User-created list
My Name List
Across 9 pages
of 9
Joaquin
Spanish variation of Joachim
"God will judge"
Actor Joaquin Phoenix (brother of River, Rain, Liberty and Summer) highlighted this one, then Kelly Ripa began talking about younger son Joaquin on her daily TV show, and presto—it's now one of the…
Camilla
Latin
"young ceremonial attendant"
The Spanish Camila, pronounced ka-MEE-la, is the fastest rising version of this ancient Roman name, but recent royal Camilla may have helped promote the British brand. In Roman myth, Camilla was a…
Anderson
English from Scandinavian
"son of Anders"
Rugged and tough, Anderson shot up quite a bit on the pop list in the 2000's, no doubt in large part due to the prominence of white-haired cable newsman Anderson Coopers, more recently, it has…
Vanessa
Literary invention; also a species of butterfly
Vanessa was invented by writer Jonathan Swift for a lover named Esther Vanhomrigh—he combined the first syllable of her last name with the initial syllable of her first. Swift used it in the poem…
Giselle
German
"pledge, hostage"
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen undoubtedly gave this name a boost. The French pronunciation (jiz-ELLE) gives it a more graceful, balletic, gazellelike feel. In the 2007 film Enchanted , Giselle…
Zander
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
On the rise as an independent name: Zander and Xander are both widely used can increasingly be found as characters in movies and on TV.
Kian
Irish; Persian
"ancient; king"
A friendly Irish and Persian name chosen by Geena Davis for one of her twin boys, whose father is Iranian. Irish and Iranian has to be one of the most diverse pair of roots of any name. Kian can be a…
Lauren
English from Latin
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"
Lauren was derived from Laurence, an English name from the Roman family name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum." Laurentum, an ancient Italian city, got its name from the Latin word laurus ,…
Taylor
English occupational name
"tailor"
Taylor is one of the prime unisex surnames used for girls and has also been a soap opera favorite. Taylor was in the Top 10 for the last several years of the twentieth century, so that now it tends…
Cayden
Modern invented name, English
"battle"
Cayden is one of the many spellings of this popular name, made all the more popular when they're counted together. According to our annual playground analysis , sound-wise at least, Cayden is the…
Rylan
English and Irish
"Rye land"
Parents seeking alternatives to popular Ryan have flocked to this soundalike name, which peaked at #146 in 2011. Blending in elements of Nolan and Riley too, it remains in the US Top 500, and is…
Killian
Irish
"war strife or church"
Killian – aka Cillian – is a spirited yet resonant Gaelic name that was borne by several Irish saints and could make a distinctive replacement for the dated Kelly. Kylian is another spelling that's…
London
English place-name
"Capital city of England"
The capital of England makes a solid and attractive twenty-first-century choice in the US where it is currently in the Top 1000. Given to nearly 1000 girls and 200 boys each year, it is a unisex…
Maia
Greek
"mother"
Maia was derived from the Greek word maia , meaning "mother." In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was…
Madeleine
French variation of Magdalen
"woman from Magdala or high tower"
Sophisticated and sweet, delicate but substantial, Madeleine is the classic French variation of Magdalene. Once a Top 10 option in France, its popularity waned in the 70s, though it is slowly on the…
Meredith
Welsh
"great ruler"
Meredith is a soft, gentle-sounding name with subtle Welsh roots. Although originally a boys’ name , Meredith is used mainly for girls now. Meredith's highest point of popularity for girls in the…
Maren
Latin
"sea"
Maren is one of the many twenty-first-century takes on Mary--but we find the more classic Marin spelling preferable. When spelled Maren, the pronunciation seems more clearly to resemble Mary, with…
Felicity
Latin
"good fortune, happy"
Felicity is as accessible a virtue name as Hope and Faith, but much more feminine -- and dare we say, happier. The hit TV show did a lot to soften and modernize the once buttoned-up image of…
Camryn
English variation of Cameron, Scottish
"crooked nose"
This Cameron variation was popularized by actress Camryn Manheim and the character in Twitches of the same name. It also makes it more obviously feminine, which might appeal to some parents,…
Arielle
French variation of Ariel
"lion of God"
While not as popular as the Ariel spelling of Little Mermaid fame, this rendition has achieved popularity in its own right. Arielle has been on a steady rise, perhaps helped by the -elle ending…