Popular Names and Name Trends · Name Image
Updated October 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
English, diminutive of Dorothy
"gift of God"
Sweet and cosy with a touch of sass, this nickname-y choice was a familiar option up until the sixties in the US. Then, for a while, it was a bit of a one-person name, associated with singer Dolly…
English, diminutive of Philippa
"lover of horses"
Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister. Pippa can and is given as a name in…
Diminutive of any Lu name
Lula is one of the livelier nickname-names with the fashionable double-L sound: It joins Lulu, Lila, Lily, and Lou among the trendiest names today. Lula might be short for Talula and sisters or for…
English
"white"
Whit is an uplifting short form of any number of surname-y full names, for Whitman to Whitaker to Whitney. But Whit stands perfectly well on its own and makes for a witty spin on modern virtue names .
English nature name, Persian
"crow; chariot"
Rook is a choose-your-own-adventure type of name. It has so many meanings and associations, that you have the freedom of choice to decide what resonates with you. In chess, the rook is the game piece…
Swayde is a contemporary masculine name with a distinctive modern flair. Likely derived as a creative spelling variant of 'Slade' or influenced by the word 'suede,' it carries connotations of…
Diminutive of Roberta or Barbara, English
"bright fame; stranger"
A vintage nickname for Roberta or Barbara, most famously borne by Roberta "Bobbie" in Edith Nesbit's classic The Railway Children . Bobbie is one of the adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable…
"supplanter"
Jackie Kennedy gave this name a lot of style, but it doesn't seem destined for a comeback the way brother name Jack has. Jackie and Jacqueline both peaked in 1961.
English variation of Molly, diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
"bitter"
An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid. Associated with Tom Sawyer's…
Greek mythology name
"echo or sound"
Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse . Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love. In the Greek myth, Echo was…
Greek
"star"
More common as a dog name than a baby name for now, but that hasn't stopped Milo and Rex rising back up the charts! Lovers of edgy o-ending names like Otto, Arlo and Cosmo might like this starry-eyed…
Variation of Nova, Latin
"new"
This Nova-offshoot is hot in the Netherlands, where it was recently one of the fastest-rising names of the year. It could eventually see great success in the US as well, and was given to 46 American…
Diminutive of Alessandro, Italian
"defending men"
Lengthy, romantic Alessandro gives us the friendly and casual nickname Sandro, which works just as well as an independent name. It’s a popular international name, having ranked in Italy, France,…
"from Lassy"
One of the most feminine of surname names, calling to mind dresses and doilies, though it was once used for boys too. The spelling Lacey is currently more popular, while Lacie has been a favorite in…
Color name
Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of…
Variation of Posy or short form of Mariposa, English or Spanish
"a bunch of flowers or butterfly"
Posie and its near-identical twins Posy and Posey are delicate old-fashioned flower names of the type that are stylish today: Think Poppy, Marigold, Clover. Perhaps because it's the name of cosmetics…
Diminutive of Benjamina, Benedicte, or Bernadette
"son of the right hand; blessed; brave bear"
Boyish nicknames for girls are in! With Leni rising, Bennie may appeal. Kylie & Jason Kelce use Bennie as a nickname for their third daughter - full name Bennett Llewellyn. After decades of no…
English combination of Lily + Beth or diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Queen Elizabeth's childhood nickname was Lilibet, the name of Prince Harry and Meghan's newborn daughter, and Lilibeth has the same kind of lilting charm. While many combo names are less attractive…
Word name, English from Hindi
"fine, downy wool; Kashmir"
The name of a soft and luxurious fabic, Cashmere appears in The Hunger Games as a feminine choice. Similar in vibe to Silver, Velvet, Golden, and Suede, as a masculine name, it could be an unexpected…
"blue"
Blu is a new (nu?) spelling of an increasingly popular color name, also spelled Blue and Bleu. Blu is the spelling used for one of the Waldrop sextuplets.