This Anglicized spelling of Irish Aislinn or Aisling has enjoyed some popularity in the US as an updated Ashley.

Kai is the it syllable of the moment, spawning this Kai - Jason hybrid. Kaisen made the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, along with similar name Kaizen.

Though it relates to the Irish original, Ashlyn and its next most popular form, Ashlynn, owe more of their popularity as baby names in the US to the megastar Ashley, though all three have been dropping on the charts lately.

A name with plenty of celebrity glamor and contemporary flair, Anniston has a variety of origins. On one hand, it's a place name, deriving from a city in Alabama of the same name. Founded in the late 19th century by Samuel Noble and Daniel Tyler, it was named in honor of the latter's daughter-in-law, Annie Tyler.

A combination of vintage Mae with popular suffix -lynn, Maelyn feels reminiscent of glamorous Marilyn and contemporary Raelynn. In use since at least the 80s, Maelyn practically doubled in popularity 2019 after singer Maelyn Jarmon won that year's season of The Voice. Given to around 180 babies in 2023, when you combine this with the 215 girls with the alternative -lynn spelling the same year, that makes for nearly 400 Maelyns.

A melodic name, popular among the African-American community, where it joins sound-alikes Amari, Jamari, and Damari. It ultimately derives from the Arabic Qamar, meaning "moon", and is also used by Swahili speakers and those from Comoros and Somalia. It could also be considered a Greek place name, from a coastal village in Santorini.

Eliette is a delicate feminine name of French origin, functioning as a diminutive form of names like Elie (the French version of Elijah) or Elizabeth. The name carries the meaning 'the Lord is my God' through its connection to these Hebrew-origin names. With its distinctly French flair, Eliette combines elegance with a gentle, sophisticated sound. Though relatively uncommon in English-speaking countries, it has maintained modest usage in France and French-speaking regions. The name offers a refined alternative to more common El- names, appealing to parents seeking something melodic with European charm. Eliette's soft syllables and graceful ending create a name that sounds both classic and somewhat unexpected, conveying femininity with subtle strength.

If you can add Lyn to it, someone will. This particular -lyn name is a rising star of the 2020s, having entered the US Top 1000 in 2022, alongside sister spelling Lakelynn. Meaning "lake lake" or "pretty lake", depending on which Lynn meaning you choose to apply, it could also be viewed as a feminine form of Lachlan ("lake land").

Families with a J-initial sibset may opt to spell Dream this way. While Dream has been climbing up the charts since its entry in 2017 — attributed to the birth of a Kardashian baby by that name — alternative spelling Jream only just entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.

While Alivia may not have achieved the megapopularity of its mother name, it's still a widely used choice. Alivia combines the trendiness of A names with the trendiness of Olivia to create a choice that's slightly off the beaten track -- slightly being the operative word here. Is the distinction the initial A earns you worth a lifetime of explaining, "No, it's Alivia, with an A, not Olivia"? Your call, though ours would be no.

You might think of this as the zesty brother of Cade and Slade. Or Zade might appeal to you as an anglicized spelling of the Arabic Zayd or Zaid, the name of an enslaved man that Muhammad adopted as his son.

Aubriella is a hybrid name that marries two trendy favorites, Aubrey and Ella, into one. It ranked in the US Top 1000 between 2014 and 2022, and while it never rose above the Top 800, it likely feels more popular than it actually is, thanks to its well used components and similarities to the likes of Gabriella and Annabella.

Melor is the name of a Breton saint who in legend was also a prince, suggesting he was the son of a Cornish king (Mylor is the Cornish variation of the name). Melor was said to have a foot and hand made of silver,

Part nature name, part mid-century favorite, Glenda came into use in the 20th century as a feminine form of Scottish Glenn, likely inspired by Linda and Wanda too. While Glenn would give it the meaning "valley", if you do consider it a smoosh name with Linda, Wanda, or Brenda, you get means such as "beautiful valley", "tender valley", "Wend's valley", "sword valley" or "fire valley".

Invented by author Stephenie Meyer for the Twilight series for the half-human, half-vampire daughter of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, it's an amalgamtion of the names of Bella's mother Renee and Edward's adoptive mother Esme. Much to our surprise, some people are trying this at home.

Game of Thrones fans may recognize this as the name of the wily Wildling who helped protect Bran Stark for several seasons of the HBO show. George R.R. Martin has cited Harry Potter vet Natalia Tena's performance in the part as the one that most changed his understanding of a character he created.

Color us surprised — Kashton is over four times more popular than Cashton. While the on-trend K spelling ranks in the US Top 500, Cashton lingers just outside the charts and is given to around 170 boys each year.

An established surname that fits well with today's trend for the "Ever" sound – and a similar-yet-different alternative to Emerson. Historically, it denoted a descendent of Evert, a form of Everard, meaning "brave boar", or a descendent of Eve or its medieval English diminutive Evot, meaning "life".

A contemporary spin on Hailey, Bailey, and Kailey, using the stylish letter Z and the double -ee ending, Zaylee ticks the boxes as trendy choice for a modern baby. It joined the US Top 1000 back in 2015 and at least 350 girls received the name in a recent year.

One of the most popular African names for boys, Kymani was in the US Top 1000 list from 2008 until 2016. Spelled Ky-mani, it's the name of Bob Marley's son.