If I had kids...

So imagine that you're pregnant... with sextuplets of unknown genders... Hmm... Nevermind. That's kind of hard to imagine... I hope none of us are ever in that kind of naming dilemma. So... These are just the top 6 names in each gender that I'm loving right now. They are in order of how I'd prioritize which names I feel I MUST use- starting with a girl because I have more favorite girl names than boy names- in fact I have 6 favorite girl names and 4 favorite boy names... so that's why its sextuplets instead of, what is it, quintuplets?.
  1. Amelia
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "work"
    • Description:

      Amelia is one of the hottest girls' names, a successor to the megapopular Emma and Emily. Amelia, which spent several years at Number 1 in England, vaulted into the US Top 10 in 2017 and continues to rise.
  2. Charlotte
    • Origin:

      French, feminine diminutive of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl names in many English-speaking and European countries.
  3. Coraline
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Coral
    • Description:

      Coraline may not be original to Neil Gaiman's wonderful book of the same name, but it might as well be. Gaiman's young heroine Coraline Jones is constantly called Caroline but as a name Coraline is more distinctive and has a more mysterious feel. The 2002 novel Coraline was made into a 2009 animated film voiced by Dakota Fanning and nominated for an Academy Award.
  4. Elinor
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Eleanor
    • Description:

      Slimmed down spelling is well-established and makes an old name more modern, for better and worse. Katie Couric spells her Elinor's name this way.
  5. Frederic
    • Origin:

      French variation of Frederick, German
    • Meaning:

      "peaceful ruler"
    • Description:

      Dropping the final "k" of Frederick definitely makes it a more user-friendly classic boys' name. It streamlines it and also hints at Frederic's status as a French variation of the Germanic Frederick. Either way, this is a strong classic to consider if you're not afraid of a little dusty residue.
  6. Josephine
    • Origin:

      French feminine variation of Joseph
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"
    • Description:

      Josephine, with its large measure of class and character and a gently offbeat quality, has been on a gentle uphill climb in the US for over 30 years, now ranking in the Top 100. With an intriguing number of vivacious nicknames, from Jo to Josie to Fifi to Posy, Josephine is a Nameberry favorite.
  7. Jude
    • Origin:

      Latin diminutive of Judah
    • Meaning:

      "praised"
    • Description:

      Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity -- for more than a decade now. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
  8. Noah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "rest, repose"
    • Description:

      Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for five years.
  9. Patrik
    • Phoebe
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "radiant, shining one"
      • Description:

        Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from phoibos, meaning "bright." In classical mythology, Phoebe is the by-name of Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting. The masculine version of Phoebe is Phoebus.
    • Seth
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "appointed, placed"
      • Description:

        The long-neglected name of Adam and Eve's third son after Cain and Abel, Seth is appreciated for its gentle, understated presence -- and strong middle-name potential. It reached a high of Number 63 in the year 2000.
    • Tobin
      • Origin:

        English surname derived from Tobias
      • Meaning:

        "God is good"
      • Description:

        Tobias-related name that makes an attractive and modern-sounding form of the biblical original. It was recently chosen by Karolina Kurkova for her son.