Beautiful "Pretty Little Liars" Names

Charlotte

French, feminine diminutive of Charles

"free man"

Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl…

Aria

Italian and Hebrew

"air; song or melody; lion"

Aria is a multi-cultural name with two extremely popular versions: this more word-like one along with Arya, the spelling used for the feisty young heroine of Game of Thrones . There were about 6400…

Ella

German; English

"all, completely; fairy maiden"

Ella is a sweet, simple name that owes much of its current popularity to the popularity of other names, from Emma to Bella to Emily to Ellie. Ella is one of those names that has ranked in the US Top…

Emily

Feminine variation of Emil, Latin

"rival"

Emily may have dropped somewhat in the current standings, but it was the most popular American girl name for over a decade in the 90s and 2000s, likely because it appeals on many levels. It's…

Maya

Sanskrit, English, Hebrew, Estonian

"illusion, magic; mother; water; beloved, bitter, drop of the sea"

Maya, which has an almost mystical image, has been steadily climbing in popularity in the US and the English-speaking world, along with a range of other countries, including France, Germany, Israel,…

Ashley

English

"dweller near the ash tree meadow"

Ashley was a sensation in the 1980s and 1990s; it hit Number 1 in 1991. Ashley is still pretty but more and more parents are turning to newer names like Ashlyn and Aubrey, and spellings such as…

Paige

English, occupational name

"page to a lord"

Paige is more name, and less word than the occupational Page. Paige is also sleek and sophisticated a la Brooke and Blair and reached as high as Number 47 in 2003, when there was a very popular…

Melissa

Greek

"honeybee"

Melissa derives from the Greek word mélissa , meaning "bee," which was taken from the word for honey, meli . In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who nursed the infant god Zeus with honey. Melissa…

Alison

Norman French, diminutive of Alice

"noble"

Alison has been long popular in Scotland and widely used here since the fifties. This more feminine medieval elaboration of Alice had long surpassed the original in popularity, but now sounds a tad…

Hanna

Spelling variation of Hannah

This simplified version is not nearly as popular as the original (it also destroys a perfectly good palindrome), and has been on the decline in recent years.

Jenna

English, diminutive of Jennifer

"white shadow, white wave"

Jenna was first noted on the 1980s TV series Dallas , later associated with one of the First Twin Daughters. Jenna is still being used, but no longer feels much fresher than Jennifer. You can also…

Spencer

French

"keeper of provisions"

Yes, Spencer makes a plausible and powerful female choice these days, though it's still used four times as often for boys as for girls. But Spencer does not swim that far beneath the Top 1000, used…