favorite character names

Kayleigh

Variation of Kaylee, English

"laurel, crown"

The -leigh suffix seems to be losing its luster; several names in this category, including Kayleigh, Kyleigh and Ryleigh, peaked in popularity a few years back but have since lost quite a bit of…

Haley

English

"hay field"

The second most popular spelling of this name is also the most straightforward.

Cadence

Latin

"rhythm, beat"

The musical word name Cadence, seemed to come out of nowhere to zoom up the charts; it rose over 700 spots between 2002 and 2004, and showed up in the Top 200 in 2007. It's gone down in the popular…

Elsa

German diminutive of Elisabeth

"pledged to God"

Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…

Ingrid

Norse

"fair; Ing is beautiful"

The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…

Marjorie

Scottish variation of Margery, diminutive of Margaret

"pearl"

Scottish Marjorie and her English twin Margery were early twentieth century favorites that date back to medieval times, when it was popular among the royals. They were at their height in the 1920s,…

Marlene

German variation of Madeline; combination of Mary and Magdalen

Marlene Dietrich made it famous when she condensed her first two names, Maria and Magdalena. Now more often pronounced with two syllables rather than three.

Sofie

German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech variation of Sophie or Sophia, Greek

"wisdom"

A streamlined spelling of Sophie, popular in several European nations, including Norway, Czechia, Denmark, and The Netherlands. While English speakers may say this as SO-fee, it may also be said as…