Historic and Vintage Names · Popular Names and Name Trends
Hot New Names of the 2010s
Across 27 pages
of 27
Nala
African, meaning unknown
A Disney name—Nala was the friend who became the wife of Simba, hero of The Lion King . It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2015. Keenen Ivory Wayans used it for his daughter.
Ayleen
Variation of Aileen or Ayla
The rise of Ayla seems to have revived this variation.
Jesiah
Hebrew
"Jehovah exists"
There is much disagreement about the origin, meaning, or even existence of this name. Some sources cite Jesiah as the name of several minor Biblical figures, others say it's a variation of Josiah,…
Jemma
Spelling variation of Gemma
Jenna is overheated, but Jemma is still cool. Jemma and Gemma are most heard in Australia but are increasingly used in other countries.
Zev
Hebrew
"wolf"
Zev is a short, simple, animal name that may relate to the Old Testament Ze'ev -- except he was a villainous character.
Mercy
English word name
"compassion"
The quality of mercy makes this lovely Puritan virtue name a quiet favorite today. Although it was most popular in the late nineteenth century, Mercy is on its way to a comeback -- it rose 143 spots…
Edison
English
"son of Edith or Adam"
This rhythmic last-name-first-name projects the creativity and inventiveness of Thomas Edison. It's an English surname deriving from either Adam or Eda, a medieval diminutive of Edith. Q. Why is it…
Jedidiah
Hebrew
"beloved of the Lord"
Jedidiah, an Old Testament name with a touch of Gunsmoke -era western panache, is right in line to be revived along with the other biblical -iah names. Jedidiah was the name given by the prophet…
Lyanna
Modern invented name
One of many influential names invented by George R.R. Martin for "A Song of Ice and Fire." Lyanna Stark was the courageous, high-spirited younger sister of Ned Stark, whose broken engagement to…
Kylen
Modern invented name
"Kyle's land; little Kyle"
This relatively new name appears to have been created by adding the trendy -en suffix to Kyle, or by tweaking the spelling of the more popular and slightly older Kylan. While its invented status…
Emory
Spelling variation of Emery, English from German
"industrious"
Less popular than Emery, this name also attributes to Emory University. Both spellings of the name lean more heavily to the girls' side, but this one is not quite as unbalanced. Emory is used about…
Vada
English, Sanskrit, German
"knowledge, rule"
Vada is a feisty retro choice that feels like a fresh spin on the likes of Ava and Ada. Its bold V initial is bang on trend, although Vada remains very uncommon in the US. It is perhaps best known as…
Jericho
Biblical place-name
A biblical place name with trumpeting verve and strength. Though rarely heard as a first name, Jericho has appeared in the titles of films, TV series, songs, bands, comics, and video games (Clive…
Aviana
Variation of Avis, Latin
"bird"
Aviana is a name that's like the megapopular Ava and Ariana, but not quite as popular as either. It entered into the mainstream back in 2010 however, after actress Amy Adams chose it for her…
Berkley
English variation of Berkeley
"where birches grow"
Berkeley, with an extra E, is the more familiar variation of this name, associated with the California school. But it's the streamlined Berkley that has proven itself to be more popular as a baby…
Anais
Catalan and Provencal pet form of Hebrew Anna
"grace"
Anais is an unusual, alluring name forever attached to the daring French-born American novelist and diarist Anais Nin (born Angela, with Anais as one of her middle names), who became the inspiration…
Shepard
Occupational name
"sheep hearder"
A phonetic variation of Shepherd, an occupational surname. Sam Shepard, the actor and playwright, is a notable figure to use this spelling for his last name. As a first name, this spelling is closely…
Liv
Diminutive of Olivia, English, Norse
"olive tree; life, protection"
Liv combines the succinct charm of a nickname—people might assume it's short for Olivia—with the solidity of being a classic stand-alone Scandinavian name with a life-force meaning. It was brought…
Kannon
English, Hindi
Kannon, the name of actor Kevin James' son born in 2011, seems at first glance to be a kre8if spelling of bad boy name Cannon. But Kannon is also the name of the Buddhist god (and sometime goddess)…
Axton
English
"sword stone"
Macho to the max. But with the rise of x as a fashionable letter anywhere it appears in a name, ala Jaxson or Maxon, we may be hearing more of Axton.