Old-fashioned nickname with sweet turn-of-the-last-century charm that's become a favorite among the popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girl names starting with A</a> of today. In fact, with all spellings of Adeline/Adalynn taken together firmly in the Top 10, and Adelaide and Addison also high in the charts, Addie is one of the most frequently-heard short forms around. But no matter how popular (or pandemic) it gets, Addie is undeniably one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/508/cute-baby-names-for-girls">cutest names for baby girls</a>. Little girls might like the fact that it's the name, though spelled Addy, of an American Girl series doll.

Addie

This name has become increasingly popular, though usually with the Addie spelling.  In fact, Addy/Addie has taken over for Maddie and Allie as one of the most frequently-heard short forms for a range of also-popular formal names, including Adeline, Adalynn, Adeliaide, and Addison. As Addy, it's the name of an American Girls doll.

Addy

Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of the most familiar and usable <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/4/baby-names-that-mean-beautiful">names that mean beautiful</a>.
Though it has been overshadowed by the Twilight-influenced Bella and longer forms like Isabella and Annabella, Belle has its own Southern charm and would make a pretty choice as a first or middle name.
 Belle was a Top 100 name in the 1880s, but left the list in 1934. It returned to the US Top 1000 for the first time in 80 years in 2016, only to drop off again in 2021. Its most famous bearer was the legendary Western outlaw, Belle Starr (born Myra); Belle Watling is a character in Gone With the Wind. 
 
Read more about Belle and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Belle

After a century of association with horses and cows, this name just could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer -- after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky. 
 Bessie has been in use since the seventeenth century and is found as characters in Jane Eyre and in Sean O'Casey's play The Plough and the Stars. More recently, she was an animated automotive character in the movie Cars.
 On the popularity lists until 1975, Bessie was a Top 25 name from 1880 to 1906, reaching Number 9 in 1889. Notable namesakes include the great blues singer Bessie Smith, and Bessie Coleman, the first African-American female aviator.
And if you want to go more refined, you could simplify to Bess.

Bessie

Birdie was until recently a middle-aged Ladies' Club member wearing a bird-decorated hat --but now it's just the kind of vintage nickname (think Hattie, Josie, Mamie, Millie) that's coming back into style in a big way. Actress Busy Philipps named her baby Birdie (inspired by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson), as did soap star Maura West.
 In an earlier heyday of nickname names--the 1880's--Birdie was a Top 200 name.

Birdie

Bonnie is an adorable nickname name, heading back up the popularity list after a 50-year nap. A Top 100 girls' name throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Americans are later to jump on the Bonnie bandwagon but now it's trending here too.
 
Bonnie is a word the Scots really do use for pretty, thus the root of this name, from the French bonne. Along with Betty and Bea, Bonnie, is one of the vintage <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/b">girls' names starting with B</a>that are back in.
 Gone With the Wind gave Bonnie a big push when Scarlett and Rhett used it for their daughter. Her full name was Eugenie Victoria, but the pet name came from the fact that she had "eyes as blue as the bonnie blue flag." 
 Bonnie's last moment in the limelight came in the late sixties with the film Bonnie and Clyde, about outlaw Bonnie Parker. Now after a long decline, it's finally showing new signs of life, perhaps thanks to the Bonnies in The Vampire Diaries and The Hunger Games, as well as a new miniseries about the 1930s-era bandits.

Bonnie

Cadia

As 90s and early 2000s favorite Allie is starting to fall, Callie is feeling extra fresh. Callie is a nickname name that is currently more popular on its own than any of its longer versions. 

Callie was popular in the late 1800s when it was in the Top 200 for several years. However the name fell out of favor, eventually falling off the charts for some time. Callie has been rising again since the 70s, and it is now back in the Top 200 once again.

In the popular show Grey's Anatomy, doctor Callie Torez's full name is the Greek Calliope.

Callie

Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily Parsley is a Beatrix Potter bunny, Cecily Cardew is a character in The Importance of Being Earnest, and the author of the Gossip Girl books is Cecily von Ziegesar.
 Sisters of Cecily that may also interest you: Cecilia, Cicely, and Celestia. Variant Cicely has a distinguished bearer in actress Cicely Tyson and was used by Sandra Bernhard for her now grown daughter..

