A-Z Least Favorite Girls 2

  1. Emma
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "universal"
    • Description:

      Emma has now been among the top girl names in the United States for several years, claiming the Number 1 crown in 2008 and again from 2015 to 2018 before dropping back to second place.
  2. Mia
    • Origin:

      Italian word name or Scandinavian short form of Maria
    • Meaning:

      "mine or bitter"
    • Description:

      Mia is an appealingly unfussy multicultural name that has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the charts and is now firmly among the ten top girl names. Mia has surpassed its mother name Maria as the Number 1 girls' name starting with M.
  3. Ottilie
    • Origin:

      German, French
    • Meaning:

      "prosperous in battle"
    • Description:

      Ottilie is trending in the UK, where the pronounced T helps the name sound pretty and delicate, rather like Amelie and Elodie. Ottilie is less popular in the US, where many Americans pronounce it as a near-homonym for "oddly".
  4. Julia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "youthful or sky father"
    • Description:

      Julia was an ancient Roman imperial name given to females in the house of a Julius, as in Caesar. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthful"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
  5. Fiona
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "white, fair"
    • Description:

      Fiona entered the American consciousness with the opening of the 1954 Broadway musical Brigadoon, but didn't come onto the U.S. popularity list until 1990.
  6. Barbara
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "foreign woman"
    • Description:

      Barbara is back and among the fastest-rising names of recent years! Credit goes to 2023's breakout movie Barbie, which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara and set it up to rank alongside clunky, retro choices like Deborah, Marjorie, Marilyn, and Dorothy.
  7. Aaliyah
    • Origin:

      Variation of Aliya, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "heavens, highborn, exalted"
    • Description:

      Both powerful and pretty, with a melodic sound, Aaliyah joins Layla, Lila, Zara, and Aisha as a name of Arabic origin that is also popular in the English-speaking world.
  8. Isobel
    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of Isabel
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like Isabel or Isabelle.
  9. Cameron
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "crooked nose"
    • Description:

      Cameron was once a rising star for boys only, but Cameron Diaz almost single-handedly transported it into the unisex camp back in the 80s.Though there are still eight times as many boy babies named Cameron as girls, it is currently in the US Top 600, where it is joined by Camryn and Kamyn.
  10. Uma
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "light, peace, nation"
    • Description:

      Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity.
  11. Yasmin
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "jasmine flower"
    • Description:

      This name, whose sweet and fragrant floral essence has always been widespread across the Near Eastern world, has now landed on US popularity lists in a variety of spellings. It's been dropping precipitously over the past few years, though, perhaps due to a combination of tensions in the Middle East and the fading fashion status of Jasmine itself.
  12. Nevaeh
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance.
  13. Tamar
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "date palm tree"
    • Description:

      Tamar is a rich, strong Old Testament name sometimes given to girls born on the holiday of Sukkoth, as palm branches were used to make the roof of the sukkah. In the Bible, there are several Tamars, including a daughter of King David and also Absalom's daughter, who is praised for her 'fair countenance'.
  14. Willie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Wilhelmina or Willa, feminine forms of William, German
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Willie is one of the adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable for girls, rarer than Billie. It definitely makes the somewhat-fearsome Wilhelmina more fun and approachable.
  15. Rachael
    • Origin:

      Variation of Rachel, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "ewe"
    • Description:

      This form of the Biblical Rachel is well-used despite its somewhat counter-intuitive spelling which can make English speakers think the name should be pronounced with a k sound, as in Raquel. The spelling may be inspired by Michael, but it's pronounced just like Rachel, with a soft ch. Lately it's on the decline, dropping more than 100 places in 2009 and leaving the US Top 1000 in 2013.
  16. Destiny
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      If Destiny is your daughter's destiny, she probably won't be the only one in her school: until 2009, Destiny was in the Top 50, with three of its alternate spellings in hot pursuit. It has since dipped a bit in popularity but is still widely used. Destiny Hope was the birth name of Miley Cyrus and Destiny Jones is the daughter or rapper Nas.
  17. Vicki
    • Description:

      Vicki is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive form of Victoria, which derives from Latin meaning "victory." This shorter, friendlier version gained significant popularity as an independent name during the mid-20th century, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s. Vicki offers a perky, approachable alternative to the more formal Victoria, reflecting the mid-century preference for cheerful, nickname-style given names. Though its usage has declined since its peak, Vicki maintains associations with warmth and friendliness. The name carries a certain retro charm today, often bringing to mind the lively, can-do spirit of the Baby Boomer generation. Alternative spellings include Vicky and Vickie.

  18. Hortense
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "of the garden"
    • Description:

      Hortense is actually the French feminine form of Hortensia, the name of a strong, politically active early Roman woman. Hortense began to be used in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. Napoleon had a stepdaughter named Hortense, it was the name of one of the main characters in the film Secrets and Lies and is also associated with novelist Hortense Calisher. As unappealing as it might be to most American parents, Hortense is now Number 155 in France (as of 2021).
  19. Zenobia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "force of Zeus"
    • Description:

      With historical roots as a beautiful and intelligent ancient queen and literary ties to Hawthorne and Edith Wharton novels, this rarity could appeal to adventurous parents seeking the romantically unusual. Tina Fey used it as her daughter Alice's middle name.
  20. Paulette
    • Origin:

      French, feminine diminutive of Paul
    • Meaning:

      "small"
    • Description:

      It's interesting how names imported to the US from other countries and cultures have fashion cycles based on their culture of origin. Paulette along with cousins Annette and Claudette were the most fashionable French imports in the middle of the last century, only to sink from sight and be replaced by such current French favorites as Charlotte, Sophie, and Eloise. In general, feminizations of male names have faded in favor of gender-neutral choices, and Paul itself is off its own fashion peak.