Vanity

You might view this one as an anti-virtue name, associated with conceit, pride, and a shallow obsession with one's own appearance. Add to that its second meaning, which connects it to futility and uselessness (as in, to try in vain), Vanity is probably not what most would want for their child.

And yet, more than 1800 babies in the US have received the name since the 80s, with 1988 seeing it given to a record 116 girls. For context, that meant it ranked alongside Skylar, Dani, Lois, and Juliette that year, while today it would be an equivalent to Amberley, Solene, Junie, Tamara, and Marielle.

While it has since declined, it did see more uptake in the late 2000s, when more than 50 girls were called Vanity in 2009 and 2010, and it was given to just shy of 20 girls in a recent count. It's appeal may well lie in the trendy -ty ending (think Serenity, Royalty, Felicity) and with the fashionable association to the magazine, Vanity Fair.

In fact, its original rise to fame coincided with the revival of the magazine in 1983, and may be the the reason for its continued use. Another possibility is that Vanity is being seen as a way to reclaim and celebrate self-love, and that parents are connecting it to vanity tables, make-up, and glamor.

Pronounced va-NI-tee.

As of October 2026, Vanity ranked #8326 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1268 in 1988.