101+ Cute Baby Girl Names for 2027 That Aren't Overused

Published on September 11, 2026

Looking for cute baby girl names that feel sweet but not overused? This list has 101+ of my favorites, from short and simple names to vintage baby girl names making a comeback and a few unique picks you won’t hear at every playground. I keep adding to it every time a friend sends me a birth announcement, so there’s always something new to love.

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Whether you’re expecting your first baby girl or still narrowing down your shortlist, I’ve organized these names into categories to make browsing easier, including short baby girl names, vintage names, and rare picks that still feel easy to say. A few of these were on my own list until my sister claimed one first, so consider this your sign to call dibs early. Save this list to your Pinterest baby board so you can come back to your favorites later.

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Olivia

Origin: Latin
Meaning: olive tree
Popularity: #1 in 2025

Olivia showed up in the SSA data back in 1880 and just kept quietly climbing until it landed at number one, where it has sat for most of the last decade, peaking in 2019 and still holding the top spot in 2025 with 13,544 babies. That kind of staying power means you will meet three other Olivias at the playground, but it also means the name never feels like a trend that is about to age out. Pick it if you want something soft and classic that grandparents can spell without asking, and just brace yourself for the kid getting called Liv or Livvy whether you plan on it or not.

Emma

Origin: Old German
Meaning: whole, universal
Popularity: #3 in 2025

Emma has been near the very top of the list since long before 2015, when it actually held the number one spot, and it has only slipped a couple of notches since, sitting at number three in 2025 with 12,754 babies. That is a slow, gentle fade rather than a drop, so this is not a name on its way out, more one that has already proven itself over 776,439 babies since 1880. I like this one for parents who want a name that feels finished with no obvious nickname pressure, though plenty of families still shorten it to Em at home.

Ava

Origin: Latin
Meaning: bird
Popularity: #11 in 2025

Ava is the one on this list actually losing ground, and I mean that gently, since falling from number four in 2015 to number eleven in 2025 with 7,732 babies still puts it firmly in the top 100. Its best year was 2016 at number three, so if you have been picturing a nursery full of little Avas from a decade ago, you are not wrong, that wave is just easing off now. This is the pick for someone who wants a name that still reads as one of the cute baby girl names everyone recognizes but does not want to be the fourth Ava in the kindergarten class.

Sophia

Origin: Greek
Meaning: wisdom
Popularity: #5 in 2025

Sophia hit number one back in 2011 and has basically lived in the top five ever since, coming in at number five in 2025 with 12,561 babies, which makes it one of the steadiest names in this whole roundup. Nearly 440,000 babies have carried it since 1880, so it has real depth behind it, not just a recent spike. I would reach for this one if you want a name with an obvious meaning built in, wisdom, without having to explain it at every baby shower, and yes, most of these girls end up as Sophie anyway.

Isabella

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God is my oath
Popularity: #7 in 2025

Isabella peaked at number one in 2009 during that whole wave of Twilight era baby names, and eleven years later it is still holding strong at number seven in 2025 with 10,666 babies, so this was never just a movie moment. The direction has been steady rather than sliding, which tells you parents kept choosing it long after the reason they first heard it faded. This is a name for someone who wants length and formality on the birth certificate but knows the kid will answer to Bella or Izzy on the playground regardless of what anyone writes down.

Mia

Origin: Scandinavian
Meaning: mine
Popularity: #6 in 2025

Mia only entered the SSA data in 1933, so it is younger than every other name on this list, and it just had its best year ever in 2024 at number five before settling to number six in 2025 with 11,078 babies. That upward drift over the last five years, from eighth to sixth to fifth and back to sixth, makes it feel less like a legacy pick and more like a name still finding its footing at the top. I would choose this one over Isabella or Sophia if you want something short enough that there is no nickname to negotiate, it just is what it is on day one.

Amelia

Origin: Germanic
Meaning: work, industrious
Popularity: #4 in 2025

Number four for 2025 sounds impressive until you remember it hit number three the year before, so this name has been camped out at the very top for a decade now. Amelia comes from the Germanic name Amalia, tied to work or effort, though most parents I know just think of Amelia Earhart. It’s been in the SSA data since 1880, with 281,130 babies carrying it, and it hasn’t dropped out of the top five since 2021.

This is the pick for the parent who wants a name that feels established but not overused in her own daycare class, and the honest truth is she’ll be one of three Amelias by kindergarten anyway, nickname Mia or Millie depending on the day.

Charlotte

Origin: French
Meaning: free man
Popularity: #2 in 2025

Back in 2015 Charlotte was ranked ninth, and now it just posted its best year ever at number two, so whatever momentum this name had is still building. It comes from French, the feminine form of Charles, meaning free man, and it reads elegant without trying too hard. With 13,400 babies in 2025 and 453,433 total since 1880, it’s one of the most consistent top five names of the last five years.

I’d pick this one for the nursery that’s already going soft blush and gold, the kind of family who likes a name that shortens easily to Charlie for a kid who turns out nothing like the name sounds.

Harper

Origin: English
Meaning: harp player
Popularity: #16 in 2025

Nobody was naming daughters Harper before 1971, since it started life as an English occupational surname for someone who played the harp. It peaked at number nine in 2018 and has been sliding since, down to sixteenth in 2025 with 6,792 babies, though it’s still solidly top twenty. What I like here is that it reads unisex without being confusing, 77 boys got it too last year, so it works for the parent who doesn’t want a name that screams girl from the birth announcement.

Pick this over Charlotte or Amelia if you want something that still feels a little modern and a little tomboyish at the same time.

Evelyn

Origin: English
Meaning: wished for child
Popularity: #8 in 2025

Grandmothers named Evelyn are having a moment, because this one climbed from fifteenth in 2015 to eighth in 2025 and just posted its best year ever in 2024. It’s an English name, originally a surname like Aveline, and it’s often read as meaning wished for child, which is a sweet thing to tell a kid at sixteen. With 9,123 babies in 2025 and a running total past 639,000 since 1880, this is a name with real staying power, not a trend.

It’s the one I’d pick for the parent who wants something that sounds soft in a nursery rhyme but shows up fine on a resume later, nickname Evie all the way.

Luna

Origin: Latin
Meaning: moon
Popularity: #27 in 2025

Nothing else on this list jumped the way Luna did, from 112th in 2015 to a peak of tenth in 2022, though it’s cooled off some to 27th in 2025. It’s Latin for moon, plain and simple, and that celestial pull is exactly why it took off the way it did. With 6,076 babies this year and a total of 87,715 since 1880, it’s still newer territory than Amelia or Charlotte, so you’re less likely to share a classroom.

This is the name for the parent who wants a nursery with stars on the ceiling and doesn’t mind a name with a little astrology baggage attached, and it also happens to work great with a middle name like Rose.

Ellie

Origin: English
Meaning: shining light
Popularity: #24 in 2025

Short names get treated like nicknames until enough parents start using them straight on the birth certificate, and that’s exactly what happened with Ellie. It’s a pet form of Eleanor or Ellen, generally read as meaning shining light, and the SSA data shows it climbing from 48th in 2015 to 24th in 2025 with its best year in 2024 at 21st. With 6,176 babies this year and 105,677 total since 1880, it’s proof that the nickname-as-first-name trend has real staying power.

This one’s for the parent who wants something friendly and easy to spell out loud on the phone, no Eleanor required, no confusion at pickup.

