This diminutive, similar to Alex or Alexis, has been yo-yoing in popularity since the turn of the 21st century.

Alexia

Brayden is the top spelling of one of the epidemically popular rhyming cousins of Aiden, hitting the Top 100 in 2005.. It has dipped a bit recently, but is still widely used. Other popular spellings include Braden, Braeden, Braydon, Braiden, Braedon and Bradyn. Take your pick.
 Actress Melissa Joan Hart named her son Braydon.

Brayden

Once a cavalier Mississippi gambler type name, Chance has entered the mainstream since being endorsed by such celebrity dads as Larry King and Paul Hogan. Chance the Rapper has also boosted the name's popularity.

Chance

This spelling of the classic name is found in France, Germany, Greece, and other cultures, and is worn by such notables as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth Shue, Elisabeth Moss, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The name's pronunciation is usually just like the Z version, but some parents choose this because they want to discourage the Liz or Lizzie short forms and so pronounce it as if it has Lisa in the middle.
 Elisabeth is nicknamed Bethsy in the 2008 film adaptation of Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks, Bep in The Diary of Anne Frank, and Betsy in the Wolverine universe.

Elisabeth

Forrest is one of the earliest appealingly sylvan, outdoorsy choices, borne by newsman Sawyer, actor Whitaker, and football Hall of Famer Gregg. Forrest Gates was a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
 Forrest was steadily on the US popularity list until 2003, reaching a high of Number 175 in 1913, and then received a somewhat surprising blip after the release of "Forrest Gump." It started rebounding again in 2013, when it reentered the Top 1000 as one of the fastest-rising names on the list.
 Early Forrests were named in honor of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, head of a famous cavalry force, who advised 'Git there fuster with the mostest men.'

Forrest

Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington territory. 
 As a surname, Harrison has both Beatle and presidential connections. Harrison was the surname of two presidents, William Henry Harrison, who died 31 days after taking office, and Benjamin Harrison, whose election in 1888 sparked Harrison's peak as a first name.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aka Prince Harry and Meghan, used Harrison as a patronymic middle name for their son, Prince Archie.

Harrison

Hayden – a formerly obscure name that's risen to huge popularity – has dipped in this year's ratings. Though Hayden is among the most distinctive of the bunch, it gets lost in the crowd of Jaidens, Bradens, Aidans, and endless variations. Associated with Hayden Christensen, of Star Wars fame. 
 Musical parents might prefer to give it a different twist as Haydn (pronounced HIGH-den), as in the composer.

Hayden

The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an eccentric aristocrat, much more accepted in the U.K. than she has been here.
 Hester's beyond-Hawthorne's literary appearances include as characters in Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy, in Oscar Wilde's play A Woman of No Importance, in John Irving's novel A Prayer for Owen Meaney, and as Niles and Frasier Crane's mom on Frasier.
 Hetty is Hester's usual nickname, sometimes used independently.

Hester

Reminiscent of 70’s favorite Jason, and sharing sounds with the perpetually popular James, Jayden is one of the more enduring members of the -ayden trend. 
Until the 90’s, Jayden was a mostly obscure choice, but, having entered the Top 1000 in 1994, it skyrocketed during the 2000’s. Influenced by the baby name choices of celebrities Britney Spears, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, it peaked at #4 in 2011. 
There are several possible origins of Jayden, and one perhaps surprising option is as a modern twist on the Biblical and Ancient Hebrew name, Jadon . Worn by a character in the Old Testament, it means “thankful” or “he will judge” and lends Jayden a more established root. 
Alternatively, it is perceived as a modern invention, taking the popular den suffix and mixing it with the much loved “Jay” sound. 
While this does mean it lacks one definitive meaning, it also leaves space for some creativity. 
“Jay” can refer to the jaybird, giving the name a possible nature connection. It can also be linked to Jason, meaning “to heal”, to Jacob, meaning “supplanter”, or even to the Sanskrit Jaya, meaning “victory.” 
The suffix “den” meanwhile, is used to signify a diminutive in Old Irish, but in English “den” can mean “valley.” 
Jayden could then be a modern way to honor a Jacob or a James, with the meaning “little supplanter.” It could also mean “healing valley” or “little healer”; “little jaybird”, “little victory”, or “valley of the jaybird”. 
As Jayden went from unknown to Top 10 material in just over a decade, it was joined by a plethora of trendy cousins, from the more established Aiden, to Cayden, Zayden and beyond. A multitude of spellings also got thrown into the mix including Jaiden, Jaidyn, Jaeden, and Jaden. 
The late 2000’s and early 2010’s really were Jayden’s time to shine. In the US, it made it into the Top 200 names for gilrs, while across the pond, it gained attention in the UK, Belgium, The Netherlands, and New Zealand. 
Recent years have seen Jayden fall steadily back down the charts – which could suggest it has had its moment for now. Nevertheless, Jayden is still used more than 6000 times every year and still climbing the French charts. 
Do you like Jayden but feel concerned about its popularity or longevity? You could try Javan, Jago, Auden, Ajay, or Linden instead as possible alternatives.

Jayden

Josephina

Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries.
 
In the US, the name Kai is most commonly referred to as being of Hawaiian derivation, meaning "sea." In Europe, Kai is largely considered to have Frisian origin as a diminutive of the name Kaimbe, meaning "warrior", or as a short form of Gerard "brave spear". 
 
Kai is also found as an independent name in African, Chinese, Turkish and Native American cultures. Kai is a strong, evocative multi-cultural name that packs a lot of power in its single syllable. 
 
