The 2015s

Isabella

Spanish and Italian variation of Elizabeth, Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Isabella has been a Top 10 name for girls in the US for two decades now. The Latinate form of Isabel, a variation of Elizabeth which originally derived from the Hebrew name Elisheba, Isabella reigned…

Ava

Hebrew, Latin or Germanic

"life; bird; water, island"

Ava is one of the prime examples of a modern classic name, ranking in the Top 10 for 20 years, from 2005 through 2024, only falling out in 2025. In medieval times, Ava was a diminutive of Germanic…

Ivy

Botanical name

The quirky, offbeat and energetic botanical name Ivy is enjoying a deserved revival, propelled even higher by its choice by high-profile parents Beyonce and Jay-Z for daughter Blue Ivy. Ivy is also…

Isabelle

French variation of Isabel

"pledged to God"

Isabelle is the French variation of Isabel, which emerged in the Middle ages as an Occitan form of Elizabeth. Medieval queens Isabella of Angoulême and Isabella of France helped popularize the name…

Lila

Arabic, Sanskrit

"night; play"

Lila is one of the girl names with a double l sound — Lila, Lola, Layla, Leila, Lily et al — that have caught on in a major way., Delicate yet dynamic, Lila has a slightly international flair. The…

Arabella

Latin, Scottish

"yielding to prayer; lovable"

Arabella, lovely and elegant, has long been well used in Britain and finally made it onto the American list in 2005. A Top 50 choice in the UK, in the US in remains in the Top 300, given to around…

Esme

French

"beloved"

Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer , meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "emerald". Esmé…

Serena

Latin

"tranquil, serene"

Serena, a name used since Roman times, was given fresh life by tennis star Williams, and then again with the leading character on Gossip Girl , Serena van der Woodsen. There have also been Serenas on…

Joy

English word name

"joy"

Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. However, Joy, like Grace, Hope,…

Marie

French variation of Mary

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

The ubiquitous French version of Mary came into the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. In the United States, Marie was a huge hit at the turn of the last century and for the ensuing…

Indie

Short form of India, Indigo etc

Indie is an independent-sounding nickname name that is in the Top 100 in Wales. As a diminutive, it's growing in popularity -- along with indie films, indie publishing -- and the reason some parents…

Averie

Spelling variation of Avery

"ruler of the elves"

This spelling has been on the rise since it entered the charts in 2004, hot on the coattails of trendy Avery. Avery is actually an extremely popular name, ranking in the Top 100 for 20 years now,…

August

Latin

"majestic, venerable"

Though associated traditionally (and fashionably) with boys, it has been used occasionally for girls as well – by Garth Brooks, Nicolas Cage, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, for example. But…

Belle

Short form of Isabelle or French

"beautiful"

Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast . As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of…

Serafina

Italian and Spanish variation of Seraphina

"ardent"

Serafina is a name so lovely it's worthy of an angel. But the more stylish spelling today is Seraphina.

Marin

Latin

"of the sea"

Marin is a lovely county north of San Francisco, and a lovely baby name on the rise, one which sounds more refreshing than the more familiar Marina. As a place-name, Marin is pronounced with the…

Scotland

Place-name

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin's daughter Ireland opened up the map for names like Scotland, and now that it's been chosen by Kourtney Kardashian for her daughter Penelope's middle name -- in honor of…