The goldilocks of girl names

Charlotte

French, feminine diminutive of Charles

"free man"

Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl…

Violet

English from Latin

"purple"

Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the most popular color name for girls, pulling ahead…

Gemma

Italian, Catalonian, Spanish

"precious stone"

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. Coming from a medieval Italian…

Elodie

French, variation of Alodia, German

"foreign riches"

The lyrical and melodious Elodie, a Nameberry favorite, is starting to rise through the US popularity charts for the first time since the 1880s. This once uncommon member of the El- family is a Top…

Thea

Greek

"goddess, godly"

Succinct and stylish, sweet but vivacious, multicultural and versatile, Thea has a lot going for it. A Top 100 choice in Sweden, France, Norway, New Zealand, and the UK, it is also familiar in…

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…

Siena

Italian place-name

Siena is a soft and delicate Tuscan town name given a big fashion boost by lovely young actress/gossip column staple Sienna Miller. A real up-and-comer.

Skyler

Spelling variation of Skylar or Schuyler

While Skylar is currently the most popular spelling choice for girls, the Skyler option is more (statistically) unisex. Given to boy and girls in nearly equal numbers each year, it ranks around the…

Odette

French, from German

"wealthy"

Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake , a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly sophisticated yet upbeat choice. In fact, it charted in…

Imogen

Celtic

"maiden"

Imogen has long been fashionable in England and is gaining favor in the US among stylish parents. Pronounced the British way — the initial i is short as in Kim, as is the final E as in Ken — Imogen…

Rosalind

Latin

"soft horse or pretty rose"

Rosalind has a distinguished literary history – used and popularized by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare via one of his most charming heroines, in As You Like It . Along with a bouquet of other Rose…

Macey

Spelling variation of Macy, from surname Massey

"hill"

When Macy rose to fame back in the 90s, thanks to singer Macy Gray and the character Macy Alexander in the soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful , it was joined in the US charts by a host of spelling…

Iona

Scottish place-name

This name of a small island off the coast of Scotland is trending upwards along with other I names.

Amata

Italian feminine variant of the Latin Amatus

"beloved"

Name that's virtually unknown here but has a lovely meaning and a simple sound and spelling.