Nora

Origin: Greek
Meaning: light
Popularity: #20 in 2025

Nora sat at #41 back in 2015 and has climbed pretty much every year since, landing at #20 in 2025 with 6,380 baby girls, which is also its best year ever. There’s no origin story drama here, it just quietly became one of the most popular names in the country without anyone declaring a trend. This is the one for the parent who wants something short and finished, two syllables and done, no nickname required because Nora already sounds like the whole name. My honest thought: it reads a little more common than it feels when you’re the one picking it, so don’t be shocked if there are two in the class.

Hazel

Origin: Old English
Meaning: the hazel tree
Popularity: #21 in 2025

Tree names have been having a moment for a while now, and Hazel is the one that got there early and just stayed, sitting at #21 in 2025 with 6,318 babies after rising steadily from #63 in 2015. Its actual best year on record was way back in 1897 at #18, so this is technically a comeback, not a new arrival. I’d pick this one for a nursery that’s already leaning warm and vintage, mustard and rust instead of pastel, because the name just fits that palette. The nickname situation is basically none, everyone just says Hazel, which honestly makes it low maintenance in the best way.

Violet

Origin: Latin
Meaning: purple flower
Popularity: #13 in 2025

Flower names never fully go away, but Violet is the one currently pulling ahead of the pack, up at #13 for 2025 with 7,546 babies, its highest rank ever, after sitting at #50 just ten years earlier. That’s a real jump, not a slow drift, so if you loved it early you’re now sharing it with a lot more people than you expected. This is the pick for the parent who wants a flower name with a little more bite than the soft ones, something that can hold its own in a room full of Lilys. No real nickname to speak of, which is either a relief or a small disappointment depending on how you feel about that.

Aurora

Origin: Latin
Meaning: dawn
Popularity: #15 in 2025

Sleeping Beauty’s actual name has been quietly climbing the charts for a decade, from #78 in 2015 up to #15 in 2025 with 7,065 babies, its best year on record. It’s a name with weight to it, three full syllables that don’t shrink down easily, so this is one for a family that wants something that reads formal on the birth certificate and still leaves room for a soft nickname like Rory at home. I’d choose it over Violet or Nova if the whole nursery theme already leans a little fairy tale, because it commits to the bit. My throwaway thought: everyone will ask if she’s named after the movie, so have your answer ready.

Willow

Origin: Old English
Meaning: willow tree
Popularity: #44 in 2025

Trees again, but this one bends instead of standing stiff, and the data backs that up too, rising from #111 in 2015 to #44 in 2025 with 4,763 babies, after peaking at #37 back in 2022. It’s not chasing the top ten and probably never will, which is exactly why some parents want it, a name that’s clearly rising but not yet everywhere. This is the one for the small apartment nursery, the name that feels soft and a little bit dreamy without needing a big theme to back it up. There’s no shortening it either, Willow is Willow at drop off and at graduation.

Nova

Origin: Latin
Meaning: new
Popularity: #46 in 2025

Space names are having a real run right now, and Nova is the one that jumped the furthest, from #213 in 2015 all the way to #46 in 2025 with 4,657 babies, after peaking even higher at #32 in 2021. It also shows up for boys, 149 of them in 2025, so it reads as genuinely unisex rather than just borrowed. I’d pick this one for the parent who wants a cute baby girl name with a little edge to it, something that doesn’t sound like anyone’s grandmother. The honest note: it’s dropped a bit from its 2021 peak, so it may have already had its biggest moment, which isn’t a bad thing if you’d rather not share it with half the preschool.

Stella

Origin: Latin
Meaning: star
Popularity: #52 in 2025

Stella is Latin for star, and that’s really the whole pitch in one word. It landed at number 52 in 2025 with 4,136 babies, a slow slide down from its best showing in 2018 when it hit number 38, but it’s held steady in the top 100 for a decade now. I like this one for the parent who wants something warm and a little old fashioned without going full lace and bonnets, and the kid just gets called Stella, no shortening needed. My honest throwaway thought: I can’t hear it without picturing someone yelling it off a fire escape.

Ivy

Origin: Old English
Meaning: climbing plant, faithfulness
Popularity: #39 in 2025

Ivy started as a plant name and a surname before parents pulled it onto birth certificates, and it has been on a genuine climb, from number 130 in 2015 all the way to number 39 in 2025, with its best year ever coming just last year at number 36. That’s 5,117 babies in 2025 alone, so it’s not the secret find it was a decade ago. I’d pick this for the parent who wants something short and green feeling without going full flower name, and it stays Ivy, no nickname required because the whole thing is already two syllables.

Ruby

Origin: English
Meaning: red gemstone
Popularity: #64 in 2025

Ruby has been quietly around since the data starts in 1880, but its real glory days were back in 1911 when it hit number 22, decades before anyone’s grandmother was named it. Right now it sits at number 64 with 3,554 babies in 2025, basically flat for the last several years, which tells you it’s not trendy so much as reliably liked. This one is for the parent who wants a gemstone name that feels a little vintage rather than sparkly, and the nickname situation is easy because there isn’t one, she’ll just be Ruby.

Zoe

Origin: Greek
Meaning: life
Popularity: #31 in 2025

Zoe comes straight from the Greek word for life, and it reads modern even though it’s been in the SSA data since 1880. It’s currently at number 31 with 5,646 babies, just off its best year ever in 2024 when it climbed to number 29, and it’s been steady near the top 30 or 40 for the last decade. I’d reach for this one if you want a short, clean name that doesn’t need a nickname but still feels a little different from Chloe or Sophie, and honestly the spelling with the E instead of a Y is doing a lot of the quiet work here.

Lily

Origin: English
Meaning: lily flower, purity
Popularity: #18 in 2025

Lily has been climbing back up lately, sitting at number 18 in 2025 with 6,673 babies, its best showing since 2011 when it actually ranked a touch higher at number 15. It dipped into the low 30s around 2021 and has been working its way back since. This is the flower name for the parent who wants something soft but not fussy, easy to spell, easy to say out loud in a hospital hallway, and there’s really no nickname to fight about because Lily is already short.

Grace

Origin: English
Meaning: grace, God’s grace
Popularity: #38 in 2025

Grace peaked way back in 1883 at number 13, then spent the twentieth century mostly out of the spotlight before coming roaring back, and it was riding high at number 19 in 2015. It’s drifted down since, now sitting at number 38 with 5,127 babies in 2025, which still puts it comfortably in the top 100 among cute baby girl names people are actually using this year. I like this one for the parent who wants a middle name promoted to a first name, something that sounds finished on a birth certificate without any nickname needed, since nobody shortens Grace.

Chloe

Origin: Greek
Meaning: young green shoot
Popularity: #23 in 2025

Chloe comes from Greek and means young green shoot, which is a sweet nod to spring babies or just anyone who wants a name that feels fresh without trying too hard. It sat at #17 in 2015, peaked at #9 back in 2009, and now rests at #23 with 6,203 babies in 2025, so it has held steady in the top 25 for over a decade. That kind of consistency is rare on this list, most names swing around more than Chloe does. This is the pick for the parent who wants something recognizable at every preschool roster without it feeling dated, and the only nickname you’re getting is Chloe, maybe Clo if she’s lucky.

Layla

Origin: Arabic
Meaning: night
Popularity: #36 in 2025

Layla is Arabic for night, and it got a big push into English-speaking nurseries after the Clapton song, though most parents now just like the sound of it on its own. It ranked #30 in 2015, hit its best year in 2019 at #23, and landed at #36 in 2025 with 5,338 babies, so it has cooled slightly but stayed comfortably in the top 40. I’d reach for this one over something like Penelope if you want a name that sounds soft but isn’t in every classroom yet. There’s no real nickname territory here, she’ll just be Layla, maybe Lay to her siblings.

