Only 5 Babies in 2020 England and Wales

Love

English word name

"love, fondness, attachment"

Love makes an endearing middle name, as in Jennifer Love Hewitt. However, more parents are considering Love as a first name — enough for it to enter the US charts for the first time in 2022 as one of…

Yvette

French, feminine of Yves

"yew tree"

This French name has the elegance of other '-ette' names like Colette and Odette, and is a botanical name without being too obvious about it. Related to the sleek French name Yves, it was popular in…

Mirabella

Italian variation of Mirabelle

"wonderful"

The short-lived magazine edited by former Vogue chief Grace Mirabella put this beautiful name off-limits for a while, but now it's perfectly fit to join the fashionable Bella pantheon. More…

Truly

Word name

"in a truthful way"

A would-be up-and-comer if it wasn't for the spiked seltzer brand.

Roxanna

Persian

"little star"

Spelled with one 'n', this was the name of the wife of Alexander the Great, and is more attractive than the better-known Roxanne.

Maude

English and French diminutive of Matilda, German

"battle-mighty"

Maude, also spelled Maud, is a lacy, mauve-tinted name that was wildly popular a hundred years ago, but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose it again,…

Mairead

Irish, shortened fom of Mairghread, variation of Margaret

"pearl"

Pronounced MAW-rayt or ma-RAYD, Mairead is close enough to Maureen to be accepted here. The name became popular in Ireland due to admiration for the saint of that name. Peig and Peigi are its…

Thelma

English, Literary, meaning unknown

Though modern parents seeking to honor an ancestor named Thelma might opt for the airier Thea instead, Thelma is starting to make its way back onto adventurous vintage name lovers' radars. It is…

Isolde

Welsh, German

"ice ruler"

Sleek, sharp, and soulful, Isolde is the German form of Iseult, the fabled lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romances. First appearing in the 12th-century, the name was fairly popular in the form of…

Gift

English word name

Surprisingly, one of the fastest-rising names for girls.

Iola

Greek or Welsh

"violet; beautiful lady"

Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that…

Charmaine

French from Greek

"charm or delight"

Charmaine is an ancient name connected to Charmion, the name of one of Cleopatra's servants, and Charmian, a Shakespearean name. Its meaning is related to the word charm, though some sources tie it…