Cecily

Daisy, fresh, wholesome, and energetic, is one of the flower names that burst back into bloom after a century's hibernation. Originally a nickname for Margaret (the French Marguerite is the word for the flower), Daisy comes from the phrase "day's eye," because it opens its petals at daybreak.

 Daisy has a colorful literary and pop culture history – as the innocent Daisy Miller in the Henry James novella, as Daisy Buchanan, the hero's object of desire in The Great Gatsby, and as many movie and TV characters, including in L'il Abner and The Dukes of Hazzard, as the older Daisy in Driving Miss..., as well as Julia Roberts's character in her breakthrough movie, Mystic Pizza.

 Meg Ryan has a daughter named Daisy True, chef Jamie Oliver has Daisy Boo, and Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom recently named their daughter Daisy Dove.

Daisy

Edie is part of the Evie-Ellie et al family of cute and friendly short forms that sometimes stand on its own. Briefly popular in the 1960s, it could well be due for rediscovery. It's already a fashionable choice in the UK, where it has ranked just outside the Top 100 for several years.

 Several Ediths have chosen to be known by this pet form, including socialite and Andy Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick, actress Edie Falco, singer Edie Brickell and the Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy relatives called Big and Little Edie in the iconic documentary Grey Gardens. Edie Britt was the character portrayed by Nicolette Sheridan in Desperate Housewives.

 British actress Samantha Morton chose Edie for her daughter as did Keira Knightley in 2015. We think Edie is going to continue to rise in the coming years.

Edie

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, Elsie is even more popular, ranking in the Top 20. One reason for Elsie's popularity: She makes a fresh, charming honor name for all those grandma Elizabeths.
. Elsie was a popular name at the end of the nineteenth century until its image was damaged in this country by the association with Elsie the Borden cow. But it's rising now on the heels of Ella and Ellie, suddenly sounding fresh and frisky. Singer James Morrison picked it for his baby girl and Ioan Gruffudd has an adorably named little Elsie Marigold. Another youthful bearer is actress Elsie Kate Fisher, the voice of Agnes in Despicable Me.

Elsie

Vintage nickname name, with a down-to-earth country feel. This renewed interest placed Frankie back in the US Top 1000 in 2015 after a 41-year hiatus. For girls, it's a popular choice in England and Wales, Australia, and New Zealand.

Drew Barrymore, who helped popularize and glamorize boyish names for girls, has a daughter named Frankie. On TV's Better Things, Pamela Adlon's middle daughter is named Frankie (sister to Max and Duke, both girls).

Frankie

If Frances and Fran are too serious for you, and Fanny too saucy, you might like Franny, still identified by some with J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey stories.

Franny

Like high-kicking amies Coco and Fifi, Gigi has a lot of Gallic spunk but lacks substance. Was chosen for her daughter by designer Cynthia Rowley. While some parents might fashionably use Gigi on its own, we'd recommend lengthening it on the birth certificate to something like Georgiana or Gabrielle. 

Gigi

More Sadie than Sadie, this old canasta player--somewhat modernized and energized by Goldie Hawn--looks like it could be making a comeback. It was recently chosen for her daughter by Ione Skye and Ben Lee, as well as by shoemeister Steve Madden.
 Goldie was one of those saucy nickname mainstays from the late 1800's through the 1940's, topping at Number 114 in 1904-05, then sliding off the list completely in 1958.
 Goldie Clemens is a major character on the TV show The New Normal.

Goldie

Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw cut straight to the nickname when they called one of their daughters Gracie, and actors Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt named their newborn daughter Gracie James. Gracie Gold is a popular young figure skater.
 There have been several (mostly young) Gracies in such vehicles as The Nanny, Friday Night Lights, CSI and Miss Congeniality.

