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Fastest-Rising Girl Names 2023

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Tue Oct 08 2024
Fastest-Rising Girl Names 2023

What girl names are rising the fastest and the furthest on the US name popularity list?

The fastest-rising girl names on the list are here, including all names that rose at least 20 places from 2022 to 2023. Note that the Social Security Administration issues the official baby name count for the US more than a year later, so 2023 is the most recent year counted.

All of these fast-moving names for girls rank among the official Top 1000 girl names, though many have until recently been quite rare and may be new to you. What they have in common is that they're hot right now.

Some of these names for girls rose quickly because of a pop culture event or a celebrity and may fade just as fast. But some—and these are the names you'll probably want to pay the most attention to —are female names that have been slowly gathering steam but now are zooming toward the top of the list.

Among these are names long considered classics now heating up for a new moment in the sun. Classic girls' names moving up fast right now include Adeline, Aurelia, Barbara, Bridget, Cecelia and Celia, Dorothy, Elaine, Flora and Florence, Georgia, Helen, Lisa, Louise, Maeve, Margo and Margot, Martha, Nancy, Paula, Priscilla, and Rosemary.

Other girl names moving up fast include names in trendy categories like boyish nicknames for girls -- Billie, Scottie, Stevie -- and nature names such as Opal, Marigold, and Robin.

Here are the fastest-rising girl names of 2023, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

RELATED:

Fastest-Rising Boy Names 2023

Fastest-Rising Names on Nameberry

  1. Maeve

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "she who intoxicates"

    • Description:

      Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. It joined the Top 100 for the first time in 2023 and now ranks at Number 74.
  2. Daphne

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "laurel tree, bay tree"

    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the plant genus daphne, which contains the laurel species, gets its name.
  3. Aurelia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "the golden one"

    • Description:

      Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to climb.
  4. Phoebe

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "radiant, shining one"

    • Description:

      Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from phoibos, meaning "bright." In classical mythology, Phoebe is the by-name of Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting. The masculine version of Phoebe is Phoebus.
  5. Mabel

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Amabel, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "lovable"

    • Description:

      Mabel is cuddly Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier and bubblier, Mabel is one for you to consider. It is currently in the US Top 200 and the UK Top 50.
  6. Margot

    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Margaret

    • Meaning:

      "pearl"

    • Description:

      Margot is suddenly a star again. After a nearly-half century absence, it hopped back on the Top 1000 list in 2013 and is on the rise. The Margot spelling is now given to three times as many baby girls as the Margo one.
  7. Mira

    • Origin:

      Latin, Slavic, Arabic, Sanskrit

    • Meaning:

      "admirable; peace; female ruler; ocean"

    • Description:

      This name owes its present life to actress Sorvino. Mira and Mirra have an arty aura.
  8. Cleo

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "glory"

    • Description:

      Cleo, one of the few girls' names to boast the cool-yet-lively o ending, is of course short for Cleopatra, the name of one of the most powerful women in history.
  9. Elsie

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth via its Scottish variation, Elspeth

    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"

    • Description:

      Elsie is a sweet vintage nickname-name turned modern star. After a 30-year hiatus, Elsie started climbing the US popularity list 20 years ago and is still headed for the top.
  10. Maisie

    • Origin:

      Scottish diminutive of Margaret or Mary

    • Meaning:

      "pearl or bitter"

    • Description:

      Maisie, a charming name long popular as a nickname for Margaret or Mary, entered the Top 1000 as itself ten years ago and continues to rise. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams helped propel the name back into the limelight, along with the that of her character, Arya.
  11. Evangeline

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "bearer of good news"

    • Description:

      Evangeline is a romantic old name enjoying a major comeback, thanks to its religious overtones, Eva's popularity, and the star of the TV megahit Lost, Evangeline Lilly. Evangelia and Evangelina — two variants of Evangeline — are sure to tag along for the ride.
  12. Florence

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "flourishing, prosperous"

    • Description:

      Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion.
  13. Poppy

    • Origin:

      Flower name, English from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "red flower"

    • Description:

      Poppy, unlike most floral names which are sweet and feminine, has a lot of spunk. Long popular throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Poppy is finally starting to rise toward the top in the US, where it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.
  14. Seraphina

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "ardent; fiery"

    • Description:

      Seraphina is one of the most-searched name on Nameberry, destined for even greater popularity. The highest-ranking angels, the six-winged seraphim, inspired the lovely name Seraphina.
  15. Flora

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "flower"

    • Description:

      Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
  16. Shiloh

    • Origin:

      Biblical place-name, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "tranquil"

    • Description:

      Cool meets Born Again meets Brad and Angelina, who made Shiloh an instant star when they chose it for their daughter. While Shiloh has risen from obscurity thanks to its celebrity baby use, it hasn't become a star the way brother names Maddox and Pax have. It entered the Top 1000 in 2007, one year after the birth of Ms. Jolie-Pitt.
  17. Talia

    • Origin:

      Hebrew; Australian Aboriginal

    • Meaning:

      "gentle dew from heaven; by the water"

    • Description:

      Talia is derived from the Hebrew elements tal, meaning "dew," and yah, in reference to God. In the mythology of one ancient sect, Talia was one of ten angels who attended the sun on its daily course. The occasionally homophonous name Thalia has unrelated Greek origins.
  18. Eden

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "place of pleasure, delight"

    • Description:

      Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the 17th century.
  19. Etta

    • Origin:

      English and Scottish, short form of any name ending with -etta: Henrietta, Loretta etc.

    • Description:

      Thanks to the surprise hit revival of Etta James' song At Last and because of recent interest in vintage style nicknames, Etta has established herself as a possible successor to Emma and Ella. Back in the US Top 1000 as of 2023 and rising rapidly up the UK charts, where it sits in the Top 200, Etta is a snappy, smart and sparky choice.
  20. Kaia

    • Origin:

      Latin, Scandinavian, or Hawaiian

    • Meaning:

      "to rejoice or sea"

    • Description:

      The new Maia, the next Kayla, Kaia has been on the charts since the year 2000. You might see it as a female form of the also-rising Kai, which means sea in Hawaiian and is sometimes used for girls as well, or as a Kardashianization of the ancient goddess name Caia.