Penelope

Origin: Greek
Meaning: weaver
Popularity: #22 in 2025

Penelope is Greek for weaver, borrowed from the wife in the Odyssey who outsmarted every suitor by unraveling her own loom work each night. It only ranked #34 in 2015 but climbed to #22 by 2025 with 6,225 babies, its best year being 2022 at #21, so the direction here has actually been up rather than just holding flat. This one works for parents who want a long, formal name on the certificate but plan to call her Penny at home, which honestly might end up more common than the full name itself. It reads more old fashioned than Aria or Layla, so pick it if that’s the vibe you’re after.

Riley

Origin: Irish
Meaning: courageous
Popularity: #48 in 2025

Riley is Irish, from a surname meaning courageous, and it made the leap from last-name-only territory into a proper first name for daughters sometime in the last few decades. It ranked #35 in 2015, peaked in 2016 at #22, and has been sliding gradually since, sitting at #48 in 2025 with 4,441 babies. It’s also given to boys, 1,666 of them in 2025, so if you want something that reads as unisex rather than firmly one way or the other, this is one of the few actually splitting the difference. I’d pick this over Scarlett if you want her name to blend into a crowd of kids rather than announce itself.

Aria

Origin: Italian
Meaning: air, melody
Popularity: #26 in 2025

Aria comes from Italian, where it means air, the word used for a solo melody in opera, so it’s one of the rare names on this list that’s basically musical vocabulary rather than a person’s name repurposed. It ranked #29 in 2015, hit its best year in 2018 at #19, and now sits at #26 with 6,130 babies in 2025, basically holding its ground the whole time. This is the one for parents who want something musical without going full Melody or Harmony, subtle enough that most people won’t clock the meaning unless you tell them. There’s no obvious nickname, she’ll be Aria start to finish, maybe Ari if she picks a shorter version later on.

Scarlett

Origin: English
Meaning: red, dyer of scarlet cloth
Popularity: #32 in 2025

Scarlett is English, originally an occupational surname for someone who dyed or sold red cloth, long before it became shorthand for a Gone with the Wind heroine. It ranked #22 back in 2015, actually climbed to its best year ever in 2022 at #14, and has since dropped to #32 in 2025 with 5,644 babies, making it one of the few names here moving down rather than staying flat. Pick this for the shower where everyone’s already gone through the soft florals and wants one name with some actual bite to it. The nickname problem is real though, there isn’t a natural short form, she’s just Scarlett or occasionally Lettie if you push it.

Eleanor

Origin: Old French
Meaning: bright, shining one
Popularity: #12 in 2025

Eleanor came into English through Old French, tangled up with the same root as Helen, and it has been quietly making a case for itself as the anti-trendy trendy name. Right now it sits at #12 for 2025, its best year ever in the data, up from #60 a decade ago, so this is not a comeback, it is a name still climbing. My friend’s daughter Eleanor gets called Nora at home and Ellie at daycare, which tells you everything about how flexible this one is.

Pick Eleanor if you want a name that reads formal on the birth certificate but has three built in nickname exits depending on who’s calling her in for dinner. It works in a nursery with heirloom furniture just as well as one from a big box store, which is more than most names this popular can say.

Hannah

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: favor, grace
Popularity: #56 in 2025

Hannah is straight out of the Old Testament, one of those Hebrew names that never really left common use once it caught on. It peaked hard at #2 back in 1998 and has been sliding since, sitting at #56 in 2025 after being #28 just ten years ago. That drift downward is worth knowing if you were hoping for something under the radar, because Hannah still has almost 4,000 babies a year wearing it.

This is the name for the parent who wants something that reads as instantly familiar and easy to spell out loud, no nickname required since the whole thing is basically one syllable said twice. I’d pick it over flashier options if you’re naming a sibling to a Sarah or a Rachel and want the set to match without trying too hard.

Lucy

Origin: Latin
Meaning: light
Popularity: #25 in 2025

Lucy traces back to Latin, tied to the word for light, and it has one of the cleaner rise stories on this whole list. It jumped from #55 in 2015 to #25 in 2025, its best year on record, gaining ground every single year since 2022 without a single dip. That kind of steady climb usually means a name is about to get a lot more common, so if you want it before everyone else’s kid has it, now is the moment.

Lucy suits the parent who wants short and warm without going full nickname, since there is nowhere shorter to shrink it. It fits a small apartment nursery just as easily as a big one, mostly because the name itself doesn’t ask for anything fussy to match it.

Anna

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: favor, grace
Popularity: #107 in 2025

Anna shares its Hebrew root with Hannah, both landing on grace, but Anna has had the longer and stranger ride through the data. It was #2 back in 1880, the very first year on record, and has been sliding on and off ever since, now sitting at #107 in 2025 after being #44 in 2015. Almost 915,000 girls have carried this name since the SSA started counting, more than almost anything else on this list, so it has that quiet grandmother-to-granddaughter thread running through it.

This is the one for a parent who wants a name that sounds good in every language, since Anna barely changes pronunciation from Spanish to Russian to English. Pick it over Hannah if you want the softer, single-syllable ending without the extra H.

Claire

Origin: French
Meaning: clear, bright
Popularity: #68 in 2025

Claire is French for clear or bright, and it has done something almost none of these names manage, it just held steady. Ten years ago it was #49, its actual best year was 2016 at #40, and in 2025 it sits at #68, basically the same neighborhood the whole time. That flatness is its own kind of proof, a name that isn’t trending up or down, just consistently chosen by a similar number of parents every year.

Claire works for the parent who wants something clean and a little French without any accent marks to explain at the pediatrician’s office. It reads calm and neutral in a nursery of any size, and there is no built in nickname coming for it, so whatever you call her on the birth certificate is what she’ll answer to at school pickup.

Sadie

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: princess
Popularity: #50 in 2025

Sadie started life as a nickname for Sarah, which is Hebrew for princess, before it broke off and became its own full name on birth certificates. The data backs up how well that split worked, since Sadie climbed from #78 in 2021 to #50 in 2025, gaining every single year in between. Its actual best year was 2014, but this recent five year run looks more like a name finding its footing than a fluke.

This is the pick for the parent who wants something that sounds like a nickname but doesn’t need a longer formal name hiding behind it, no Sarah required. It has a little more personality than Claire or Anna, so I’d grab it for the shower guest list of twenty where you want people to remember the name after they leave.

Piper

Origin: English
Meaning: pipe player
Popularity: #155 in 2025

Piper started out as a straight up job title, the person who played the pipes, and somehow that turned into one of the breeziest sounding names on birth certificates. It peaked at #67 back in 2015 and has been sliding since, sitting at #155 in 2025 with 1,940 babies, so it is still solidly used but not the trend name it was a decade ago. That makes it a good pick if you want something that reads current without screaming 2015 nursery Pinterest board. Every Piper I have met goes by Piper, no nickname needed, which is honestly a relief when you are too tired to think of one.

Josephine

Origin: French
Meaning: God will add
Popularity: #53 in 2025

Josephine has been in the data since 1880 and actually peaked way earlier than you would guess, at #21 back in 1916, before drifting for decades and climbing hard again, up to #53 in 2025 from #131 in 2015. That is a real rising trend, not a one year blip, so if you pick it now you are not exactly ahead of the curve but you are still early enough that she probably won’t share it with three other girls in her class. This one is for parents who want a name with some formal weight for the birth certificate but a built in nickname for daily life, Jo or Josie, whichever fits her personality once she has one. My honest thought is Josie is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here and most people forget the long version exists.