Gracie

Hadia

In the USA, Hattie is one of those nicknames that is now more popular than its parent name, Harriet. In England, however, Harriet is still by far more popular than Hattie, while in Australia, Harriet is highly popular while no data exists on Hattie. In the US, we’d like to see Harriet get more usage but we’re happy to see Hattie again.
 Hattie was popular at the end of the nineteenth century, in the Top 50 from 1880 to 1900, along with other similar nickname names like Lottie and Letty. It fell off the list in 1969, to return in 2011, the year of Hattie McDermott's birth.
 Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American to be awarded an Academy Award, in 1940, for her role in Gone With the Wind. Hattie was the name of the sweet, simple protagonist in Woody Allen's 1999 film Sweet and Lowdown; Hattie (born Henriette) Carnegie was a well-known twentieth century fashion designer.

Hattie

Will this old-fashioned nickname make a comeback, now that Jane has shed her "plain" image? Janie is cute and approachable, and would stand as well on the birth certificate as Josie and Jessie do now.
 
Spanish speakers pronounce Janie with an H sound at the beginning.

Janie

Josie is jaunty and friendly: among the most winning of all nickname names. She's been on the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">social security list</a> since records began being kept.
 Josie and the Pussycats , revolving around an all-girl pop band, has been a pop culture phenomenon for decades, in comic books in the sixties, a Saturday morning animated cartoon series in the seventies, and as a live action movie in 2001. In a recent romcom, Drew Barrymore's character mentions that she was named after that Josie.
 While Josie is the most stylish short form for Josephine, Jo, Feeny, and even Fifi are other possibilities.

Josie

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 feel fun and sassy without going over the top. Be warned, though: "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets," to quote a song from the show Damn Yankees.
 In the past, Lola has been associated with such femmes fatale as the nineteenth century courtesan/dancer Lola Montez (born Elizabeth Rosanna), the Marlene Dietrich character Lola Lola in The Blue Angel and Jean Harlow's in Bombshell. And it's the title of a great Kinks song: L-O-L-A Lola.
 Lola is one of the most truly international <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish name for girls</a>, enjoying mass popularity around the world. It's also one of the hottest <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/l">girl names starting with L</a>.

Lola

Lottie is a nostalgic great-grandma name that conjures up lockets and lace, and -- like Nellie, Josie, Hattie, Tillie, and Milly -- has considerable vintage charm. A Top 100 name at the end of the nineteenth century, Lottie fell off the popularity list around 1960, but is now climbing back both as a nickname for popular Charlotte, as well as on its' own. Lottie re-entered the US charts for the first time since the 50s in 2022, and is likely going to keep climbing. It's already an amazing Number 85 in England and Wales.
 There are several Charlottes who go by Lottie in kids lit, in particular in The Little Princess and the film The Princess and the Frog.
 Similar feel: Lettie.

Lottie

A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
 
The English form of the Roman Lucia, Lucy derives from the Latin word lux, meaning “light.” Once given to girls born at dawn, Lucy is also associated with Saint Lucia, the patron saint of the blind.
 
Lucy has a wide range of namesakes, from the bossy friend in the Peanuts comic, to psychedelic "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," to the rash and zany heroine of I Love Lucy. 
 
It is a name with a rich literary history, chosen for the heroines of Charlotte Brontë’s novel Villette, E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View, Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy, and C. S Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia - just to name a few. 
 
Beyond fiction, Lucy Stone was an important American activist, Lucy Worsley is a successful author and historian, and Lucy Lui is an actress who has imparted strength and style to the name.
 
Simple but sophisticated, playful but grounded, it is no wonder Lucy is a popular choice. Given to over 4000 girls in the US each year, it is a classic that doesn’t feel dusty.
 
If you love Lucy, but don’t love its popularity, you could consider one of its many variants. From vintage Lucille, to the musical Lucetta, to the fresh, unexpected Lux; from nickname-y Lou to sleek Luciana, there are plenty of possibilities.

Lucy

Madgie

Maggie is a cute, earthy short form that has been in style for several decades now, still sometimes used as an independent name by such parents as Jon Stewart. First used in Scotland, it got a large bump in popularity via the 1971 Rod Stewart hit song "Maggie May." Today's Maggie might just as well be short for a more adventurous name such as Magdalena or Magnolia as for the classic Margaret. 
Maggie Gyllenhaal was born Margaret.

Maggie

Maisie, a charming name long popular as a nickname for Margaret or Mary, entered the Top 1000 as itself ten years ago and continues to rise. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams helped propel the name back into the limelight, along with the that of her character, Arya.

