Most Common Names for Girls
Common names are different from popular names as they denote names found most widely amongst the entire population, not just used for babies in a single year. Names most common for females in the US over the past century are listed here, with Mary claiming the top spot, followed by Patricia, Jennifer, Linda, and Elizabeth. Some of the top names for baby girls today, such Sophia and Isabella, don't quite make it onto the Most Common Names list yet, but as older names such as Doris and Joyce fade away, they'll be replaced by newer popular names such as Ava and Charlotte. These are the 100 most common girl names of the past century.
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Abigail
Abigail comes from the Hebrew name Avigail and is derived from the Hebrew elements ab, meaning “father,” and g-y-l, meaning “to rejoice.” In the Old Testament, Abigail was the... Read More
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Alexis
Alexis, a one-time exclusively-boys’ name, was more popular than its sister Alexandra for quite a while, but last year Alexandra was the more
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Alice
Alice was derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis. Adalhaidis, from which the name Adelaide is also derived, is composed... Read More
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Amanda
After a long run as the prettiest senior in class, this romantic name has lost some of its glossy sheen, though it's still quite lovely and well used. Amanda was one of the romantic-sounding
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Amber
Though perhaps not as currently stylish as Ruby, Jade, or Pearl, Amber has a colorful history (remember the notorious Forever Amber heroine?). Unfortunately, it does come with the "Amber... Read More
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Amy
Amy was second only to Jennifer for the whole decade of the 1970s and, though far less used for babies today, remains a short, sweet Little Women-style classic. When asked which seventies... Read More
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Andrea
Andrea -- a feminine form of Andrew (and a male name in several European cultures)-- comes with a good selection of pronunciations-- ANN-dree-a, AHN-dree-a, or ahn-DRAY-a--each with a slightly... Read More
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Angela
Angela was a Top 10 name from 1965 to 1979, the fifth most popular name for three years, and staying in the double digits until the turn of the... Read More
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Ann
Ann, the name of the sainted mother of the Virgin Mary, was among the top girls’ names for centuries, in both the original English Ann spelling and... Read More
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Anna
Anna is the Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name that derived from root chanan, meaning “grace.” European Christians embraced the name for its associations with the Virgin Mary’s mother,... Read More