Millie

Origin: English
Meaning: gentle strength
Popularity: #73 in 2025

Millie is technically a nickname name, usually short for Millicent or Amelia, but it has been used on its own long enough that most parents just put Millie on the certificate and skip the longer version entirely. The data backs that up hard, this one jumped from #469 in 2015 to #73 in 2025, its best year ever, so it is genuinely mid-climb right now rather than coasting. That kind of trajectory is great if you want a name that feels fresh but not invented, though it does mean you should expect company at daycare in a couple years. I like it for parents who wanted Millicent to feel too formal for a baby but still want the option to dress it up later.

Daisy

Origin: Old English
Meaning: day’s eye
Popularity: #75 in 2025

Daisy has actually been around since the very first year of SSA data, ranking #48 in 1880, then spending a century out of fashion before climbing back to #75 in 2025 from #183 in 2015. It is a flower name but also just a cheerful sound, and the double duty is probably why it keeps coming back. This one works especially well in a smaller nursery where you already have a soft color palette going, it does not need a theme built around it the way some flower names do. My honest take is Daisy ages fine on a toddler and fine on a grandmother too, which is rarer than it sounds.

Poppy

Origin: Latin
Meaning: flower name
Popularity: #292 in 2025

Poppy is still a fairly rare pick in the US, sitting at #292 in 2025 with just over a thousand babies, but it has come a long way from #1027 in 2015 and its best year ever was only two years ago in 2023. That makes it a genuinely good option if you want a flower name that will not be the third one in the room, unlike Daisy or Violet which have a lot more company. It reads a little more British to American ears, which some parents love and some find too twee for a lifetime, worth sitting with before you commit. The nickname situation is basically nonexistent since Poppy already sounds like a nickname, so what is on the certificate is what she gets called at every stage.

Wren

Origin: Old English
Meaning: small bird
Popularity: #231 in 2025

Wren has quietly climbed from #707 in 2015 to #231 in 2025, with its best year in 2022 when it hit #184, and it is one of the few names on this list that reads as genuinely unisex, boys got 198 uses in 2025 too. That crossover use is exactly why some parents love it and others skip it, depending on whether you want something that feels a little androgynous or you want zero doubt this is a girl’s name. It is a great pick for a small nursery where you want one word themes, a single letter on the wall, nothing fussy. My honest thought is Wren will never shorten to anything else, what you name her is what everyone calls her forever.

Iris

Origin: Greek
Meaning: rainbow
Popularity: #61 in 2025

Greek mythology gave us Iris as the rainbow goddess, the one who carried messages between gods and humans, so the name has always had this messenger-of-color feel to it. In the SSA data she sits at #61 for 2025, given to 3,729 babies, her best year ever, and she’s been climbing steadily from #216 back in 2015. I’d reach for Iris if you want something that reads a little vintage without feeling like everyone’s grandma’s name, because you still don’t run into a lot of little Irises at the park. Honestly the throwaway thought here is that Iris just sounds like a name that ages well, from nursery to boardroom, no gimmicks needed.

Juniper

Origin: Latin
Meaning: youthful, evergreen shrub
Popularity: #100 in 2025

Juniper didn’t show up in SSA data until 1969, and now she’s rocketing up the charts, ranked #100 in 2025 with 2,618 babies, up from #427 just ten years ago in 2015. She’s a plant name at heart, that scrubby evergreen with the berries gin is made from, and I think that’s part of the charm, earthy without trying too hard. This one is for the parent who wants something nature-y but doesn’t want to land on Willow or Hazel because everyone’s cousin already has one. Nickname wise you get June, which might be the best part of the whole deal.

Rosie

Origin: English
Meaning: rose
Popularity: #283 in 2025

Rosie peaked way back in 1910 at #114, then spent decades fading before crawling back to #283 in 2025 with 1,088 babies, more than double what she had in 2021. She started as a nickname for Rose and just kept the job for herself somewhere along the way. I’d pick Rosie for a shower where you want something soft and a little old fashioned but not fussy, the kind of name that works on a onesie and on a resume both. The honest thought here is that half the Rosies I know were named Rosalind or Rosalie on the birth certificate and just go by Rosie anyway, so you could get both.

Fiona

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Meaning: fair, white
Popularity: #470 in 2025

Fiona comes from Scottish Gaelic and basically means fair or white, and it had its moment back in 2017 when it hit #180. Since then it’s been sliding, down to #470 in 2025 with 654 babies, so this one’s actually cooling off rather than climbing like most of the names on this list. I still like it for a parent who wants something that feels literary without sounding fussy, there’s a reason it keeps showing up in book club circles. The throwaway thought is that Shrek ruined this name for exactly one generation of parents and now their kids are naming their own daughters Fiona without blinking.

Marigold

Origin: English
Meaning: golden flower, from Mary and gold
Popularity: #590 in 2025

Marigold barely existed in the data before 2015, when it ranked #2674, and now it’s sitting at its best year ever, #590 in 2025 with 498 babies. The name comes from Mary plus gold, tied to the actual flower, so it’s got that same orange and yellow garden feel as Poppy or Daisy but with more syllables to grow into. I’d choose this one for a big room nursery where you can go all in on a warm autumn palette, it doesn’t work as well in a small apartment nursery where everything else is neutral. Nickname territory is basically just Goldie, which honestly might be cuter than the full name.

Clementine

Origin: French
Meaning: mild, merciful
Popularity: #456 in 2025

Clementine has been in the data since 1880 but her actual best year was 1882, so this is a name that’s spent more than a century just quietly waiting around. She’s back up to #456 in 2025 with 676 babies, rising steadily from #815 in 2015. It comes from Latin by way of French, meaning mild or merciful, though most people just think of the citrus fruit or the folk song. This one is for the parent who wants a name with some history and doesn’t mind everyone singing oh my darling at the first birthday party, and Clem makes a genuinely great nickname for a kid who’ll inevitably shorten it herself.

June

Origin: Latin
Meaning: young
Popularity: #150 in 2025

June started as a calendar name, tied to the Latin word for the month, and it works as well on a birth certificate as it does written across a onesie in May. Right now it sits at #150, given to 1,978 girls in 2025, up from #281 back in 2015, and its real glory days were 1925 when it hit #39. I like it for the parent who wants something short and warm without going full nickname, and Junie is the version everyone ends up calling her anyway. It also shows up for boys, just 66 times in 2025, so if you want a name that reads soft but not exclusively girly, this is it.

Della

Origin: Old German
Meaning: noble
Popularity: #563 in 2025

Grandmother names come back one syllable at a time, and Della is proof, likely a short form of Adela or Adeline with an Old German root pointing at ‘noble.’ It ranked #563 in 2025 with 533 babies, way up from #1156 in 2015, though its actual best year was way back in 1881 at #60. This is the pick for the parent who wants something vintage but doesn’t want to spell out Adeline every time, since Della never needs a nickname, it already sounds like one. My honest take is it pairs beautifully with a longer middle name, because on its own it can feel almost too short next to a big surname.