In literature, Maisie is the name of the precocious young title character in the Henry James novel What Maisie Knew, and is also the main female character in Rudyard Kipling's The Light That Failed. And to bring things up to date, Maisie is a half-blood character in the Harry Potter series. Spelled Maisy, it's a popular children's book series.
 When Maisie re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2014 at 658, it was one of the fastest rising names of that year. She's still got a ways to go In the US to catch up to other English-speaking countries, where Maisie ranks in the Top 100.

Maisie

Millie is back. It's a Top 100 name throughout much of the English-speaking world, though not yet in the US. Millicent would be an appealing long form, but many people are using Millie all by its cute self -- so many, in fact, that it returned to the Top 500 in 2015 for the first time since World War 2 and continues to climb.
Millie is a winner with parents who like their girl names offbeat, frilly, and old-fashioned. Millie is one of the coolest <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girl names starting with M</a>.
 Millie was in the Top 1000 here until 1966, peaking at Number 128 way back in 1881; it made its return appearance in 2009. The name got a lot of attention via the 1967 film Thoroughly Modern Millie, set in the 1920s, but today is more closely identified with the riveting young British actress Millie Bobby Brown who plays Eleven in the television show Stranger Things.
 Fashionable relative: Milla or Mila. Milly is also sometimes used. Tillie is another old-school nickname that, like Millie, sounds modern again.

Millie

Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since slumped down the rankings. An earlier inspiration was Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who won the 1976 Olympics. Nadia is actually a short form of Nadezhda, the name of Lenin's wife, though more Westerners will relate it to the familiar Natalya or Natasha.

 Nadia is also a traditional Arabic name, popular in the Muslim community and also spelled Nadiyya or Nadya. It means "moist, tender, delicate" in Arabic.

 Octomom Suleman spells her first name Nadya, as in the Queen Nadya character in Noel Coward's play The Queen was in the Parlour.

Nadia

This ready-for-revival nickname name recalls the old Gay Nineties and bicycles-built-for-two era. In the US, Nellie is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/unique">most popular unique girl names</a>, lying just beneath the Top 1000. About five times as many baby girls are named Nellie in the US today as shorter form Nell. 

Nellie is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/sweden">top girl names in Sweden</a>.

Nellie

Ollie is used less often as a nickname for the mega-popular Olivia or the stylish Olive than Ellie is for Eleanor or Allie for Allison. That may be because Ollie has a much longer use as a nickname for boys. 

Still, 96 baby girls were given the name Ollie on their birth certificates in the US in 2022. And back around the turn of the last century, it was even a Top 100 name for girls/

Ollie

Like Peggy and Patsy, the kind of zesty moniker young Judy Garland would sport in her early let's-put-on-a-show flicks. It fell out of favor (and the Top 1000) for a while, but has recently rebounded by reentering the charts in 2013. Expect it to continue gaining traction as a result of surprise hit Penelope.

Penny

An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid. 
 Associated with Tom Sawyer's aunt, 'Polly, put the kettle on,' parrots, Polly Peachum, Nirvana and Kinks songs, and the movie Along Came Polly, as well as characters in Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes, C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia and now on the Netflix show Orange is the New Black, Polly never achieved the comeback that her cousin did, perhaps because she sounds too Pollyanna-ish. But although she has been off the Social Security list for decades, Polly is Number 457 on Nameberry.
 But we'd love to see some new baby Pollys.

Polly

Poppy, unlike most floral names which are sweet and feminine, has a lot of spunk. Long popular throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Poppy is finally starting to rise toward the top in the US, where it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.

 British TV chef Jamie Oliver used the name for his eldest daughter, Poppy Honey Rosie, as did Anthony Edwards, Jessica Capshaw, and Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. A notable adult Poppy is Australian Without a Trace star Poppy Montgomery (full name Poppy Petal Emma Elizabeth – she and her sisters are all named after flowers: Lily, Daisy, Marigold and Rosie).

 Due to the flower's bold crimson color, Poppy makes an especially good choice for a redhead. In the UK, it is a traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/605/names-for-november-babies">name for November babies</a>, due to the flower's association with Remembrance Day (Nov 11), honoring the memory of members of the Armed Forces who have died in the line of duty.

