American Girl Names

Addison has been a wildly popular surname name, mostly for girls, for a few decades now, and Addisyn is one of its many spelling variations.

This Amy/Mia combination debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2013. It could also be seen as a variant of Amaya.

Though it relates to the Irish original, Ashlyn and its next most popular form, Ashlynn, owe more of their popularity as baby names in the US to the megastar Ashley, though all three have been dropping on the charts lately.

That i adds some extra spunk to mega popular Avery. It also adds some pronunciation confusion (as it could be pronounced AV-er-ee or AV-er-eye). We suggest sticking with the original Avery.

This extra-N variation is hot on the tails of mega popular Brooklyn and takes it a bit further from the New York borough.

Combining popular names Brynn and Ryleigh produced a new name that has ranked in the Top 1000 since 2010, never surpassing the top mark set at Number 841 in 2013. Trendiness personified.

While the Cailin spelling doesn't appear on popularity charts, other forms such as Kaylin and Kaylen do, along with several similar names, from Caitlin to Jalen to Kayla. The result: a name that feels more common than it actually is.

We much prefer Emmaline.

Adds a soupcon of French flair to some old classics with the currently trendy ae ending.

It's far cooler to drop the first syllable and go for Elle.

Jaylee belongs to the family of names including Haylee and Caylee, all of which experienced their greatest popularity five to ten years ago.

K-beginnings are often substituted for Cs, and this spelling is definitely finding favor with many parents, among them skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. However, sometimes the original is the best - we suggest sticking to the still unusual Cadence.

A widely used name, Kaylee pulls together something from Kayla and something from Hailey, yet somehow loses something in the process. It has surpassed cousin Kayla on the charts and is one of three girls' names starting with Kthat ranks in the US Top 100.

Adding an extra 'R' to Kiera makes it rhyme with the fashionable Sierra. Kierra is a more distinctive choice than Kiera, Keira, or Kyra, all similarly pronounced, but there may be some pronunciation confusion.

This diminutive of Kimberley is gaining momentum as a standalone name. For our part, we're stumped by its rise.

Maeby sprang into the modern consciousness via the cult TV favorite Arrested Development, in which the appealing teen character Maeby's name is a nickname for Mae. It's also a homonym for Maybe, which undercuts its inherent cuteness. Is Maeby prime for a real life baby name? Sorry, but we can't resist: Maybe.

One-time overnight success name, thanks to Hannah Montana actress and singer Miley Cyrus, Miley has fallen quickly from her peak of Number 127 in 2008. For Miley Cyrus, Miley was a childhood nickname (because she was so smiley); Destiny is her real name. Miley is a good lesson in avoiding trendy names. Popular opinion of the source can sour leaving a fresh name looking dated.

A modern twist on Michelle spotlighted by Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols.

The original Rhiannon has more appeal.

What works for Paige just doesn’t work for Sage. The added i will likely create a lifetime of spelling mistakes.