Girl Names Every Parent Shall Look At!

Charlotte

French, feminine diminutive of Charles

"free man"

Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl…

Layla

Variation of Leila, Arabic

"night"

A lovely musical name (remember the old Eric Clapton-Derek & the Dominos song?), Layla's seen a significant surge in popularity, partly partly all names with a double L are stylish, and partly…

Madison

English

"son of Matthew"

Since we wrote a book called Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana , encouraging parents to move beyond overused names, it's no secret what we think of this trendy surname name, inspired by a…

Madeline

English variation of Magdalen

"high tower or woman from Magdala"

Madeline, a lovely name with a soft and delicate image, is an old-fashioned favorite that returned to favor in the 1990s, combining a classic pedigree with a cute nickname option: Maddie. Madeline…

Maria

Hebrew or Egyptian

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

As a highly popular girls' name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used…

Caroline

French, feminine variation of Charles

"free man"

Caroline is a perennial classic, one of the elite group of girls' names that's ALWAYS ranked among the Top 1000 and that's been in the Top 100 since 1994. Elegant yet strong, Caroline calls to mind…

Georgia

English, feminine variation of George

"farmer"

Georgia is so rich, lush and luscious, it's almost irresistible. Georgia's now a rising star among the feminizations of George, helped by associations with the southern state (named for British King…

June

Latin

"young"

June, a sweetly old-fashioned month name derived from the goddess Juno, was long locked in a time capsule with June Allyson (born Ella) and June Cleaver, but is rising again especially as a middle…

Summer

Word name

The temperature is definitely rising for this popular seasonal name, which began being used in the seventies, and has been heard consistently ever since. Summers have popped up all over the big and…

Mariana

Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian

"related to the god Mars"

Mariana is that unusual name that is more than the sum of its parts. While Mary or Maria and Ana or Anna are both perfectly nice classic names, Mariana achieves a lyrical elegance that transcends…

Lola

Spanish, diminutive of Dolores

"lady of sorrows"

A hot starbaby name – chosen by Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Lisa Bonet, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Carnie Wilson, and Annie Lennox, and used as the nickname of Madonna's Lourdes – Lola manages to…

Melissa

Greek

"honeybee"

Melissa derives from the Greek word mélissa , meaning "bee," which was taken from the word for honey, meli . In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who nursed the infant god Zeus with honey. Melissa…

Kate

English, diminutive of Katherine

"pure"

Kate, in the headlines via Catherine Middleton aka the Princess of Wales, has been as pervasive as Kathy was in the 1950s and 1960s, both as a nickname for Katherine and Kaitlyn and as a strong,…

Virginia

Latin

"virginal, pure"

A literary name and a place name with a grand yet familiar feel, Virginia has been in the US Top 1000 since records began in the late 19th century. Also familiar in Spain, Brazil and Italy, recent…

Martha

Aramaic

"lady"

The name of our first First Lady still has something of a prim and proper image, academic and efficient. That quiet, traditional, and tasteful gestalt is exactly what makes Martha appealing to some…

Marianna

Italian, Polish, English

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"

While Marianna looks like a spelling variation of Mariana, the two names have different etymologies. While the one-N spelling derives from the Roman name Marianus, Marianna is a combination of two…

Ida

German

"industrious one"

Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava. A century ago, Ida was considered "sweet as apple cider," and was Number 10 on…

May

Diminutive of Margaret and Mary; month name

May is a sweet old-fashioned name that hasn't been on the national charts in several decades, but is definitely sounding fresh and springlike. Parents are beginning to see it once more as one of the…

Magdalene

Spelling variation of Magdalen

"woman from Magdala or high tower"

This name made famous in the New Testament has gone from crusty grandma to sleek and chic in recent years, or is it months? The name's image is perhaps helped by the fact that Mary Magdalene was one…

Marianne

French combination of Marie and Anne

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"

A midcentury Catholic classic that's not chosen by many parents today. Leonard Cohen fans might think of the beautiful song So Long, Marianne , named for his lover and muse Marianne Ihlen. The…