 Other Poppy-like names to consider: Pippa, Piper, Posey and Petal.

Poppy

Posie and its near-identical twins Posy and Posey are delicate old-fashioned flower names of the type that are stylish today: Think Poppy, Marigold, Clover. 
Perhaps because it's the name of cosmetics line by Kylie Jenner, Posie is the most popular spelling of the name, followed by Posey with Posy in a distant third. and a Posie might be what you do when you take a Selfie, right?

Posie might also be a short form for butterfly name Mariposa, or even of Josephine, Sophia, or Penelope.

Posie

Vibrant, sassy, and bubbly, Ruby is a vintage gem that hasn’t lost any of its sparkle. Currently popular in a number of English-speaking countries, Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again for the first time since its heyday in the 1910s. 
The name of a precious stone, Ruby was ultimately derived from the Latin ruber meaning “red”. Despite its sweet, shiny contemporary feel, Ruby has in fact been used as a given name since the 1500s, though it really took off in the Victorian era, alongside Pearl and Opal. 
Many cultures consider rubies to be the stone of kings, and the gem is surrounded by symbolism of wealth, power, life blood, success, and protection. It is also the birthstone for July, which could make it a discreet honor for a July-born relation or just right for a July-born baby. 
In the US, Ruby was a popular choice in the early 20th century, and it peaked at #22 in 1911. By the 1940s however, it was falling down the charts, and while it never left the Top 400, parents turned away from Ruby and to the likes of Judy, Crystal, Rebecca, and Robin instead. 
Then, in the mid-2000s, Ruby made big moves in the UK, leaping to #1 in 2007. Propelled upwards by the catchy song by The Kaiser Chiefs which was released the same year and influenced by celebs such as Tobey Maguire and Charlotte Church choosing it for their daughters, Ruby moved back into the US Top 100 in 2013. 
A truly musical name, Ruby has featured in hits by The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, and Kenny Rogers, while namesakes of the fictional and famous variety including Rue from “Euphoria”, Ruby from “Steven Universe”, and Ruby Rose of “Orange is the New Black”, have kept the name in the public eye. 
Given to more than 3000 babies in the US every year and continuing to climb the charts, Ruby is one of those <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/339/vintage-baby-names">vintage baby names</a> that feels totally modern and full of life. 
Love Ruby but want to beat the trends? You could try another vintage gem like Edith, Lula, Twila, Betsy, or Fern, or perhaps something with a similar sound, like Thisbe, Prue, Billie, or Rumi.

Ruby

With vintage names on the rise and recent data suggesting that the US is following the UK trend of nicknames-as-given-names, Ruthie joined Goldie, Daisy, and Nellie on the US Top 1000 list in 2023.
 
A Hebrew diminutive name, meaning "compassionate friend", Ruthie softens the blunter sounds of Ruth, and is reminiscent of the popular Ruby. It was used throughout the early 20th century and peaked in the 1930s - and, if the 100 Year Rule is to be trusted, it may well continue to rise up the charts.
 
While most parents are still opting to put Ruth on the birth certificate, Ruthie was used on nearly 300 babies in 2023.

Ruthie

Sadia

Saint came into the celebrity baby spotlight by way of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's son and joined the Top 1000 on the boys' list in 2018. Saintly could be a way to transition this virtuous title name to the girls' side. 

Saintly

Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from the 1920s to the 1960s--it was just outside the Top 50 around 1940. Though it hasn't been heard as a baby name for decades, we can see Sally bouncing back, especially after her exposure as young Ms. Draper on Mad Men--the Nameberries rank it at Number 621, and it's a Top 100 name in Sweden.
 Sally has a ton of notable references--a few we can single out are astronaut Sally Ride, actress Sally Field, the Sally Bowles character in Cabaret, the movie When Harry Met Sally and songs like Long Tall Sally and Mustang Sally.

Sally

Short for Samantha or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.

Sammy

Sandy

Sara, the streamlined form of Sarah, makes this ancient name feel more modern, but perhaps a bit lighter weight. 
 
