Girl Names That Should Be More Popular

Delilah

Hebrew or Arabic

"delicate"

Melodic and lively, Delilah has cut itself (mostly) free from its treacherous past to become a contemporary favorite. Though some people are naturally still put off by the deceptive Biblical figure,…

Alice

German

"noble"

Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the Western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of…

Elsie

Diminutive of Elizabeth via its Scottish variation, Elspeth

"pledged to God"

Elsie is a sweet vintage nickname-name turned modern star. After a 30-year hiatus, Elsie started climbing the US popularity list 20 years ago and is still headed for the top. In its native Britain,…

Sloane

Irish

"raider"

Sloane is a sleek, sophisticated surname name that has gradually morphed over to the girls' side. With its distinctive and intriguing sound, Sloane has been in the US Top 1000 since 2009, and in…

Ada

German or Turkish

"noble, nobility, or island"

Ada is one of the classic baby names for girls that is suddenly super stylish again. A favorite at the end of the nineteenth century, Ada is an alternative to the over-popular Ava. Ada is also part…

Camille

French

"young ceremonial attendant"

At one time just the sound of the name Camille could start people coughing, recalling the tragic Lady of the Camellias , the heroine played by Greta Garbo in the vintage film based on a Dumas story,…

Ophelia

Greek

"help"

Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in…

Leighton

English

"meadow town"

One of those names that's suddenly on the map because of a celebrity's influence, Leighton Meester of the TV show Gossip Girl . She pronounces it LAY-ton but some will intuitively say LEE-ton.

Amaris

Variation of Amara or Amariah

Amaris sounds like "amorous," which is a loving name for a child, but doesn't really have a clear derivation or meaning of its own. The popular Amara is one of the most international names on the…

Emmeline

Old French form of archaic German Amal

"work"

Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000…

Arden

English

"valley of the eagle; high"

Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It , is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is…

Artemis

Greek mythology

"safe; butcher"

Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the…

Joyce

Latin

"merry, joyous"

Joyce was once a boy name , but took off for girls during the mid-twentieth century, when it spent 1930 to 1947 in the Top 20. Now, Joyce is one of the girls' names starting with J least likely to…

Hadleigh

Spelling variation of Hadley, English

"heathery field"

Hadley, an old surname-name best known as the name of author Ernest Hemingway's "Paris Wife," only recently broke onto the scene in a big way. While Hadley has considerable appeal, spelling…

Kaylie

Short form of Kayla, Arabic and Hebrew

"laurel, crown"

A cute nickname name that's risen high over the past decade or so, more especially as Kaylee, this name combines the attributes of Hailey and Kayla, Kylie and Callie.

Jaelynn

Modern invented name

The lynn suffix makes this one of the more feminine spellings of the popular name Jaelynn, which can also be spelling Jaelyn, Jaylin, and Jalen, among many other variations.

Rio

Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese

"river or place of the cherry blossoms"

Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls' names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio…

Cassia

Feminine form of Cassius or Greek

"cinnamon"

Cassia is related to the cassia tree, which has yellow flowers and produces a spice that can be a substitute for cinnamon. Keziah, the name of Job’s daughter in the Old Testament, derives from the…

Fiorella

Italian

"little flower"

Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New…

Enya

Irish

"fire"

This phonetic Anglicization of the Irish name Eithne was made familiar by the single-named Irish singer and composer. St. Eithne was the daughter of a king and an early Irish convert to Christianity.