Winnie

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: blessed peace
Popularity: #475 in 2025

Winifred is the formal name hiding behind this one, Welsh in origin and usually translated as ‘blessed peace,’ though plenty of parents skip the long form and put Winnie right on the certificate. It’s at #475 for 2025 with 646 babies, climbing hard from #1189 in 2015, even though its best year on record was 1881 at #162. I’d reach for this one in a nursery that already leans a little old fashioned, gingham and brass hardware, because Winnie fits that room better than something like Aurora would. The throwaway thought here is that everyone will assume you named her after Winnie the Pooh, and you’ll have to decide how many times you’re willing to explain otherwise.

Mabel

Origin: Latin
Meaning: lovable
Popularity: #201 in 2025

Loveable is the literal meaning tucked into Mabel, Latin in origin, and it is doing some real work climbing the charts lately. It sat at #578 back in 2015 and now ranks #201 in 2025 with 1,522 babies, though the name’s true peak was 1891 at #15. This one is for the parent who wants a grandma name that still sounds current, since Mabel has that same worn in charm as Edith or Della without feeling quite as rare yet. The nickname problem barely exists here, she’ll just be Mabel, maybe Mae if you’re feeling fancy.

Nell

Origin: English
Meaning: bright one
Popularity: #1,628 in 2025

Rare enough to raise eyebrows at the pediatrician’s office, Nell sits outside the top 1,000 entirely, ranked #1628 in 2025 with just 128 babies, though it has been climbing steadily since #2879 in 2015. It started as an English nickname for Eleanor or Helen, both tangled up with ‘bright’ or ‘shining one,’ and somewhere along the way it became sturdy enough to stand alone. This is the name for the parent planning a small shower, the kind with twenty people and folding chairs, who wants something nobody else in the room will have. My honest thought is that Nell reads a little old man’s aunt to me still, in the best possible way, like she already knows how to bake.

Edith

Origin: Old English
Meaning: riches, blessed in war
Popularity: #499 in 2025

Steady is the right word for Edith, which barely moved this decade, #524 in 2015 to #499 in 2025 with 595 babies, a far cry from its real heyday in 1894 when it ranked #26. Old English through and through, it’s usually translated as ‘riches’ or ‘blessed in war,’ which is a lot of gravity for such a soft sounding name. I’d pick this one for the whole nursery, not the studio apartment version, because Edith deserves the kind of room with a rocking chair and a name written in letters on the wall. Everyone will call her Edie whether you plan for it or not, so you might as well pick the artwork now.

Alice

Origin: Germanic
Meaning: noble
Popularity: #65 in 2025

Lewis Carroll didn’t invent Alice but he cemented it, and the name has been remarkably steady ever since, sitting at #65 in 2025 with 3,547 babies after hovering in that same range for a decade. Its actual best year was 1880, when it ranked #8, so this is a name that peaked before your great-great-grandmother was born and just kept quietly going. I like Alice for the parent who wants something that reads as a plain, familiar word without ever feeling trendy. The nickname situation is basically none, which is part of the appeal: everyone just calls her Alice.

Josie

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God will add
Popularity: #82 in 2025

Josie has been sitting in the data since 1880 but it spent most of that time as a nickname riding along under Josephine, only recently earning its own spot on the birth certificate, and 2025 is its best year on record at #82 with 3,021 babies. It jumped from #250 in 2015 to top 100 now, one of the sharper ten year climbs on this whole list. I’d pick Josie over Josephine for the family that doesn’t want a four syllable name to shrink down at home anyway, and for the parent who wants something that already sounds like a nickname. Honest thought: this one might crack the top 50 by 2030 at this rate.

Margot

Origin: French
Meaning: pearl
Popularity: #102 in 2025

Margot is the French short form of Marguerite, meaning pearl, and it went from a rarity at #593 in 2015 to #102 in 2025 with 2,575 babies, its best year on record. That’s a fast climb for a name that first showed up in the data back in 1894 and mostly sat unused for a century. This one is for the parent who wants something that reads French and a little literary without landing on Genevieve or Josephine, and it survives nickname pressure because there really isn’t a cute shortened version, she’s just Margot. My honest take: the T at the end makes it feel more grown up than most of the names on this list, in a good way.

Vivian

Origin: Latin
Meaning: alive
Popularity: #72 in 2025

Vivian comes from the Latin vivus, meaning alive, and the name has proven that out by staying relevant since 1880 without ever fully dropping off, currently at #72 in 2025 after ten years of steady movement. Its actual peak was 1920 at #64, so today’s ranking is close to matching a hundred year old high. I like Vivian for the parent who wants a name with some formal weight but who’s fine with everyone calling her Viv at home. It also ages up cleanly, which not every name on a girl’s name list can say.

Adeline

Origin: Germanic
Meaning: noble
Popularity: #59 in 2025

Sweet Adeline started as a French pet form tied to the Germanic root for noble, and it has been on a real run, climbing from #135 in 2015 to #59 in 2025 with 3,864 babies, just one spot off its best year ever in 2024. That’s a steep climb for a name that first appeared in the data back in 1880 and sat quiet for over a century. This is the name for the parent who wants something that sounds vintage but isn’t actually rare, and the nickname is right there waiting: Addie. Just know that if Addie sticks, you’ll be spelling it out at every pediatrician’s office for the next eighteen years.

Blakely

Origin: English
Meaning: dark meadow
Popularity: #191 in 2025

Surname names for girls have been everywhere for a decade now, and Blakely is one of the ones that actually stuck, climbing from #357 in 2015 to a peak of #156 in 2021 before settling at #191 in 2025 with 1,638 babies. That dip in the last few years is worth noting since most of the names on this list are still climbing. I’d pick Blakely for the parent who wants that soft, blended sound but wants something still inside the top 200 rather than the top 20. Honest thought: this is the name most likely to have three other Blakelys, Blakelynns, and Blakes in the same kindergarten class.

Everly

Origin: English
Meaning: boar meadow
Popularity: #91 in 2025

Rising fast is the honest way to describe Everly, which barely existed before it showed up in 1944 and then took off decades later once soft, surname-style names started trending. It sat at #138 back in 2015, spiked all the way to #42 in 2019, and has settled into the top 100 at #91 in 2025 with 2,695 babies given the name. That dip after the peak tells me it is past its trendiest moment but still solidly popular, which is actually the sweet spot if you want something familiar without every third kid in preschool sharing it.

This one is for the parent who wants a name that reads soft and a little old fashioned but still feels current, not stuffy. The kid gets called Ev or Evie on the playground no matter what you intended, so make peace with that nickname now.

Sloane

Origin: Irish
Meaning: raider
Popularity: #141 in 2025

Surnames turned first names are their own category and Sloane fits right into it, first showing up in the data in 1958 but staying rare for decades. It has climbed steadily from #327 in 2015 to #141 in 2025 with 2,077 babies, and its best year ever was just 2022 at #140, so this one is still on its way up rather than cooling off. It never cracked the top 100, which keeps it feeling a little more exclusive than something like Everly.

Pick Sloane if you want a name that sounds sharp and grown up on a resume someday but still has a soft landing as a kid, since most people just call her Sloane in full anyway because it does not shorten easily. It works especially well if you already have a longer, frillier name on the shortlist and want something with a different energy for a sibling.

Quinn

Origin: Irish
Meaning: counsel
Popularity: #97 in 2025

Quinn came from an Irish surname long before it landed on birth certificates, and the SSA data backs up how consistent it has been, sitting at #97 in both 2015 and 2025 with barely any drift in between. Its best year was 2022 at #73, and in 2025 it was given to 2,634 girls plus 663 boys, so it genuinely reads as unisex rather than borrowed. That steadiness is rare on this list, where most names either spike or fade.

