Girl names

Old-fangled nickname could make dot.com era short form or middle name.

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.

Introduced by "plus-size" model Emme (born Melissa) and now a legitimate member of the Em-starting girls' name group, especially since it was chosen by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony for their twin daughter.

Cute short form of Esther, now associated with the iconic nail polish brand.

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.

Letty is a sweet vintage gem, playful and cosy and more unexpected than Lottie, the popular pet form of popular Charlotte. Originally used as a nickname for Letitia or Lettice, it could also work for Scarlett, Juliet, Violet, Leighton, Arlette, Loretta, Colette, or Liberty.

The Lyla spelling variation has now superseded the original Lila — the former remains on the rise while the latter is consistently falling in popularity.

Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. It joined the Top 100 for the first time in 2023 and now ranks at Number 75.

Margo and Margot sound exactly the same, so why has the Margot spelling hopped back onto the Top 1000, outpacing Margo in numbers more than two to one? (Over 350 baby girls were named Margot in the most recent year, versus 150 named Margo.)

In English, the word 'maven' refers to an expert or connoisseur, someone who possesses deep knowledge. Comedian Tracy Morgan brought this name into the spotlight when he chose it for his daughter, Maven Sonae, in 2013. Now, over 100 newborn girls in the US are given this name each year.

Related to Nia and Naia, Naya was new to the US Top 1000 in 2014 and benefits from the short and simple pronunciation that many parents are seeking in fresh names. It also has obvious similarities to popular Mia and Maya.

Nelle, pronounced as the one-syllable Nell though some may think it's Nellie or Nella, is the elegant form of the name used by author Nelle Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill A Mockingbird. With whatever spelling, Nell/Nelle is a charming old-fashioned nickname name -- it was originally short for Ellen, Eleanor, or Helen -- that never took off the way sisters Molly and Maggie did.

Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.

A cute Hebrew name also written as Orli.

Piper is a bright, musical name that entered the list in 1999, one year after the debut of the TV series Charmed, which featured a Piper, and it's been a consistent riser since. Piper Kerman is the memoirist whose prison experiences provided the basis for the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black.

Veta is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Slavic languages, it can be a diminutive of names containing 'vet,' meaning 'light' or 'council.' In Spanish contexts, it may derive from 'veta,' meaning 'vein' or 'streak,' often referring to a vein of minerals in rock. The name also appears as a variation of Veda, which has Sanskrit origins meaning 'knowledge' or 'wisdom.' Veta has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, making it an distinctive choice. The name has a melodic simplicity with its two syllables and smooth sounds. It appeals to parents seeking a short, internationally pronounceable name that isn't widely used. Its varied cultural connections give it subtle depth despite its brevity.

Wren, a lilting songbird name, could be the next Robin. Wren entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2012 and is among the new wave of popular English names for girls.