Baby Gessner

The quintessentially elegant and worldly Gabrielle -- designer Coco Chanel's real name -- is on its descent after years on the rise.

Gayla is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It most likely developed as a feminine form of Gale (meaning "cheerful" or "merry" in Middle English) or as a variant of Gaila, which has Hebrew roots meaning "joy" or "wave." Some also connect it to the Latin "gaillardia" (meaning "lively" or "high-spirited"). Gayla experienced modest popularity in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s alongside other melodic names ending in 'a'. Though never reaching the top rankings, the name conveys a sense of happiness and vivacity. The name's bright, uplifting meaning and pleasant sound continue to attract parents seeking a relatively uncommon name with positive associations and straightforward pronunciation.

Gearldine is a feminine name that emerged as a variant spelling of Geraldine, which itself is the female form of Gerald. The name has Germanic roots meaning 'rule of the spear' or 'brave with the spear.' This distinctive spelling variation gained modest popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly in southern regions of the United States. While less common than Geraldine, Gearldine carries the same strong, classic essence with a unique orthographic twist. The name experienced its peak usage between the 1930s and 1950s but has since become quite rare. Gearldine represents an era when creative spellings of traditional names were embraced to add individuality while maintaining familiar sounds and heritage.

Gemma is a jewel of a name, an Italian classic that was very popular in 1980s England, but has only recently been started to be used here; it entered the list in 2008.

Originally the name of the titular faerie queene of Spenser's epic poem "The Faerie Queene," published in 1590. Gloriana was, along with Belphoebe, an allegory for Queen Elizabeth.

While Gwen may have originated as a short form of Gwendolen and Gwendolyn, these days it frequently stands on its own. Rocker Gwen Stefani has given it a shot of cool, and parents are choosing it as a standalone more and more often—Gwen hopped back onto the US Top 1000 in 2013 after an absence of over 30 years. Gwen could also be short for Guinevere.

One spelling variation that's more popular than the original, this somewhat old-fashioned name might be in honor of poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American to win a Pulitzer prize for poetry, or may be a way to get to the modern short form Gwen.