Famous as the name of the boy enchanted by the fairy-tale Snow Queen, Kai was chosen for her son by actress Jennifer Connelly and as a middle name for son Samuel by Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber. 
 
Kai is popular with Berries as both a first and middle name choice. Perhaps because of its international familiarity, Kai is popular in video games. Its most prominent namesake is Danish-born jazz trombonist Kai Winding.
 
Kai ranks in the US Top 1000 for girls, but is used more than 90 percent of the time for boys. Donald Trump, Jr. has a daughter named Kai Madison and Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik named their daughter Khai in 2020.

Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well, providing a ready made nursery theme. In addition, the lilac is symbolic of first love.
 Actor Stephen Moyer was ahead of the curve when he named his daughter Lilac in 2002.

Lilac

Once restricted to evangelical Protestants honoring the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant revolution. In more recent times it has been favored by parents wishing to honor civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr. Luther was a Top 100 name at the turn of the last century, but fell off the list in the early 1990s. 
 <br?>Luther Burbank was an eminent botanist and Luther Vandross was a popular R&B artist. It's the name of a main character on the Disney series Zeke and Luther. The name was given a shot of contemporary energy via Idris Elba's dynamic performance in the eponymous BBC crime drama.

Luther

Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. Maeve would make an excellent first or middle name choice, with more heft than Mae/May and more modern charm than Mavis. 
 Maeve appears in Irish mythology in two forms, one as the powerful Queen of Connacht, the other as the queen of the fairies. Maeve of Connacht was a warrior queen, famous for starting a war in attempt to steal her ex-husband’s stud bull. Other spellings are Meabh, Medb and Meadhbh, which are connected to mead, a honey-based wine that was produced in many ancient cultures.
 
Chris O'Donnell, Lili Taylor and Kathryn Erbe used Maeve for their daughters. The Irish author Maeve Binchy also is a well-known bearer. Maeve is the name of one of the lead characters on the HBO show Westworld.
 Irish spelling Meabh is popular in Ireland, but not recommended in the US.

Maeve

The addition of the h makes it more Old World, which is not the direction you want to push Matilda in.

Mathilda

Mayson

A venerable name closer to MELISSA than the original MILLICENT.

Melisent

The short-lived magazine edited by former Vogue chief Grace Mirabella put this beautiful name off-limits for a while, but now it's perfectly fit to join the fashionable Bella pantheon. More distinctive than Isabella.

Mirabella

Though greatly overshadowed by the trendy Olivia, Olive has a quiet, subtle appeal of its own -- and is now enjoying a remarkable comeback. Olive is one of only four <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/o">girl names starting with O</a> on the US Top 1000. Cool couple Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen chose it for their daughter, reviving the name to stylishness, and now Drew Barrymore has a little Olive too, as has country singer Jake Owen. 
Olive has positive associations to the olive branch as a symbol of peace and the ancient olive wreath that celebrated success.
 Olive was the name of the adorable Abigail Breslin character in the popular movie Little Miss Sunshine. Olive Chancellor is a major character in Henry James's The Bostonians and Olive Kitteridge is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Elizabeth Strout novel that was adapted into a TV miniseries in 2014. Kids might be familiar with Olive the Other Reindeer.
 Olive came into fashion at the end of the nineteenth century along with other botanical names, when it had a run in the Top 100.

Olive

Sawyer is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">top unisex names</a>, used for their daughters by such parents as Sara Gilbert, co-host of The Talk and former actress on Roseanne, currently on The Conners. Sawyer is is one of those newly-stylish occupational names that can work for either gender. If you want something with less brawn and more brains than Sawyer, try Sayer.

Sawyer

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, which was brought into the contemporary spotlight when chosen by high-profile parents Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck for their second daughter, following the influential choice of Violet for their first.
 Latinate version Serafina is also getting some attention; the name is enjoying a style revival thanks to the current taste for strong, old-fashioned, yet elaborately <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">feminine names</a>. Seraphina has much in common with top choices Isabella, Sophia, and Olivia, and we predict it could be within the U.S. Top 100 in the next decade.
 A variation, Seraphita, is the eponymous heroine of a Balzac novel.
 For now, Seraphina remains a beautiful, distinctive choice. Other name ideas if you like Seraphina: Raphaela, Angelica, Serena, and Sabrina.

Seraphina

Slater has a more genial, friendly feel than most trade names. Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance used it for one of their twins. 
 On the nineties TV show Saved by the Bell, the character A.C. Slater, played by Mario Lopez, was usually referred to by his surname. Christian Slater is a well-known real life bearer--though he was born Christian Hawkins.

Slater

An elegant, continental name for the post-Steve era. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1949 and has been on the list every year since except for a year off in 2008.

Stefan

Xander is a diminutive of Alexander, the Latin variation of the Greek Alexandros. Its meaning, "defending men," is taken from the Greek roots aléxein, "to defend," and andros, "men." Zander, pronounced the same way, is an alternate spelling.
 
One of the newer short forms of Alexander, Xander is a spelling that first saw the spotlight via Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and then as Vin Diesel's character in XXX. Mad Men star January Jones named her son Xander Dane.
 
Even shorter forms Xan and Zan are now also being used on their own. Xan is a character in the P. D. James novel The Children of Men and is a favorite choice of computer game creators.

Xander

Zailey

SmarterLilac's list "Trying Too Hard" of 26 great name ideas: Alexia - Zailey!