Nessie 12467

Former teen idol name, now middle-aged. This name has been on a steady decline since the early-1990s.

Combine the charming heroine of the movie Legally Blonde with supermodel Elle Macpherson and the trend toward all names beginning with "el"—Ellie, Ella, Eleanor—and you have one hit name.

Embry became viable as a first name when it was used for the (male) werewolf character Embry Call in the Twilight series. But its Em- beginning and -y ending give it a feminine sound, so we call it perfectly appropriate for a girl. Embry or Embury is an established English surname.

Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined spelling and deep roots could make it a worth successor to Elijah in the Top 10 -- or even to Liam or Noah at Number 1.

Korey was never widely used for girls, while sisters Cory and Corey faded from the Top 1000 in the mid-90s though they hang on for boys. With the rise of the classic name Cora, derived from the Greek goddess name Kore, Korey may find new life as a nickname.