The top 50 certainly gets a bad rap. Of course, there are plenty of parents who learn they’re expecting and immediately think of the name of that adorable baby they met a while ago and her darling name. And boom, they have another baby Abigail. There’s a reason that popular names stay popular: people love and choose them left and right. But for the parents that do feel inclined to stare at rankings and fret over popularity, there’s a lot of reasons to steer clear. No one dreams of their daughter being Harper J for her elementary career, and avoiding popular names is one fairly effective away to steer clear of that. After all, everyone wants their little one to stick out from the crowd. A name is one way to do that, but once your little one can develop skills and talents for themselves, it’s certainly a minuscule way. The allure of the names that so many other families admire and select is there for a reason, and it may not be a bad idea to consider a gem that thousands of people agree is stunning. So today, I’m going through the highlight reel of the top 50. There are plenty of good ones out there to discover, though, so feel free to find the full top 50 list for yourself here. Dear readers, let’s begin!
Lucy- A glimmer of retro spark shines through bouncy, spunky Lucy. Although she can be a short form for something a bit frillier, like Lucille, Lucia, or Lucinda, parents seem to much prefer just Lucy. A perfect sister for Sadie, this name meaning “of the light” shines bright with sass and sweetness. Although she peaked last year, she’s only slid down one spot to #49, making me think that she might not be done lingering with the cream of the popularity crop in the top 50 just yet. A Lou name that feels positively adorable for a baby and toddler but that would also wear well on an adult woman, mother, grandmother, and beyond, Lucy is also versatile. If you love Lucy *wink*, there’s very little to fault her for if we overlook the other parents who also appreciate and admire her.
Stella- Ella names has long been favorites of 21st century parents. But add a little celestial sprinkle and adjust the classic-to-current ratio and you get this glamorous superstar. Stella packs a lot of drama and elegance into two syllables, and that unique St- beginning really stands out from the other children at little Stella’s school, while the -ella ending allows your little one to blend right in with Bella, Aubriella, Arabella, Ariella, and Isabella. A supernova sized bundle of class, sass, and some good ol’ Hollywood snazz sprinkled in, Stella is truly the full package. This name meaning “star” is a perfect sister to the equally dramatic, romantic, and sassy Scarlett.
Scarlett- Speaking of a perfect sister to Stella, Scarlett matches all of these qualities with a certain twist to her imagery. While Lucy brings up the cheery scene of a retro diner or vintage poodle skirts and Stella brings to mind a glimmering shooting star or a glamorous New York City street, Scarlett’s imagery is a deep, dark, dramatic red. While Scarlett is completely appropriate for a little girl, she also has a romantic side alongside her more youthful spunk. Being a color name, Scarlett has the benefits of instant recognition, and her -lett ending is incredibly fashionable. Something that I’ve noticed with all of these names is that they have a considerable amount of sass, a now necessary component in a successful modern girl name, and Scarlett is no different.
Ava- I feel that Ava really sets the tone for the entire top 50 for girls. She ticks all of the boxes that most of the names that claim a spot up in the top 50, and I think this #3 girl name is a brilliant representation of modern day trends. She’s feminine, just a tweak away from fitting a girl name format that has stuck around for ages and resulted in the likes of Emma, Ella, Anna, and Isla. She’s loaded with the mandatory levels of sass and more, and has the winning initial A. She has an old Hollywood shine to her, but feels fresh and read-to-go in this era as well. Plus, palindromes are really cool, even if they’re not particularly useful. Just having a name spelled the same way forwards and backwards is pretty neat by itself.
Sophia- Sophia is a name that has been on the shoulders of royalty, saints, and of course, that one toddler down the street. It’s a name regal enough for the most eloquent of leaders and rulers, a name that will most certainly age elegantly and allow your child plenty of sophistication points in job interviews. But it’s also a name perky and playful enough to not be a burden on a little girl. Sophia, needless to say, is an incredibly versatile treasure. Equally childish and frilly as it’s sophisticated and professional, Sophia can be worn by any age, personality, or profession, and parents adore this flexibility. The meaning “wisdom,” surely doesn’t hurt her #5 status, and I think she blends perfectly with names with the same flexibility, like Isabella.
Aurora- A princess name with an elegant beauty, a natural world wonder that inspires awe, and the bouncy and spunky Rory, Aurora is a whole lot all rolled up in one, and different parts of this stunning treasure appeal to different parents. The perfect pair with Violet, Aurora is feminine and striking. Whether you’re drawn to the princess, a nature-lover who had compassion and kindness for all, and the courage to venture into danger instead of constantly running from it, the Aurora Borealis, a stunning feat of nature which resides on many a parent’s bucket list, or are dying to use that sweet, high-energy short form Rory, Aurora certainly delivers. At #36, she may be a bit popular for many families enjoying the exotic and unique feel of a fairytale name or a name taken from nature, but the sound and look are most definitely worth it for many.
Madison- A staple that’s slowly falling with time, Madison was truly one of the biggest hits the name world has ever seen. One day, the name was the surname of some dead president. The next, it was the biggest baby name for little girls on the market. With that cool and tailored -son ending that had, for so long, been restricted to our sons, Madison and her sister names flourished. But although Madison had a more male to unisex leaning -son ending, that Madi- beginning was what really sealed her success. Even though she didn’t feel frilly or overly girly at all like Madeleine, she still got the job done when it came to the in-demand nickname Maddie. Madison was a pretty revolutionary concept. She was one of the first “unisex” (but really only feminine) names to really make it big like she did. With the appeal of unisex sounds but girl-only use and nicknames, Madison ditched the frills and hit the perfect note in the name world to succeed. Even though she only ranks at #23 now, far from her 2002 peak of #2, she still is very popular among Americans today.
That’s all for my highlights of the girls top 50. These weren’t my personal favorites of the group, although you’re definitely free to request that in the comments or through my Contact form if you like the idea. I picked names that I though well represented the top 50, and I hope I did it well. If you see any of your favorites here, I urge you not to immediately reconsider your #1 name. If you love a name and a bunch of other parents do too, don’t let other people mutually adoring the name you love ruin your experience with the name. When you phrase it like that, it actually sounds pretty good! Plus, popularity has plenty of perks. Easy spelling and pronunciation among them, and some kids even like sharing their name with others. It’s a great friend-making technique, in my experience. If you’re not actively shopping for names for a soon-to-be arriving child, then I hope you enjoyed this little tour of some of the highlights of the top 50. Thanks for reading, friends, and have a lovely rest of your day!
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon