Top Ten Girl Names

Used primarily in Scotland, and represented here by singer Audra McDonald, the girls' name Audra has been overshadowed by the return of the classic Audrey. Audra may be to Audrey what Jenna is to Jennifer and Jessa is to Jessica: A variation that will rise as the original falls from favor, which may take another decade.

Though it sounds modern, Brielle is, among other things, a traditional Cajun contraction of Gabrielle, and the name of a historic seaport in the Western Netherlands, also known as Brill. Today, it is used more widely as a nickname for Gabrielle and as a stand-alone name that fits in easily with Isabelle, Briana, and Brinley. In a recent year, it appeared in the US Top 200, ranking above the longer form and used nearly four times as often.

Cynthia is an attractive name -- in classical mythology an epithet for Artemis or Diana -- that was so overexposed in the middle of the twentieth century, along with its nickname Cindy, that it fell into a period of benign neglect, but now is ripe for reconsideration in its full form.

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.

You might think of Harper as the hottest name of the last decade, jumping from obscurity to the Top 10, where it remained until last year.

Iris has so much going for it. It's a fashionable flower name. It's a mythological name, from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And it's a classic name, always ranking in the girls' Top 1000 but now at its highest point ever.

Shaelyn is a feminine name that emerged in the late 20th century, blending elements of popular names like Shae/Shay with the trending '-lyn' suffix that became fashionable in American naming. It can be interpreted as a modern elaboration of Shae (which means 'admirable' or 'hawk-like' in Irish origins) or as a creative combination inspired by names like Shannon and Kaelyn. The name began gaining modest recognition in the 1990s and saw increased usage in the early 2000s, particularly in North America. Shaelyn offers the appeal of feeling contemporary while maintaining a melodic, feminine quality. Various spelling variations exist, including Shaylyn, Shaelynn, and Shaelynne, though this version strikes a balance between distinctiveness and straightforward spelling.