Some Old Testament sources give Sara as a variation of Sarai, the Biblical personage's original name, and some give it as the authentic form of the new name of Isaac's 90-year-old mother Sarah. But most sources authenticate Sarah as the Biblical classic and Sara as the variation.
 
Currently in the US, there are about two baby girls named Sarah for every one given the Sara spelling.
 
Nameberry visitors have debated whether Sara is pronounced differently from Sarah. In the US, the answer is, usually not, but in some countries, Sara is sah-rah while Sarah's first syllable rhymes with hair.

Sara

Sarah was derived from the Hebrew word sarah, meaning "princess." Sarah is an Old Testament name—she was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, Sarah was originally called Sarai, but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah when she was ninety years old.
 
Sarah is a timeless classic, as perpetually stylish as it is traditional. Sarah is still widely used, but with such a range of images and variations that any child can make it her own.
 
Sarah was a Top 10 name from 1978 to 2002, and though it has slipped in popularity, it's still one of the most widely used <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/baby-names-starting-with/s">names that start with S</a>. The Sara spelling is another popular option, and diminutives Sadie and Sally are used independently.
 
A few of her many prominent namesakes are iconic actress Sarah Bernhardt, jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, comedian Sarah Silverman, and actress/fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker.

Sarah

We call Savvy a Modern Virtue Name, a contemporary version of the Puritan's Hope and Charity, extolling the virtue of shrewdness. And who doesn't want their daughter to grow up to be Savvy in the ways of the world? 

So far, this name has been used only for girls, perhaps because some parents remember the women's magazine called Savvy.

Savvy

Scout, a character nickname from To Kill a Mockingbird (her real name was Jean Louise), became a real-life possibility when Bruce Willis and Demi Moore used it for their now grown middle daughter, followed by Tom Berenger a few years later. A unisex choice that is growing in popularity for both genders -- but given to girls about four times more often than to boys -- it was picked by skater Tai Babilonia for her son and Kerri Walsh for her daughter Scout Margery.
 It makes a virtuous, upstanding choice for a girl--a good scout. And though it hasn't made it onto any popularity lists, it's gone from slightly eccentric to mainstream.

Scout

Surname name with an uplifting meaning. Just beware that this is a well-known mattress brand. 

Seeley

The name is derived from the term commonly used in the Book of Psalms, which has a many Hebrew scholars in confusion over its meaning. Given its context in the Bible, Selah is likely to mean "to praise" or "pause and reflect upon what has just been said." Lauryn Hill used this name for her daughter. It is the last word in Anita Diamant's novel The Red Tent.

Selah

In Scottish folklore, selkies are mythical creatures that resemble seals in the water but assume human form on land.

Selkie

Peaceful, calm, and untroubled: these are qualities parents may be hoping for, either on their parenting journey or in their child’s life. The name Serenity encapsulates these hopes, conjuring up a sense of balance, composure, and ease. 
A virtue name of Latin origin, Serenity means “peaceful” or “tranquil.” The pretty, melodic sounds reflect that, but it isn’t a meek or retiring name; it has plenty of flair too and a hint of breezy confidence. 
Used occasionally from the 70’s onwards, Serenity entered the US Top 1000 in 1997, and by 2009, it was in the Top 100, where it has stayed ever since. 
While recent years have seen it begin to drop back down the charts, it has fared better than its once popular virtue cousins, Destiny and Trinity. Given to nearly 3000 girls every year, it remains in the Top 100 for now. 
Notable pop culture references for Serenity include a character in the Sailor Moon franchise and the title of the 2005 movie spinoff of the TV show, Firefly. 
If you like the vibes of Serenity but worry about the expectations it brings with it (or just concerned it will guarantee that your child is the least tranquil child to ever exist), then you could consider the less wordy and more international variant, Serena. 
You could also take a look at <a href=“https://nameberry.com/list/411/baby-names-that-mean-peace”>names that mean peace</a> but aren’t in your face about it, such as Irina, Shiloh, or Fenna.

Serenity

Poppy is the most widely-used seed name, opening the door for Sesame. While Sesame has a pretty sound, it is not often used as a name -- fewer than five baby girls were given the name in the US in 2021. In kids' minds, this might be overly associated with Sesame Street. 

