Toddlers & Tiaras: Names With Too Much Sparkle

  1. Angel
    • Origin:

      Spanish and English
    • Meaning:

      "angel, messenger"
    • Description:

      Angel is one of those names that has a very different trajectory for girls and boys. As a female name, it was most popular in the US from the 1970s until the turn of this century, almost breaking into the Top 100 at its peak in 2001 but then beginning a long slide down the list.
  2. Aniston
    • Bristol
      • Origin:

        Place-name
      • Description:

        Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Alaska governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, grabbed her own share of headlines by having a baby out of wedlock and then appearing on Dancing With The Stars. She single-handedly propelled her distinctive name, inspired by a city in England, into the Top 1000 and up the charts. Bristol's ascent ended a few years back.
    • Brittany
      • Origin:

        English name of the French region Bretagne, meaning 'from Briton'
      • Description:

        Brittany first arrived on the US popularity list in 1971, and rapidly zoomed up the charts, in the Top 100 a decade later. By 1986 it had entered the Top 10, becoming the third most popular girls’ name in the country by 1989.
    • Destiny
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        If Destiny is your daughter's destiny, she probably won't be the only one in her school: until 2009, Destiny was in the Top 50, with three of its alternate spellings in hot pursuit. It has since dipped a bit in popularity but is still widely used. Destiny Hope was the birth name of Miley Cyrus and Destiny Jones is the daughter or rapper Nas.
    • Diamond
      • Origin:

        Gem name
      • Description:

        Diamond sparkled all through the nineties--reaching as high as Number 150 in 1999. Although its shine has diminished quite a bit, it remains in use.
    • Daylee
      • Eden
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "place of pleasure, delight"
        • Description:

          Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the seventeenth century.
      • Elexis
        • Origin:

          Greek variation of Alexis
        • Description:

          Rather than confusing things with Elexis, we'd stick with the original Alexis version.
      • Emerald
        • Origin:

          Gem name; Persian
        • Meaning:

          "green"
        • Description:

          Emerald is the intriguing color and jewel name of the deep green stone treasured as far back as ancient Egypt — it's supposed to open one's heart to wisdom and to love and be good for strengthening relationships — which could make for an interesting, unusual name, particularly with the popularity of so many Em-starting names.
      • Jadyn
        • Description:

          For girls, the most popular form of a very popular name. See also Jaidyn, Jaiden, and Jaden.
      • Karlee
        • Origin:

          Variation of Carly
        • Meaning:

          "free man"
        • Description:

          This nouveau spelling peaked at Number 583 in 2004. In spite of its trend-making K and "ee" ending, Karlee is much less popular than the original Carly.
      • Kinley
        • Origin:

          Scottish
        • Meaning:

          "fair hero"
        • Description:

          A Scottish surname name, more popular as the Presidential McKinley, meaning "son of the fair hero".
      • Lexie
        • Description:

          Lexi and Lexie, pixie-ish offshoots of the prolific Alex family, have come into their own, remaining in the Top 1000 for more than 20 years now.
      • Mercedes
        • Origin:

          Spanish
        • Meaning:

          "gracious gifts, benefits"
        • Description:

          Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin Mary--Santa Maria de las Mercedes, or Our Lady of the Mercies. The car, by the way was named after the eleven-year-old daughter of the Daimler company's French distributor in 1901.
      • Makynli
        • Paris
          • Origin:

            French place-name
          • Description:

            Paris, a one-time mythical and Shakespearean boys' name, peaked in 2004 at Number 157 at least in part due to the highly publicized Paris Hilton. Michael Jackson used it for his daughter.
        • Queen
          • Origin:

            Word name
          • Meaning:

            "queen"
          • Description:

            Queen has seen a revival in recent times, reaching its record high in 2018 with 280 births — it has remained steady since then. Previously, Queen saw a peak in the 1920s, but its origins go back even further than that. Queen was a noted name among enslaved people in America, along with other royal choices such as Duke, Squire, and Prince.
        • Serenity
          • Origin:

            Latin
          • Meaning:

            "peaceful"
          • Description:

            Peaceful, calm, and untroubled: these are qualities parents may be hoping for, either on their parenting journey or in their child’s life. The name Serenity encapsulates these hopes, conjuring up a sense of balance, composure, and ease.
        • Skylar
          • Origin:

            Spelling variation of Schuyler, Dutch
          • Meaning:

            "scholar"
          • Description:

            Skylar is a name with a hint of both edginess and whimsy and it makes for a nature-inspired choice that is neither too wordy nor too floral. Popular since the 90s, Skylar has remained in the US Top 100 for over a decade and is the most popular spelling of the name for girls.