Quinn is the pick for parents who want something short, punchy, and not overly girly, especially if you are already leaning toward a gender neutral nursery instead of pink everything. There is no nickname to negotiate here since Quinn just stays Quinn, which some parents love and others find a little too final.

Reese

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: ardor
Popularity: #192 in 2025

Reese started as a Welsh surname and first turns up in SSA records back in 1924, which surprised me since it feels so 2000s. It peaked at #128 in 2012 and has drifted down since, landing at #192 in 2025 with 1,631 babies, plus 475 boys named Reese that same year, so it still reads unisex even as the girl side cools slightly. The direction here is steady rather than climbing, which makes it feel more like a settled choice than a trend you are catching on the way up.

This name suits a parent who wants something short and a little sporty without going full nickname name, and yes, everyone will think of the peanut butter cup at least once. It is a solid pick if you want a name that will not scream what decade she was born in, unlike some of the flashier options on this list.

Paisley

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: church
Popularity: #67 in 2025

Paisley the name comes from Paisley the Scottish town, home of the swirly textile pattern that shares its name, and it has had real staying power since first appearing in 1966. Its best year ever was actually 2015 at #45, and it has held remarkably steady since, sitting at #67 in 2025 with 3,508 babies, still comfortably a top 100 cute baby girl name a decade later. That kind of longevity without a huge spike or crash is unusual and worth noting if you are worried about picking something too trendy.

Paisley works for the parent who wants a name that feels playful and a bit textured, maybe because you already have a print or pattern theme going in the nursery. My honest throwaway thought is that it still sounds slightly more country than classic to my ear, so know your crowd before you commit.

Blair

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Meaning: field
Popularity: #169 in 2025

Blair comes from a Scottish Gaelic word for a flat or open field, and it took the longest road of anyone on this list to become one of the cute baby girl names parents actually pick, sitting way down at #606 back in 2015. It has climbed every single year since, hitting its best year ever right now in 2025 at #169 with 1,806 babies, up from just 1,025 in 2021. Seventy boys got the name too in 2025, so it still leans unisex even as it grows fast on the girl side.

Blair is for the parent who wants something short and slightly preppy without following the Sloane crowd, and it works especially well if your last name is long since Blair carries its own weight. Given how fast it is rising, I would not be shocked to see it in the top 100 within a couple more years, so grab it now if you want to feel early.

Maren

Origin: Latin/Danish
Meaning: of the sea
Popularity: #472 in 2025

Maren showed up in the data back in 1916 but it reads completely current now, sitting at #472 in 2025 after climbing steadily from #1117 just ten years ago. Its best year was 2020 at #438, so this isn’t a brand new discovery, just a name that quietly kept gaining without ever spiking into overexposed territory. I’d pick this one for parents who want something that sounds coastal and soft without going full Marina or Ocean, and the nickname situation stays simple because kids just get called Maren, no shortening required.

Elin

Origin: Scandinavian
Meaning: bright, shining light
Popularity: #3,077 in 2025

Elin is the Scandinavian cousin of Helen and it peaked way back in 2011 at #662, then slid hard, down to #3077 in 2025 with only 53 babies given the name. That falling trend is honestly the whole appeal for me, this is the name you pick when everyone in your playgroup already has an Eleanor or an Elena and you want the quieter, rarer version of the same sound. It works best in a small family circle where you’re not worried about a dozen relatives mishearing it as Ellen at every holiday.

Ada

Origin: Germanic
Meaning: noble
Popularity: #219 in 2025

Ada opened the SSA data in 1880 already ranked #33, dipped for decades, and has spent the last ten years climbing back up to #219 in 2025 with 1,401 babies given the name. That’s a full circle moment, this is a name your great grandmother might have had and now it sounds fresh again instead of dusty. I’d reach for this one in a small nursery where you want something short and easy to paint on a wall, one syllable to say out loud, no nickname needed because Ada already is the nickname version of something longer.

Cora

Origin: Greek
Meaning: maiden
Popularity: #113 in 2025

Cora has been sitting near the top of the cute baby girl names conversation for a while now, holding steady at #113 in 2025 after a strong run at #75 back in 2022. It first showed up in 1880 at #15, so this is a name that has never really left, just cycled through quieter decades in between two real peaks. This one is for the parent who wants something that sounds classic at the grandparents’ table but doesn’t feel borrowed from anyone specific, and the whole name works fine as its own nickname without ever needing to be shortened.

Opal

Origin: English
Meaning: precious stone
Popularity: #423 in 2025

Opal had its real moment back in 1911 at #81, dropped off almost completely, and has spent the last ten years working its way back from #1110 in 2015 to #423 in 2025 with 740 babies given the name. That’s a genuine rising trend, not just a one year blip, so this feels like a name that’s actually catching on rather than one that already peaked and is coasting. I’d pick this over Pearl or Ruby for the parent who wants a gemstone name that still feels a little unclaimed, and honestly the nickname situation is a non issue because nobody shortens Opal.

Pearl

Origin: English
Meaning: pearl, precious
Popularity: #777 in 2025

Pearl peaked back in 1889 at #24, and while it’s been on a slow decline since 2015, it actually ticked back up a little this year, going from #804 in 2024 to #777 in 2025 with 350 babies given the name. That small bump makes me think it’s not done yet, just moving slower than a name like Opal or Cora. This one works well for a shower where the whole nursery is leaning vintage and soft, and I’d choose it over Opal if you want something that sounds a little more formal, since Pearl doesn’t shorten into anything, it just stays Pearl through every stage.

Ruth

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: friend, companion
Popularity: #173 in 2025

Ruth comes from Hebrew, tied to the meaning “friend” or “companion,” and she’s been in the data since day one, back in 1880. She peaked hard in 1893 at #3, dipped for decades, and now sits at #173 in 2025 with 1,781 babies, climbing steadily from #291 just ten years ago. This is the name for the parent who wants something that sounds like it belongs at a family dinner table next to Grandma but still reads current on a preschool cubby. Ruthie is the nickname you’re signing up for whether you plan it or not, and honestly that’s the best part.

Agnes

Origin: Greek
Meaning: pure
Popularity: #1,016 in 2025

Agnes traces back to Greek, carrying the meaning “pure,” and it had its real run in 1899 when it hit #37. It’s still outside the top 1,000 in 2025, ranked #1016 with 246 babies, but the ten year trend is up from #1275 in 2015. Pick this one for a nursery full of vintage lace and don’t mind explaining the spelling at every pediatrician visit. The kid ends up called Aggie on the playground no matter what’s on the birth certificate.

Frances

Origin: Latin
Meaning: free one
Popularity: #318 in 2025

Frances is the Latin feminine tied to “free one,” and it’s been a fixture in the data since 1880, with a huge peak in 1918 at #8. It’s climbing again now, sitting at #318 in 2025 with 960 babies, up from #513 back in 2015. Go with Frances if you want a name that can be buttoned up on the passport and loosened into Frankie or Fran at home. It works for the parent who can’t decide between a formal name and a nickname, because you get both built in.

Louisa

Origin: Old German, Old French
Meaning: famous warrior
Popularity: #697 in 2025

Louisa is the feminine form built on Old German and Old French roots, landing on “famous warrior.” Her best year was way back in 1881 at #119, and after a long quiet stretch she’s back up to #697 in 2025 with 407 babies, rising from #907 in 2015. This one suits a smaller nursery and a quieter naming style, the kind of pick that doesn’t need a whole theme built around it. Weezy or Lulu shows up eventually no matter how firmly you insist on Louisa at drop off.