Sesame

Shadie

Meet my sibling, Sibley.  Joking aside, Sibley sounds more possible than ever thanks to its trendy -ley ending and the new stylishness of big sister name Sybil.

Sibley

Siggy can be a short form of any name that starts with Sig-. Most Sig- names have Germanic origins, like the Scandinavian names Signe and Sigrid. In this context, Siggy means "victory".
 
Siggy is also a nickname for the Hebrew names Sigal and Sigalit, meaning "violet". Siggy Flicker is a former cast member of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Siggy

Sophie is the French form of the Greek Sophia, for which it is also commonly used as a nickname. Given Sophia's long standing among the Top 10 girl names in the US, Sophie may feel more popular than it actually is.
 
Sophies are scattered throughout European royal history, including Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess of Brabant, Princess Sophie of Sweden, and in modern times, Sophie, Duchess of Wessex, the wife of Britain's Prince Edward. German-born Catherine the Great was born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, but changed her name to Catherine upon her conversion to Russian Orthodoxy.
 
Sophie is Sophia's cuter, more irreverent near-identical twin. Which do you like better? And do you see them as virtually the same name or very different? While you definitely couldn't name sisters Sophie and Sophia, you may have both on your short list and consider them distinctly separate choices. Sophie is lively and down-to-earth, while Sophia is more sophisticated and buttoned-up. 
 
Sophie was the choice of both Eric Clapton and Luke Perry, as well as of Bette Midler for her now-grown daughter.
 Sophie Zawistowska is the Polish heroine of the iconic William Styron novel Sophie's Choice, played in the 1982 film by Meryl Streep—who would play the mother of a Sophie decades later in Mamma Mia!.

Sophie

A key cheerleader in the nickname game of the 1970s, Stacy is now the mom. Consider Stacia, or the original Anastasia. 

Stacy

Stella is a name with star quality and sparkle, that manages to sound both ethereal and earthy. Celestial but not otherworldly, it lands somewhere between the popular Ella and bold Seraphina. 
 
The name Stella was derived from stella, the Latin word for “star”. It was coined by the poet, Sir Philip Sidney who used it in his 1590 sonnet collection, Astrophel and Stella, which translates literally to “the star lover and his star.” 
 
While Astrophel has remained obscure, Stella came into common usage in the 1800s. Inspired perhaps by its similarity to Ella and Esther, and by its association with the Virgin Mary, from her Catholic title, Stella Maris, it was popular in the early decades of the 20th century.
 
After fading in the 70s, Stella is now back and brighter than ever. Following on the heels of Gabriella and Isabella, it ranks in the US Top 50 and is given to almost 5000 babies each year. With equally astronomical Luna now making the Top 10, Stella might rise even higher.
 
Stella holds international appeal too and has taken shining spots on the charts in Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Italy, and France. 
 
The name Stella was famously bellowed by Marlon Brando in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, and it has proved a popular choice among celebrities, including Matt Damon, Ellen Pompeo, Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, and Gena Lee Nolin. 
 
Designer and animal rights activist Stella McCartney is another notable namesake, as is Stella Adler, an influential acting teacher. 
 
If Stella is shining for you but it’s not quite the brightest star on your list, then you could consider its variants, the literary Estella, or the French Estelle. Alternatively, you might like another starry name, such as Astraea, Seren, or Izara, or something just equally celestial, like Elara, Celia, or Celeste.

Stella

Stevie survives as a short form of Stephanie thanks to the immortal Ms. Nicks. After a little more than a decade out of the limelight, she rejoined the US Top 1000 in 2014.
 
Schitt's Creek character Stevie Budd propelled the name into the Top 300 in the late 2010s.

Stevie

Sunday is among the most usable of the day names, with its sunny opening syllable, initially made famous when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chose it for their daughter. Although it had been widely written that Kidman and Urban named their baby after art patron Sunday Reed, Kidman was quoted saying that was a myth, they just liked the name.
 
More recently, Sunday was chosen by influencer Savannah LaBrant for her daughter, a sister to Everleigh, Posie, and Zealand.
 
Currently, Sunday is the second most popular English day name. It closely follows Wednesday, which was boosted when actor Rupert Grint used it for his daughter.
 
