Name Game 11

Ava

Hebrew, Latin or Germanic

"life; bird; water, island"

Ava is one of the prime examples of a modern classic name, ranking in the Top 10 for 20 years, from 2005 through 2024, only falling out in 2025. In medieval times, Ava was a diminutive of Germanic…

Paige

English, occupational name

"page to a lord"

Paige is more name, and less word than the occupational Page. Paige is also sleek and sophisticated a la Brooke and Blair and reached as high as Number 47 in 2003, when there was a very popular…

Demi

Diminutive of Demetria or Greek

"half"

Demi appeared in the US as a baby name thanks to a single celebrity, actress Demi Moore, who put it on the Top 1000 throughout the 1990s. As her star faded, so did the visibility of the name, though…

Alyssa

English variation of Alicia

"noble"

Alyssa was in the Top 20 from 1997-2010 and peaked as the 11th most popular girls’ name in 1998 and 1999 but has become less popular in recent years. It's related to the flower alyssum as well as to…

Lynsie

Lynsie is a feminine name that represents a modern spelling variation of Lindsay or Lindsey. Originally derived from an English surname meaning 'island of linden trees' or 'Lincoln's marsh,' the name…

Carly

English feminization of Carl, German

"free man"

Though a couple of its more "creative" spellings—Carli and Karlee, for example—are still on the rise, this feminine form of Carl, popularized by singer Carly Simon in the 1970s, could by no stretch…