Hot New Names of the 2010s
- Aitana
Origin:
Spanish place-nameDescription:
Aitana is the name of a Spanish mountain used by the poet Rafael Alberti for his daughter. He reportedly chose it because the mountain was his last glimpse of Spain when he went into exile after the Spanish Civil War. The name was popularized by Aitana Alberti's goddaughter and namesake, actress Aitana Sanchez-Gijan. It became one of the fastest-rising girls names in 2016, after entering the US Top 1000 in 2015, and is among the most popular Spanish names for girls in its native Spain and beyond.
- Titan
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"defender"Description:
This name comes from Greek mythology, where the Titans were a band of immortal, powerful giants.
- Juelz
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
This attempt to masculinize Jules has made its way into the Top 1000. We recommend using the more traditional spelling, as this one will likely appear dated in a few years' time.
- Gibson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"Gilbert's son"Description:
An undiscovered patronymic surname, Gibson blends the cool, rugged feel of names like Bridger, Riggs, and Hudson with the clunky charm of names like Gilbert, Wilbur, and Digby. Associated with the popular brand of guitars, it could make an unexpected, music-related option.
- Charli
Origin:
Variation of Charlie, English diminutive of Charlotte, French "free man"Meaning:
"free man"Description:
Charli may be the new Charlie, which is the cooler Charlotte. British singer-songwriter Charli (born Charlotte) XCX, creator of the hit album Brat, and TikTok star Charli D'Amelio popularized the Charli spelling.
- Kase
Origin:
Spelling variation of CaseDescription:
Kardashian style transforms many traditional C names to Ks, and this is a kase in point.
- Oaklyn
Origin:
American invented nameMeaning:
"oak lake"Description:
Oaklyn is one of the oak-related names moving up the popularity charts, along with more popular sister Oakley and near-identical twin Oaklynn. The Oaklynn spelling used for three times as many baby girls as Oaklyn -- 1800 vs. 600.
- Khari
Origin:
West AfricanMeaning:
"kingly"Description:
Though used quite often for babies of both sexes, Khari, meaning "kingly," was traditionally a boys' name. Musical couple Fetty Wop and Masika Kalysha, however, named their daughter Khari.
- Elon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"oak tree"Description:
The boys' name Elon is best known today as the name of Elon Musk, eccentric billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX. With Canadian singer Grimes, Elon Musk has a son with an even more unusual name, X Æ A-12.
- Kaylani
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"sea of heaven; glorious sky"Description:
Kaylani is an English variation of the Hawaiian name Kailani. Both forms rank in the US Top 300, and while Kailani is more popular, Kaylani isn't far behind. It joined the US Top 1000 in 2016 and has been rising ever since, following on the heels of Leilani, Malia, and Kehlani.
- Westin
Origin:
Spelling variation of Weston, EnglishMeaning:
"western town"Description:
A spelling variation of Weston most associated with the Westin hotel chain. To avoid looking like an advertisement, we think it’s best to stick with the more traditional spelling.
- Dallas
Origin:
Place name, surname and IrishMeaning:
"meadow dwelling, valley house, skilled"Description:
A name with a bit of glamor but also cowgirl vibes, Dallas entered the US Top 1000 for girls in 1992. It fell out of style during noughties, but reappeared in 2012 when other gender neutral names like River, Sawyer, Rowan, and Blake were also climbing fast.
- Paisleigh
Origin:
Variation of Paisley, ScottishMeaning:
"church, cemetery"Description:
An unnecessarily complex retooling of Paisley, one of the most popular girl names that start with P.
- Eliseo
Origin:
Italian and Spanish variation of ElishaMeaning:
"God is my salvation"Description:
This Latinate name would have no problem fitting into an American classroom. It has made frequent appearances in the US Top 1000 over the last several decades. Borne by several Spanish saints, it boasts both a rhythmic sound and popular o-ending.
- Ariyah
Origin:
Spelling variation of Aria or feminine variation of Aryeh, HebrewMeaning:
"lion"Description:
Ariyah jumped into the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013, probably because some American parents see it as a creative spelling of the popular Aria or Arya. But it's also an authentic Hebrew name in its own right, a feminine form of the Biblical Aryeh, heard in modern Israel..
- Coen
Origin:
Dutch diminutive of CoenraadMeaning:
"bold advisor"Description:
Like many short forms now popular as full names in the Netherlands, Coen—also spelled Koen—originated as the diminutive of the more old-fashioned Coenraad, the Dutch Conrad. May be confused in the US with Cohen, which stems from the Jewish surname designating a priest.
- Adley
Origin:
Variation of HadleyDescription:
Adley made the Top 1000 at Number 735 in 2012 on the heels of sister name Hadley, only to vanish again in 2013. But now, with the popularity of Adelaide and Adeline, it has leaped upward and entered the Top 1000 once again. Adley feels in step with name trends of the moment, but will it survive the ages? Other such mashups have not.
- Ariah
Origin:
English variation of Aria, Hebrew, ItalianMeaning:
"lion of God; song"Description:
When actress Tamera Mowry named her daughter Ariah, she said it was a Hebrew name meaning "lion of God" -- which it is, if you consider Ariah a variation of Ariel. But many sources consider Ariah a spelling variation of the Italian Aria, meaning song or literally air.
- Avianna
Origin:
Spelling variation of AvianaDescription:
This variation of Aviana adds a second n, possibly to make the connection to Anna clearer. On the popularity charts, it first entered the US Top 1000 in 2011 and was one of the fastest-rising girls' names of 2016, entering the Top 500 for the first time.
- Kalel
Origin:
Spelling variation of KhalilDescription:
Kalel first entered the US Top 1000 as a one-off appearance in 2009, then reentered in 2013. It's possible that some parents see it as a spelling variant of the classic Arabic name Khalil, meaning friend. Or maybe some—Nicolas Cage, we're looking at you—were inspired by the birth name of Clark Kent, AKA Superman, Kal-El. Cage was long associated with attempts to remake a big screen story about the Man of Steel. He and wife Alice Kim gave the name to their son in 2005.