Marlowe

Origin: English
Meaning: driftwood
Popularity: #523 in 2025

Marlowe started as an English surname, generally read as “driftwood,” and it didn’t show up in girl name data until 1918. Its best year on record is right now, 2025, ranked #523 with 575 babies, way up from #1140 in 2015. This is the pick for the parent who wants something that sounds like it belongs on a screenwriter’s business card, sleek and a little cool. Nobody’s shortening it, which is exactly the appeal for anyone tired of explaining what Ruthie or Frankie is short for.

Rowan

Origin: Irish Gaelic
Meaning: little red one
Popularity: #249 in 2025

Rowan comes from Irish Gaelic, tracing to “little red one,” originally from the word for red. It’s been climbing since it first entered the data in 1942, peaking at #212 in 2018 and now holding steady at #249 in 2025 with 1,240 babies. It also gets real use for boys, 5,212 of them in 2025 at #59, so it reads as genuinely unisex rather than borrowed. This is the one for the parent who wants a name that won’t scream girl or boy off a nursery door, and the nickname is just Rowan, no shortening required.

Sage

Origin: Latin
Meaning: wise one
Popularity: #160 in 2025

Sage comes straight off the spice rack and somehow that never feels like a downside, it just reads calm and a little herbal in the best way. It sat at #369 back in 2015, climbed to its best year in 2023 at #142, and landed at #160 in 2025 with 1,853 girls given the name, so it is holding steady near the top of the list rather than spiking and fading. Boys get it too, 684 of them in 2025, which makes it one of those names that works if you are not sure yet or just like the option open. I would grab this for a small nursery where you want one word that does a lot of quiet work, gray and sage green paint included at no extra cost.

Fern

Origin: Old English
Meaning: fern plant
Popularity: #1,220 in 2025

Fern is one of those names that already lived a whole life before now, its best year on record was 1916 at #152, over a century before this current little uptick. It sits at #1220 in 2025 with 186 babies, which is outside the top 1,000 but has been ticking up steadily from #1500 in 2021, so it is quietly rising rather than just recovering. There is no nickname pressure here, a kid named Fern gets called Fern, maybe Fernie if a grandparent insists. I would put this on the shortlist for parents who want something plant-adjacent but tired of hearing Ivy and Willow at every playground.

Meadow

Origin: English
Meaning: grassy field
Popularity: #286 in 2025

Meadow reads like a place you’d actually visit, open and green, and the data backs up that it is having its actual moment right now. 2025 is its best year ever on record, ranked #286 with 1,078 girls given the name, up from #673 back in 2015 and climbing every single year since 2021. This one is for the parent who wants something nature-leaning but bigger and softer sounding than Fern or Wren, more room to breathe in the name itself. I will admit part of me still hears The Sopranos when I see it, but that association is fading fast for anyone under thirty.

Sky

Origin: English
Meaning: the sky, heavens
Popularity: #949 in 2025

Sky is short, obvious in the best way, and has actually been drifting down lately rather than climbing, which sets it apart from most of this list. It peaked at #712 in 2021 and has fallen every year since to #949 in 2025 with 272 girls given the name, so it reads more like a steady niche pick than a trend everyone is chasing. Boys use it too, just 101 of them in 2025, so it stays firmly unisex if that matters to you. I would pick this one for a shower where you want a short, breezy name that will not need explaining and will not show up three times on the same kindergarten roster.

Hollis

Origin: Old English
Meaning: dweller near the holly trees
Popularity: #1,132 in 2025

Hollis started as a surname tied to holly trees and has been slowly making its way into first name territory, with a strange early peak at #773 back in 1953 long before this current rise. It sat at #1912 in 2015 and has climbed to #1132 in 2025 with 206 babies, moving up almost every year since 2022. Boys get it too, 266 of them in 2025, so it lands on that same unisex shelf as Sky and Sage. This is the one I would pick for a smaller shower where you want a name nobody else in the room has already used on a niece or a coworker’s kid.

Ember

Origin: English
Meaning: a burning coal, a spark
Popularity: #154 in 2025

Ember sounds warm without trying too hard, a small glowing word that works whether the nursery is all neutral linen or full color. It hit its best year in 2024 at #135, then eased slightly to #154 in 2025 with 1,952 babies, still well above where it sat in 2015 at #366. That is a real ten year climb, not a one season fluke, so it has staying power behind the cute factor. I would reach for this one over Sky or Meadow if you want something that photographs well on a birthday banner and still sounds like a real grown woman’s name at forty.

Coral

Origin: English
Meaning: sea coral
Popularity: #1,931 in 2025

Coral came from the reef itself, one of those color-and-nature words that slid into the name pool sometime in the 1880s. It’s sitting at #1931 for 2025, just 100 babies, and it’s been drifting down for a decade after a real peak back in 1888 when it hit #488. This one is for the parent who wants a color name that isn’t Ruby or Scarlett and doesn’t mind that almost nobody else in the class will have it. The honest catch is that some people will hear it and think of the reef bleaching headlines before they think of your daughter, so know that going in.

Marina

Origin: Latin
Meaning: of the sea
Popularity: #602 in 2025

Marina comes from the Latin word for sea, and it’s had staying power as a first name since it first showed up in 1886. It’s climbing now, #602 in 2025 up from #658 a decade ago, though its real high point was 1994 at #218. I’d pick this one for the parent who wants a cute baby girl name with a little European polish but still easy for a teacher to say on the first day of school. The nickname you’re actually signing up for is Mari or Rina, so decide now if you’re okay with that.

Petra

Origin: Greek
Meaning: rock
Popularity: #1,372 in 2025

Petra means rock, straight out of Greek, and it’s stayed remarkably level in the data since it first turned up in 1881. Right now it’s parked at #1372, barely moved from #1351 a decade ago, with its best showing all the way back in 1894 at #435. This is the pick for parents who want something short and a little architectural, the kind of name that reads strong on a hospital bracelet and stronger on a resume. Petra doesn’t really shrink into a cutesy nickname, which some people will love and some will find a little serious for a newborn.

Bianca

Origin: Italian
Meaning: white
Popularity: #500 in 2025

Bianca is Italian for white, and it’s been in American use since 1905 with a real moment in 1990 when it hit #84. It’s slipped since then, down to #500 in 2025 from #381 ten years ago, so it’s still inside the top 1,000 but heading the wrong direction. I’d steer this toward the parent who wants a name with some romance-language shine without going full Bianca-from-Shakespeare in conversation, because yes, that comparison will come up at least once. Everyone ends up calling her Bee eventually, so just make peace with it now.

Camille

Origin: Latin
Meaning: young ceremonial attendant
Popularity: #240 in 2025

Camille traces to Latin, tied to the word for a young ceremonial attendant, and it’s been in the SSA data since the very first year they started counting in 1880. It’s held steady for years now, #240 in 2025 versus #247 a decade back, with its actual best year being 2012 at #237, so this one barely moves. That steadiness makes it a safe middle ground pick, one of those cute baby girl names that reads soft in a nursery but grows up fine into a courtroom or a classroom. The nickname on the playground will be Cami whether you plan for it or not.

Simone

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: she has heard
Popularity: #998 in 2025

Simone comes from Hebrew by way of French, meaning she has heard, and it’s been quietly on the SSA list since 1908 with its best year in 1988 at #311. It’s inside the top 1,000 for 2025 at #998, but the ten year trend is falling, down from #826 in 2015. Pick this one if you want a name with weight, the kind that nods to Simone de Beauvoir or Simone Biles without spelling either one out for anybody. She’ll get shortened to Sim or Mona by people who’ve known her three days, so brace yourself.

