Names I think will rise in popularity- Girls

Ayla

Hebrew or Turkish

"oak tree; halo, moonlight"

Bright, fresh, and sunny, Ayla is a fashionable and exciting international choice for girls. Reminiscent of other trending names such as Layla, Isla, and Ava, Ayla has recently found its place in the…

Anastasia

Greek, feminine variation of Anastasios

"resurrection"

Anastasia is the feminine form on Anastasius, a Greek name derived from the word anastasis , meaning "resurrection." It was a common name among early Christians, who often gave it to daughters born…

Navy

English, word name

"fleet of ships; sea-based branch of the armed forces; dark blue"

When R & B singer Nivea made this highly original choice for her daughter's name back in 2005, she claimed to have thought of it in terms of the color and not the seagoing armed service. As a word…

Esmeralda

Spanish and Portuguese

"emerald"

Esmeralda came into use as an applied use of the Spanish word for emerald, esmeralda . In the 1831 Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris , also known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame , the heroine was…

Astrid

Scandinavian

"divinely beautiful"

Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Astrid is derived from the…

Winnie

English diminutive of Winifred

"holy peacemaking, gentle friend"

This pet form of such names as Winifred and Edwina and Gwendolyn has loads of vintage charm, a la Millie and Maisie, with a decidedly winning vibe. And it just got celebrity cred as the baby daughter…

Amaia

Spanish or Basque

"high place or end"

This pretty and uncommon Basque name is all but unheard of in this country. Amaya is a spelling variation as well as a similar Japanese name meaning "night rain." With the newfound popularity of…

Margo

French, diminutive of Margaret

"pearl"

Margo and Margot sound exactly the same, so why has the Margot spelling hopped back onto the Top 1000, outpacing Margo in numbers more than two to one? (Over 350 baby girls were named Margot in the…

Estelle

French

"star"

Maybe it's because she shares that winning -elle sound with Isabel and Bella, but Estelle is no longer seen as a muumuu-wearing canasta player of a certain age (think George Costanza's mother on…

Cleo

Greek

"glory"

Cleo, one of the few girls' names to boast the cool-yet-lively o ending, is of course short for Cleopatra, the name of one of the most powerful women in history. Cleo was most popular in the early…

Noemi

Italian and Spanish variation of Naomi

"my delight"

Noemi is a charming Latin spin on Naomi; another twist is Neomi. A quiet mainstay on the US Top 1000 since 1957, Noemi was one of the fastest rising names in 2023.

Meilani

Modern invented name

Meilani may sound like a Hawaiian name, kind of a mashup of Leilani and Melanie, but it's actually an invention by that style-maven JWoww, AKA Jenni Farley of Jersey Shore , who used it for her…

Halo

English, word name

Halo is a glowing word name that's both cosmic and spiritual, and with its shiny imagery and bright sounds, it was one of the fasted rising names in 2023. The word "halo" has been used in English…

Indie

Short form of India, Indigo etc

Indie is an independent-sounding nickname name that is in the Top 100 in Wales. As a diminutive, it's growing in popularity -- along with indie films, indie publishing -- and the reason some parents…

Violeta

Spanish; Bulgarian; Romanian; Serbian; Lithuanian; Albanian

"purple; violet (flower)"

Violeta is the variation of Violet found throughout various countries in Eastern Europe -- the name is styled this way in Bulgarian and Romanian as well as other languages -- and Spain, while…

Aya

Japanese, Hebrew, Danish, Arabic

"colorful, design; honey buzzard, bird; rock, lull, happiness; sign, verse"

Aya, barely more than a breath, is an international favorite, with origins in several languages and cultures. Popular throughout Europe, it ranks in the US Top 1000 and was chosen for nearly 470…

Thalia

Greek

"to flourish"

Thalia was one of the Three Graces in Greek mythology, and also the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry, making this a Hellenic choice worthy of consideration. In the Rick Riordan series Percy Jackson…

Oakleigh

Variation of Oakley, English

"oak clearing"

Oakleigh broke into the Top 1000 in 2019, two years after Oaklee and six years after Oakley. Last year, about 600 baby girls were named Oakleigh in the US, almost exactly the same number as Oaklyn --…

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…

Persephone

Greek

"bringer of destruction"

Magical and earthy, sophisticated but off-beat, Persephone appears as the daughter of Zeus by Demeter in Greek mythology. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was…