Favorite Girls Names

Newly fashioned but familiar and with an on-trend, unisex feel, Addison seems like the perfect solution for anyone who can't decide between Madison, Adeline, and Alison.

Angelle is a feminine name with French origins, essentially serving as the feminine form of 'angel.' Derived from the Greek 'angelos' meaning 'messenger,' the name carries beautiful spiritual connotations of divine protection and purity. Popular primarily in French-speaking regions and communities with French cultural influences, Angelle combines elegance with spiritual significance. The name has a delicate, feminine quality with its soft ending while maintaining a clear pronunciation. While never extremely common in English-speaking countries, Angelle has maintained steady if modest usage, particularly in families with French heritage or those seeking a name with subtle religious significance. Its gentle sound and meaningful background make it a timeless choice that avoids feeling trendy.

Arli is a feminine name with multiple possible origins, including as a diminutive of Arlene or as a modern, simplified spelling of Arlie. This concise, playful name carries a contemporary feel while maintaining connections to more traditional naming patterns. Arli has gained modest popularity in recent decades as parents seek shorter, gender-flexible names with a friendly quality. The name's brevity makes it cross-culturally accessible, while its soft sounds create a gentle impression. Arli combines modern minimalism with a touch of vintage charm, particularly in its connection to early 20th century names. Its simplicity makes it work well internationally, and its unusual status ensures distinctiveness without complexity.

Extreme makeover: Brooklyn has gone from jokey Borough Boy name in the 1990s to a leading girls' name starting with B. The status of New York's Brooklyn as hipster heaven is ironic as few bona fide Brooklyn hipsters would choose this name.

A winning last-name-first Celtic choice, Flynn is still mostly used for boys, such as the son of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. Though Flynn is definitely one of the Irish surname names, from Quinn to Flannery to Makenna, that makes one of the trendy boy names for girls".

This once obscure name was propelled to fame by Britney Spears, and by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith in the 2000's. It skyrocketed into the US Top 10 for boys, but it also saw significant use for girls.

Justice is a fashionable word name, used for both girls and boys. Justice has the distinction of being a virtue name without the religious implications of Faith or Grace. It still feels more male than female, perhaps partly due to the classic Roman name Justus, but Justice has become a more common pick for girls in recent years.

Mona had more than a moment in the sun, peaking in 1950 at Number 230 but falling off the Top 1000 completely in the late 1980s. Its similarity to the word "moaner" undercuts the appeal of its simplicity. In one recent year, fewer than 100 baby girls received the name, and we don't see it reviving any time soon.

The original oddball celebrity baby name, via Frank Zappa's daughter Moon Unit, who claims she's always liked it.

Like its cousin Tessa, Nessa -- a shortening of Vanessa or Agnes or Anastasia among other possibilities -- is an attractive nickname that can stand on its own.

Short and slight, with great potential now that names like Ava, Ida and Orla are popular. Ora Beach is a tourist destination on Seram Island, Indonesia.

Selena is smooth, shiny, and sensual, a nineteenth-century name that found new life in the Latino community, following the biopic of slain Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, starring Jennifer Lopez. But you don't have to be Latin to love Selena, which is both distinctive yet in step with stylish modern names such as Seraphina and Celia.

Veronica seems poised to rise again, along with many other V names, and with it may follow this more romantic French version.