Modern Baby Girl Names

In the US, well over 200 girls were named Chandler in 2016, its first year on the girls' list since 2002. To us it is still inextricably tied to the Friends character, making it more masculine than it otherwise might be. But it's one of the trendy boy names for girls that's climbing the ladder.

One of the most girlish offshoots of Braeden.

Strongly feminine variation of Colby with two prime associations: singer Colbie Caillat and actress Colbie Smulders (born Jacoba).

Heavenly, the word that's become a name, has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 for a handful of years now. Heaven and cousins like Nevaeh have been well-used so adding the popular -ly suffix, ala Everly, seems like a natural progression.

Adley made the Top 1000 at Number 735 in 2012 on the heels of sister name Hadley, only to vanish again in 2013. But now, with the popularity of Adelaide and Adeline, it has leaped upward and entered the Top 1000 once again. Adley feels in step with name trends of the moment, but will it survive the ages? Other such mashups have not.

Free-spirited Maverick is no longer an innovative choice for a son, but by using it on a daughter, you could put the maverick back in Maverick.

Berkeley, with an extra E, is the more familiar variation of this name, associated with the California school. But it's the streamlined Berkley that has proven itself to be more popular as a baby name, at least in the US.

Dayana is an Hispanic variant of Diana, notably belonging to Venezuelan actress, model and producer Dayana Mendoza. It also belongs to a South American orchid whose name derives from the surname of English botanist John Day. Its use can be partly attributed to the popularity of Diana, the Princess of Wales.

An established place name that sounds more appealing when you attach it to the British Isles than to the Garden State. Its etymology is not certain, but it may derive from the Norse name Geirr.

Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.

Wylie is one Celtic surname with as much appeal for girls as for boys. Wylie is ripe for spelling variations: Wiley is as appropriate as Wylie but when you spell it Wylei, as Corey Parker did for his son, you're getting into yooneek naming territory.

Variation of Charlie for those parents who are really looking to cut down on length. The Charli spelling may be most notable right now as the name of Tik-Tok star, dancer Charli D'Amelio.

If you live in a state where marijuana is legal (or maybe even if you don't), you might know that Sativa is one of the major strains of weed. And yes, 12 baby girls were named Sativa in the US in one recent year, versus 29 for Indica, the other strain. Sativa is said to produce a more energetic and creative effect, while Indica makes you feel calm and dreamy. Sativa is not a name you would choose if you envisioned your daughter going into law enforcement.

Overly trendy western place-name, as stated in the title of our book Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana.

Everest has an attractive enough sound and lofty enough meaning to come into style, à la Sierra. George Lucas bestowed this aspirational name on his baby daughter.

Kenya is fairly commonly heard as a girl's name, but its capital city makes a much more exceptional choice.

Kaylin is a variation of Kayla and Katelyn that had several years of chart climbing before reaching a peak of Number 372 in 2009. Cailin and Kailyn are two other spellings.

Alaska's Denali National Park is the home of the highest mountain in the US, officially renamed Denali in 2014, endowing the name with a lofty feel. Twice as many girls as boys were given the name in 2021, but the gender gap is closing.

Wilda (or Wylda) has two widely divergent images. Pronounced vill-da, it feels like a cousin of Hilda: a sturdy and none-too-attractive prairie settler. But you can also think of her as wild-ah, as in the feminine of wild and wilder.

This Amy/Mia combination debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2013. It could also be seen as a variant of Amaya.