to hundreds of babies every year.

The names on this list were given to at least 200 baby girls in the US in the last year counted, and many of them surprised us by their popularity. They're new names or at least newly-resurrected names, boys' names like Noah zooming up the list for girls or surnames and word names recently refashioned as first names.

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with these names, but if you're looking for a name for your daughter that's off the beaten track, you need to keep looking.

Names on this list are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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Girl Names

Popular Names

  1. Cleo

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "glory"

    • Description:

      Cleo, one of the few girls' names to boast the cool-yet-lively o ending, is of course short for Cleopatra, the name of one of the most powerful women in history.
  2. Elowyn

    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Elowen, Cornish

    • Meaning:

      "elm"

    • Description:

      The -en ending is the authentically female one, but more and more Americans are turning to the y as a feminizing element in the final syllable of this name. Elowyn entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, while the Elowen spelling has yet to hit the charts. Whichever spelling you prefer, this is a sweet and whimsical name with a fairy-like aura.
  3. Persephone

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bringer of destruction"

    • Description:

      Persephone is the esoteric name of the Greek mythological daughter of Zeus by Demeter, the queen of the harvest. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was decreed by Zeus that she would spend six months of the year with her mother, allowing crops to grow, and six in mourning, thus accounting for the seasons.
  4. Nova

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "new"

    • Description:

      Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading.
  5. Gaia

    • Origin:

      Greek and Latin

    • Meaning:

      "earth mother; rejoicing"

    • Description:

      Floral, bright, and subtly powerful, Gaia is a name with two separate origins. In Greek mythology, it is the name of the earth goddess and the universal mother, who takes her epithet from the Ancient Greek word for land or ground. It was this ecological element that led actress Emma Thompson to choose it for her daughter back in 1999, and it could hold similar appeal to green minded parents today.
  6. Nancy

    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Ann or Agnes, Hebrew; Greek

    • Meaning:

      "grace; pure"

    • Description:

      To some, Nancy is a sweet, sparkly, vintage choice with plenty of energy and style. For it strays too much into '"old-lady" territory to be cool again yet. It's out of fashion in France, New Zealand, and Canada; it lingers towards to bottom of the US charts. In the UK however, Nancy has been a Top 100 name for nearly a decade where it fits right in with Evie, Mabel, and Pippa.
  7. Amelie

    • Origin:

      French variation of Amelia

    • Meaning:

      "work"

    • Description:

      Emily gets a Bohemian spin and a French accent when it becomes Amelie. This favorite among French girl names has been gaining notice here thanks to the charming 2001 French film Amelie; it entered the American popularity list in 2002 and is now solidly established in the Top 1000.
  8. Zelda

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Griselda

    • Meaning:

      "gray fighting maid"

    • Description:

      Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
  9. Opal

    • Origin:

      Sanskrit

    • Meaning:

      "gem"

    • Description:

      Opal is on the verge of a repolishing, following other jewel names like Ruby and Pearl. A Top 100 name during the first two decades of the twentieth century, the opalescent Opal has a good chance of coming back as another O-initial option.
  10. Anais

    • Origin:

      Catalan and Provencal pet form of Hebrew Anna

    • Meaning:

      "grace"

    • Description:

      Anais is an unusual, alluring name forever attached to the daring French-born American novelist and diarist Anais Nin (born Angela, with Anais as one of her middle names), who became the inspiration for the naming of the daughter of musician Noel Gallagher. Anais is also the name of a popular perfume.
  11. Artemis

    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name

    • Meaning:

      "safe or butcher"

    • Description:

      Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the moon. Artemis is the equivalent to the Roman Diana, but a fresher and more distinctive, if offbeat, choice.
  12. Palmer

    • Origin:

      English surname and occupational

    • Meaning:

      "he who holds the palm; pilgrim"

    • Description:

      With a soft sound, a preppy feel, and a unisex style, Palmer is a last name that's been climbing up the charts for girls in the US. Having entered the Top 1000 in 2018, more recent stats place it in the Top 300. More than four times as many girls received the name than boys in 2023, though Palmer is a name on the rise all round.
  13. Lavender

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "purple flower"

    • Description:

      Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold.
  14. Navy

    • Origin:

      English, word name

    • Meaning:

      "fleet of ships; sea-based branch of the armed forces; dark blue"

    • Description:

      When R & B singer Nivea made this highly original choice for her daughter's name back in 2005, she claimed to have thought of it in terms of the color and not the seagoing armed service. As a word with multiple meanings, however, it could easily work as a nod to a naval officer in the family or to someone who enjoys sailing.
  15. Zola

    • Origin:

      African, Congolese; also literary name

    • Meaning:

      "piece of earth"

    • Description:

      When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be recognizable to some as the adopted daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the hit, long-running show Grey's Anatomy.
  16. Octavia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "eighth"

    • Description:

      Octavia began as the Latin, then Victorian name for an eighth child. While there aren't many eighth children anymore, this ancient Roman name has real possibilities as a substitute for the overused Olivia; recommended for its combination of classical and musical overtones. It was chosen for his daughter by Kevin Sorbo.
  17. Lettie

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Letitia, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "joy, gladness"

    • Description:

      Lettie, also spelled Letty, is a nickname name not heard in over a century, giving it the patina of a treasured antique. Lettie's style currency is rising with the trend for old-fashioned, down-to-earth nickname, such as Lottie, Hettie, Hattie, Josie, and Maisie.
  18. Logan

    • Origin:

      Scottish surname

    • Meaning:

      "little hollow"

    • Description:

      Logan, with its appealing Scottish burr, is a very hot boys' name—it's in the national Top 10 and heading for Number 1 in some states—and can also make a rich and resonant choice for a girl. Jason and Jordan Mewes have a daughter named Logan Lee.
  19. Honey

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Description:

      A term of endearment turned cute British celebrity baby name, used by actress Kate Winslet, chef Jamie Oliver, and TV presenter Fearne Cotton, among others. Honey was given to only 40 girls in the US in 2017, but it's relatively popular across the pond, where it ranks in the current Top 500 baby names for girls.
  20. Veda

    • Origin:

      Sanskrit

    • Meaning:

      "knowledge"

    • Description:

      A name with religious resonance, as the Vedas are the most sacred texts of Hinduism. Outside of that religious context, Veda has the makings of a modern popular name, with its sharp V initial, two syllables, and feminine a ending. This is evidenced by it reentry into the US Top 1000 in 2015, after fifty-five years off the list. Similar names on the rise are Vera and Vada.