User-created list
By Dawn Evening · Updated August 2024
Across 9 pages
of 9
Diminutive of Sarah
"princess"
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…
Variation of Brinley or combination of Bryn and Leigh
"burned clearing; hill + meadow"
A combination name and an English surname, Brynley has trendy sounds, nature-related meanings, and has a double dose of the cool letter Y. Despite this, it is less popular than its Top 1000…
Diminutive of William
"resolute protector"
Will has definitely replaced Bill, not only as a nickname for William but as a stand-alone name as well, partly thanks to England's Prince William, also known as Wills. Currently outside the Top 1000…
English
"hay field"
It all started in 1946, when Hayley Mills was given her mother's maiden name. Now that spelling is in third place, after Hailey and Haley, with all three adding up to one of the most popular names in…
Diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Some might think a girl named Liz on her birth certificate would feel deprived of her full identity, but in a time when mini names like Liv, Kit, Tru, Kai, Lou, and Bea are in style, Liz feels…
Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese
"dear; friend; face"
Cara is a simple, sweet, Italian endearment that enjoyed its greatest popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, reaching a high of Number 189 in 1977. Despite the rising celebrity of English…
Variation of Annabel or English compound name, Anna + Bella
"loving or grace + beautiful"
Annabella is one of a constellation of names that include Anabella, Annabelle, Annabel, Anabel, Annabelle, and Annabell -- all lovely names that have suffered from their association with the…
Latin
"she who brings happiness; blessed"
Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history and stately vibe. In the earliest sources it is recorded…
Irish
"little dark one"
Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even…
English, diminutive of Helen, Eleanor, et al
"bright, shining one"
Nell, once a nickname for Helen, Ellen, or Eleanor, is a sweet old-fashioned charmer that is fashionably used today in its own right. While Nell is perfectly in tune with contemporary vintage name…
Variation of Millie, English diminutive of Mildred or Millicent
"gentle strength; strong in work"
Milly and her more popular sister Millie are adorable Old Lady nickname-names springing back to life. Nearly 100 baby girls were named Milly, just Milly, last year, and Millie is in the US Top 500.…
A possible variation of Amia and Amaya. It has charted in the U.S. Top 1000 for most of the 21st century. As a boys name , it has ties to literary critic and poet Amiya Chandra Chakravarty.
Spanish or German
"pretty one, or, serpent"
Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury…
Spanish
"white"
More colorful than Blanche, but blanker than Bianca.
Diminutive of Susan, Hebrew
"lily"
In the 1950s and 60s, Susie was the name every little girl wanted for her very own. Susie, which might be short for Susan or Susannah, might be off its fashion peak but it's still cute and perky.
Diminutive of Frederick or Alfred, German or English
"peaceful ruler or wise counselor"
Where have all the Freds gone? We haven't seen many since the days of Flintstone and Munster. But it could be time for a comeback--if you think more of the sophistication of Fred Astaire, and of…
Hebrew
"God is my judge"
Often stands alone in Israel, but rarely here.
Welsh
"hill"
Bryn is an up-and-coming gentle, yet substantial, Welsh name that would also be effective in the middle spot. In Wales it's a traditional boys' name, but it's far more popular for girls now in the…
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
Lizzie was commonly used as an independent name in the last half of the nineteenth century. Today Lizzie is still one of the most stylish short forms of Elizabeth, but few U.S. parents put it on the…
"supplanter"
Jackie Kennedy gave this name a lot of style, but it doesn't seem destined for a comeback the way brother name Jack has. Jackie and Jacqueline both peaked in 1961.