Odette

Origin: French
Meaning: wealth
Popularity: #883 in 2025

Odette comes from an old Germanic root that shows up in names like Otto, and it landed in French through the swan queen in Swan Lake, which is still the first thing most people think of when they hear it. In the SSA data it sat at #2188 back in 2015 and jumped all the way to #883 in 2025 with 303 babies, so it’s climbing fast but still rare enough that your daughter probably won’t share a cubby with another one. I have this on my list for the parent who wants something with a ballet slipper kind of elegance but doesn’t want the popularity that comes with Charlotte or Isabella. Odie is the nickname waiting to happen whether you plan for it or not.

Colette

Origin: French
Meaning: victory of the people
Popularity: #316 in 2025

Colette started as a French nickname for Nicole, and it carries that same root meaning victory of the people, though most people know it now from the writer Colette or just the vibe of it. It’s had its best year ever in 2025, ranked #316 with 962 babies, up from #525 in 2015, so this one is genuinely on the way up rather than coasting on an old peak. I’d pick this over Charlotte for the parent who wants French and a little literary without landing on a name everyone in the class already has. Coco is the built in nickname, and honestly that alone sells some people on it.

Elodie

Origin: French
Meaning: foreign riches
Popularity: #310 in 2025

Elodie traces back to an old Visigothic name that made its way into French, and the meaning usually gets translated as foreign riches, which is a nice thing to hand a kid without them knowing it. The rise here is dramatic, from #1168 in 2015 to #310 in 2025 with 980 babies, its best year on record by a wide margin. This is the one for the nursery that’s already doing soft French details, gingham and cane furniture, because the name matches that mood exactly. My honest throwaway thought is that Elodie and Odette are similar enough in sound that picking between them mostly comes down to which one rolls off your own tongue easier.

Genevieve

Origin: French
Meaning: woman of the people
Popularity: #148 in 2025

Genevieve goes back to a French name meaning something like woman of the people, and it has staying power that a lot of trendier picks don’t, sitting at #148 in 2025 with 1,981 babies after being in the SSA data since 1880. Its actual best year was 1914 at #76, so it’s not at an all time high, but it’s been quietly steady for over a century instead of spiking and vanishing. I love this for the parent who wants a name with real weight for a formal document but a soft everyday nickname, because Gigi or Evie both work depending on the mood. It’s the safer bet on this list if you want something established without going all the way to Charlotte or Amelia territory.

Rosalie

Origin: French
Meaning: rose
Popularity: #171 in 2025

Rosalie is basically Rose dressed up in French, and it has been in American use long enough to peak once already, hitting #66 back in 1938 before fading and now climbing again to #171 in 2025 with 1,797 babies. It was ranked #266 in 2015, so the ten year direction is rising, and it never really left the top 200 to begin with. This one works well for the shower where half the guest list is over sixty, because grandmothers recognize it immediately and still think it sounds fresh. Rosie is the obvious nickname, though I know a couple of Rosalies who go by Lee instead just to be different.

Annabelle

Origin: English
Meaning: loving
Popularity: #343 in 2025

Annabelle blends Anna and Belle into something that reads as loving or gracious depending on which source you trust, and it has actually been sliding for the last decade, from #92 in 2015 down to #343 in 2025 with 891 babies. Its real peak was 2014 at #57, so if you loved this name a decade ago you were far from alone, and that horror movie doll did it zero favors along the way. I still think it’s cute for a girl name, especially for the parent who wants something soft sounding without picking Isabella, and Anna or Belle both work as easy nicknames later. My honest take is this one skews a little dated right now, so it might feel more like a name from your kid’s preschool class than a fresh pick.

Isla

Origin: Scottish
Meaning: island
Popularity: #28 in 2025

Scotland’s River Isla is where this name comes from, though nobody naming their daughter Isla in 2025 is thinking about geography, they just like how it sounds. It sat at #142 back in 2015 and has climbed steadily since, landing at #28 this year with 6,012 babies, its best year on record. This is the one for the parent who wants something soft and easy to spell but still feels like it has a little edge, not another vowel-heavy name that blends into the birth announcement pile. The nickname problem solves itself because Isla already is the nickname, two syllables and done.

Maeve

Origin: Irish
Meaning: she who intoxicates
Popularity: #76 in 2025

Legend puts Maeve on the throne as the warrior queen of Connacht, which is a lot of history to carry for a name that sounds this gentle out loud. It has been climbing fast, from #452 in 2015 all the way to #76 in 2025 with 3,153 babies, and its actual best year was just two years ago in 2023 at #73. I’d pick this one over Isla or Georgia if you want the mythology attached, the story you can tell at the christening about a queen who did not ask permission. It reads a little literary too, which makes sense once you remember James Joyce used it first in Ulysses.

Saoirse

Origin: Irish
Meaning: freedom
Popularity: #1,089 in 2025

Freedom is the literal meaning, and it is also the reason half of us finally learned how to pronounce this name from watching Saoirse Ronan interviews. The data shows it still sitting outside the top 1,000, ranked #1089 in 2025 with 222 babies, but it has been rising steadily from #1451 back in 2015, and its best year was 2020 at #735. This is the pick for the parent who does not care about rank at all, who wants something that means something and is fine explaining the pronunciation at every single pediatrician appointment. Just know the kid will spend their whole life correcting people, and honestly that might build character.

Brynn

Origin: Welsh
Meaning: hill
Popularity: #407 in 2025

Welsh hills gave Brynn its meaning, a rise in the land, which is a sweet little backstory for a name that already sounds like a nickname on its own. It peaked back in 2012 at #189, sat at #259 in 2015, and has been drifting down since, landing at #407 in 2025 with 767 babies. This one is for the parent who wanted Brynlee or Brynleigh but got talked out of the extra syllables at the last minute, and honestly the shorter version wears better at every age. It pairs easily with almost any middle name too, which counts for something when you are up at 2am still deciding.

Delilah

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: delicate
Popularity: #51 in 2025

Samson’s story is where Delilah comes from, the woman in the book of Judges who is definitely not the moral lesson you want attached to your daughter, but the name shook that reputation off decades ago. It ranked #115 in 2015 and has climbed since, hitting #51 in 2025 with 4,137 babies, right behind its actual best year of 2024 at #50. This is the pick for the parent who wants a name with some bite to it, not another soft-focus flower name, something with a little Southern rock song energy built in. The nickname Lila comes free with it, which is a nice bonus for a name this long.

Georgia

Origin: Greek
Meaning: farmer
Popularity: #99 in 2025

Farmer is the literal translation buried in Georgia’s Greek roots, the feminine form of George, and nobody thinks about that when they picture a peach orchard or a road trip playlist. It has been rising steadily from #229 in 2015 to #99 this year with 2,619 babies, though its actual best year ever was way back in 1882 at #81, which tells you it has been quietly available the whole time. This is the one for the parent who wants a place name without going full Brooklyn or Savannah, something that still feels like a proper name and not a vacation memory. It also ages up beautifully, sounding just as right on a law partner as it does on a toddler.

If I had to shut my laptop right now and pick one, it’s Della. It’s got the vintage warmth of Edith or Agnes without making anyone stop and ask you to spell it at the pediatrician’s office. Everything on this list works, but the short, easy, one-syllable-nickname names are the ones I keep coming back to that are my faves.