Favorite Baby Names 2020

Gabrielle

French, feminine variation of Gabriel, Hebrew

"God is my Strength"

The quintessentially elegant and worldly Gabrielle -- designer Coco Chanel's real name -- is on its descent after years on the rise. Gabrielle was a hit in the 90s and early 2000s, peaking at number…

Lennox

Scottish

"elm grove"

Lennox is one of the new breed of surname names on the rise as a Scottish name for girls as well as boys. The final x makes the name a bit masculine a la Max and Felix, but female inspirations…

Emmeline

Old French form of archaic German Amal

"work"

Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000…

Cordelia

Latin; Celtic

"heart; daughter of the sea"

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both…

Adalie

Variation of Adelie or Adalia

"noble; God is just"

Akin to Ada, Adeline, and Adele, Adalie is one of many names to derive from the Old German element adal . Musical and lively, and less popular than its many of its sisters, Adalie was given to around…

Amabel

Latin

"lovable"

Amabel is an older name than Annabel and a lot more distinctive. Amabel was a very common name in the twelfth and thirteen centuries, then was revived during the nineteenth century British fad for…

Amberly

Modern variation of Amber

A rarely used play on Amber, making it more feminine and both more modern and old-fashioned at the same time.

Belle

Short form of Isabelle or French

"beautiful"

Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast . As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of…

Cassie

Diminutive of Cassandra, Greek

"prophetess"

Though not much in use, still retains a cozy Little House on the Prairie-type pioneer feel.

Cicely

English variation of Cecilia

"blind"

This frilly Victorian name is a variant of Cecilia and Cecily, with which it might well be confused. Cicely was a surprise choice for comedienne Sandra Bernhard. Literary Cicelys can be found in Sir…

Isabeau

French variation of Isabel

"pledged to God"

With Isabel getting so popular, parents are searching for new varieties of the name, and Isabeau is one that makes a lovely French twist. Isabeau of Bavaria was the wife of King Charles VI of…

Kassidy

Variation of Cassidy

Like Cassidy, Kassidy peaked near the turn of the millennium and has lost ground in recent years.

Kay

English, diminutive of Katherine, Greek

"pure"

Kay, a cigarette-smoking, nightclubbing name of the 1930's, could be ready for a comeback along with cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae. Kay has been out of sight since the mid-eighties, but was in the…

Kaya

Scandinavian, English, Literature, Japanese

"pure; one who arranges rocks; perfume, incense; fruit, reward"

A multicultural name, that's currently on style and fits right in with Kaia, Maya, Raya, and Mia. Currently in the Top 500 in both the UK and The Netherlands, it has several different origins and…

Linnea

Swedish

"twinflower, lime tree"

Linnea is an attractive Scandinavian name that derives from the renowned 18th century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who developed the Linnean system of classifying plants and animals. Linnea is…

Mollie

Variation of Molly

This new/old spin on Molly -- nickname-names with the ie ending were particularly popular at the turn of the last century -- that has landed this name in the US Top 1000.