Sunday carries subtle spiritual connotations, being the day of rest in Christianity. It's a rising choice among <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/769/modern-christian-baby-names">modern Christian baby names</a>.

Sunday

Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile. You might want to use it as a short form for a more "serious" name such as Sunniva, but Sunny is undeniably, well, sunny.

Sunny

In the 1950s and 60s, the name every little girl wanted for her very own. 

Susie

The image of the lovely Lady Sybil, tragic youngest daughter of the Crawley family on Downton Abbey is likely to go a long way towards reviving this almost forgotten name, off the list since 1966 and most popular in the 1920s and '30s. Sybil is currently Number 253 on Nameberry; Sybil is the most common spelling of a name which the ancient Greeks used as the generic word for a prophetess--a woman who claimed to be able to interpret the wishes of the gods through their oracles. Benjamin Disraeli wrote an influential political novel titled Sybil, which increased the popularity of the name in Victorian times. Later, the name was severely undermined by the eponymous book and 1976 movie based on the character of Sybil-- played by Sally Field-- whose multiple personalities have now been confessed as fake. This is not to mention the harridan wife on the classic British sitcom Fawlty Towers. There is also a Sybil in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Sybill Trelawney is a witch and (fittingly) seer in the Harry Potter books, a Professor of Divination played on screen by Emma Thompson.
 Cybill Shepherd, on the other hand, bears an invented name combining those of her Uncle Cy and Dad Bill.

Sybil

Sydney was a hot girls' name in the 1990s, but she's arguably still cool. One of the original old man names adopted for baby girls, Sydney's popularity may be down but she's not out. 
 Cool girl actress Sydney Sweeney, of Euphoria and White Lotus, is doing a lot to burnish Sydney's image. The city of Sydney, Australia is another familiar reference.
 Katharine Hepburn played a female Sidney in her first movie, A Bill of Divorcement and lately there have been women named Sydney all over the big and small screens, including Annette Bening in The American President, and on Alias, Parenthood and Hope and Faith.
Actor Sidney Poitier named his daughter Sydney back in 1973,

Sydney

Although Sylvia seems to be having somewhat of a revival among trendsetting baby namers, we'd still opt for the even gentler and more unusual Sylvie. Despite being dated in its native France (where it was popular during the 1950s and 60s), in English-speaking regions it still feels fresh and international without being unfamiliar and has a cosmopolitan, international air. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016.
 Jason Bateman chose it as the middle name of his daughter Maple. In one of Lewis Carroll's lesser known novels, Sylvie and Bruno, Lady Sylvie is the princess of Fairyland.

Sylvie

Tilly and twin Tillie are hot new nickname names, either short for the newly fashionable Matilda or standing all on their own.

Tilly

Vivi is a short form of all the Vivian and Viveca forms that is sure to get a lot more attention now that a little Jolie-Pitt girl has been named Vivienne.

Vivi

This pet form of such names as Winifred and Edwina and Gwendolyn has loads of vintage charm, a la Millie and Maisie, with a decidedly winning vibe. And it just got celebrity cred as the baby daughter of Jimmy Fallon.
 Winnie had been used regularly on its own in the U.S. through the early 1950's and has a number of varied namesakes. There's the Pooh, of course, and also Winnie Mandela, former wife of South African President Nelson; Winnie Cooper, the charming girlfriend of the young hero on The Wonder Years--whose given name was Gwendolyn; Winifred "Winnie" Foster, a main character in the childhood classic Tuck Everlasting; and it was also a nickname for Winston Churchill.

Winnie

When aspiring British writer Sadie Smith decided to change her name to the more distinctive and zippy Zadie at the age of fourteen, this attention-magnet name was born.  But though it might sound like a modern initial-switch, Zadie was actually Number 539 in 1881, remaining in the Top 1000 for almost thirty years.

Zadie

MiaLen's list "Alternatives to Sadie" of 68 great name ideas: Addie - Zadie!

Alternatives to Sadie

A vintage darling with connections to the Beatles, a dance , and countless excellent namesakes, it's no suprise Sadie has skyrocketed. Here are some alternatives.