Toddlers & Tiaras Baby Names

  1. Samantha
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, feminization of Samuel
    • Meaning:

      "told by God"
    • Description:

      The origins of Samantha are not entirely clear, although it is commonly thought to be a feminization of Samuel with the suffix derived from the Greek anthos, meaning "flower." Samantha has been in English-speaking use since the eighteenth century, particularly in the American South, and drew attention via Grace Kelly's Tracy Samantha Lord character in High Society, featuring the song "I love you, Samantha."
  2. Madison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Matthew"
    • Description:

      Since we wrote a book called Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana, encouraging parents to move beyond overused names, it's no secret what we think of this trendy surname name, inspired by a mermaid named Madison in the 1980s movie Splash.
  3. Jasmine
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from Persian
    • Meaning:

      "gift from God"
    • Description:

      Jasmine was derived from the Persian word yasmin, referring to the jasmine flower. Scented oil was made from the plant, and it was used as a perfume throughout the Persian Empire. Variants include Jazmin, Yasmin, Yasmine, and Jessamine.
  4. Charlie
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Charles or Charlotte, French from German
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charlie is a friendly, boyish nickname name now used slightly more frequently for girls than boys, with over 2200 baby girls named Charlie last year versus about 2100 boys. That makes Charlie one of the most evenly-balanced and most popular unisex names around today.
  5. Aaliyah
    • Origin:

      Variation of Aliya, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "heavens, highborn, exalted"
    • Description:

      Both powerful and pretty, with a melodic sound, Aaliyah joins Layla, Lila, Dana, and Farrah as a name of Arabic origin that is also popular in the English-speaking world.
  6. Alana
    • Origin:

      Feminization of Alan, Irish; variation of Ilana, Hebrew; Gaelic; Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "handsome, rock; oak tree; child; awakening"
    • Description:

      Alana, in all its various spellings, was at one time reserved for daughters of dads named Alan, but is now much more widespread. It came into prominence via model/actress/celeb spouse Alana Hamilton Stewart.
  7. Paige
    • Origin:

      English, occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "page to a lord"
    • Description:

      Paige is more name, and less word than the occupational Page. Paige is also sleek and sophisticated a la Brooke and Blair and reached as high as Number 47 in 2003, when there was a very popular television show, Trading Spaces, hosted by the energetic Paige Davis.
  8. Maddox
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "son of Madoc"
    • Description:

      Maddox, a previously obscure Welsh family name with a powerfully masculine image, suddenly came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie chose it for her son in 2003. By the following year it was in the middle of the Top 1000, and it has risen since.
  9. Hope
    • Origin:

      Virtue name
    • Description:

      Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be corrupted, a lovely classic that deserves all the attention it's getting.
  10. Lauren
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from Laurentum or bay laurel"
    • Description:

      Lauren was derived from Laurence, an English name from the Roman family name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum." Laurentum, an ancient Italian city, got its name from the Latin word laurus, meaning "bay laurel."
  11. Liana
    • Origin:

      Short form of -liana names, Portuguese, Italian, Georgian, French
    • Meaning:

      "to climb like a vine"
    • Description:

      Liana is a pretty, graceful and simple name that doesn't fall flat. The name of a flowering tropical vine that grows in forests, it's an international gem that works well in multiple languages.
  12. Brooke
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "small stream"
    • Description:

      Brooke has long projected an aura of sleek sophistication, and can also be seen as a stylish water name.
  13. Kayla
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "laurel, crown"
    • Description:

      Kayla is a modern invented name that emerged in the late 1950s. Despite its similarity to the name Michaela, Kayla most likely began as a combination of the then-popular name Kay and -la suffix. Alternatively, it may be a variation of the Yiddish name Kaila, which derived from the Hebrew name Kelila. Kayla can also be considered an Anglicization of the Gaelic surname MacCaollaidhe or MacCathail.
  14. Bella
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Isabella, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful"
    • Description:

      Everything ella, from Ella to Bella to Arabella, is red hot right now. Bella is one of the most, well, beautiful girl names starting with B. It carried a hint of a nice Old World grandmotherly veneer, until it became attached to Twilight's Bella Swan.
  15. Morgan
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "sea-born, sea-song or sea-circle"
    • Description:

      Morgan has long been a traditional Welsh male name, a variant of the Old Welsh name Morcant, from the Welsh elements mor, meaning "sea" and cant, "circle." The female Morgan is unrelated to the male version—it is a name from Arthurian legend created for Morgan le Fay, King Arthur's half-sister and famed sorceress. Her name comes from Morgen, an Old Welsh name meaning "sea-born," and is related to the Irish name Muirgen.
  16. Savannah
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "flat tropical grassland"
    • Description:

      A place name with a deep Southern accent, the once-obscure Savannah shot to fame, with others of its genre, on the heels of the best seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was set in the mossy Georgia city of Savannah. Originally a substitute for the overused Samantha, Savannah is now popular itself, long among the top girls' names starting with S.
  17. Faith
    • Origin:

      Virtue name
    • Description:

      Faith is one of the most straightforward of the virtue names popularized by the Puritans in the seventeenth century, many parents still choosing it as an indicator of their religious conviction. Faith peaked in 2002 at Number 48.
  18. Samara
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "under God's rule, companion in night conversation"
    • Description:

      Alluring and lovely — and much more distinctive now than Samantha or Tamara. Samara is a city in western Russia, a winged seed like the whirlygigs that fall from maple trees, as well as a bona fide first name that could make a more unusual update on Samantha or Mara. It can also be a variant spelling of the Arabic name Samira or Sameera.
  19. Sydney
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "Saint Denis"
    • Description:

      Sydney was a hot girls' name in the 1990s, but she's arguably still cool. One of the original old man names adopted for baby girls, Sydney's popularity may be down but she's not out.
  20. Hailey
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish clan name
    • Meaning:

      "Hay's meadow"
    • Description:

      There are no less than ten different variations of Hailey on the current Most Popular list, but this is the spelling that brought it into the Top 10 of 2010, although it has recently dipped a bit in popularity. So, although Hailey has a shiny, unpretentious charm, its mass popularity makes it very much of the moment. Look for the Hailee spelling to rise via Hailee Steinfeld, the young actress Oscar-nominated for her performance in True Grit.