New Baby Names

Jianna was one of the fastest-rising names of 2020 after the deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. It continued to rise in 2021.

Jacob meets Jakob meets Kobe -- and apparently, parents in 2013 are fans. It rose 153 spots to break into the Top 1000, making it one of the year's fastest-rising names.

Also found as Brason, this is one of an army of Jason sound-alikes, which include Cason, Mason, Kaysen, and so on. Stylish, yes; recommended, no.

Lobbing off the final E makes Melanie more modern.

Karsyn debuted on the boys’ side of the US Top 1000 in 2018, sneaking in at number 940, but dropped off again in 2019. Karsyn for a girl continues to rise.

One of the new literalist religious names, like Blessing, Heavenly and Neveah. More male than female, but essentially unisex.

The American appetite for new names ending in the letters "yn" knows no bounds. This one, a close relative of popular Jaxson, was among the fastest-rising boys' names of 2017.

Alternate spelling of Leilani, popular among Hispanic families.

Girl names ending in lani are one of the hottest trends of recent years, thanks to the lilting and lyrical Hawaiian name Leilani. Leilani has inspired a number of offshoots, including Kehlani and Meilani.

A trendy choice that takes a little from Riley and a little from Kayleigh.

Soul fans may wish to use this unusual name as a reference to singer Jimmy Ruffin and his younger brother David, one of the lead members of The Temptations.

A spelling variation of Kylie, an Aboriginal name first popularized by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It’s now associated with Kylie Jenner, whom parents might be attempting to distance themselves from with this version of the name.

Rivers is an indisputably unisex surname with is strong nature connotation and its connection to the character Diana Rivers from Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. Rivers is also the first name of one of the girl Sweet Home sextuplets.

Brinley deconstructed.

A newcomer to the US popularity charts, likely influenced by the popularity of similar names Camila and Camilla.

Painter is among the most creative choices in this very fashionable category of names, with a particularly pleasant sound. Whereas most occupational names conjure up physical labor, this one feels like a gateway to the arts.