Aidan m Irish, English (Modern)Anglicized form of
Aodhán. In the latter part of the 20th century it became popular in America due to its sound, since it shares a sound with such names as
Braden and
Hayden. It peaked ranked 39th for boys in 2003.
Ainsley f & m Scottish, English (Modern)From an English surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
... [more] Akane f JapaneseFrom Japanese
茜 (akane) meaning "deep red, dye from the rubia plant". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Akira m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (akira) meaning "bright",
明 (akira) meaning "bright" or
亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name. A famous bearer was the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), given name written
明.
Alaia 2 f English (Modern)Probably a variant of
Alayah. It is likely also influenced by the fashion brand Alaïa, named for the Tunisian-French designer Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017). His surname in Arabic is
عليّة (ʿAlayya), meaning "lofty".
Alannah f Irish, English (Modern)Variant of
Alana. It has been influenced by the affectionate Anglo-Irish word
alannah, from the Irish Gaelic phrase
a leanbh meaning "O child".
Alaya f English (Modern)Variant of
Alayah. It coincides with a Buddhist term (meaning "dwelling" in Sanskrit), which refers to the eighth level of human consciousness.
Aleyna f Turkish (Modern)Possibly from Arabic
علينا (ʿalaynā) meaning
"to us". Alternatively, it could be from Arabic
أليناء (ʾalaynāʾ), a plural form of
ليّن (layyin) meaning
"gentle, soft".
Amaia f BasqueMeans
"the end" in Basque. This is the name of a character in the historical novel
Amaya, or the Basques in the 8th century (1879) by Francisco Navarro-Villoslada (
Amaya in the Spanish original;
Amaia in the Basque translation).
Amani f ArabicMeans
"wishes" in Arabic, related to the root
منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".
Aria 1 f English (Modern)Means
"song, melody" in Italian (literally means "air"). An aria is an elaborate vocal solo, the type usually performed in operas. As an English name, it has only been in use since the 20th century, its rise in popularity accelerating after the 2010 premier of the television drama
Pretty Little Liars, featuring a character by this name. It is not traditionally used in Italy.
Ariana f Portuguese, English (Modern)Portuguese form of
Ariadne. This name steadily grew in popularity in America in the last few decades of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the American pop singer Ariana Grande (1993-).
Armani m & f English (Modern)From an Italian surname meaning
"son of Ermanno". It has been used as a given name due to the fashion company Armani, which was founded by the clothing designer Giorgio Armani (1934-).
Ashanti f & m VariousFrom the name of an African people who reside in southern Ghana. It possibly means "warlike" in the Twi language.
Ashton m & f English (Modern)From an English surname, itself derived from a place name meaning
"ash tree town" in Old English. This was a rare masculine name until the 1980s, when it gradually began becoming more common for both genders. Inspired by the female character Ashton Main from the 1985 miniseries
North and South, parents in America gave it more frequently to girls than boys from 1986 to 1997. Since then it has been overwhelmingly masculine once again, perhaps due in part to the fame of the actor Ashton Kutcher (1978-).
Aspen f English (Modern)From the English word for a variety of deciduous trees in the genus Populus, derived from Old English
æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
Aviana f English (Modern)Probably an elaboration of
Ava 1, influenced by names such as
Ariana. In some cases it could be inspired by the word
avian meaning
"bird" or
"related to birds, bird-like".
Ayla 3 f Literature, English (Modern)Created for the novel
Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals.
Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.
... [more] Azalea f English (Modern)From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek
ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Baylor m & f English (Modern)From a surname, possibly an Americanized form of the German surname
Beiler, derived from Middle High German
beile meaning
"measuring stick".
Bear m English (Modern)From the English word for the animal, derived from Old English
bera, probably derived from a root meaning "brown".
Beckett m English (Modern)From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English
bec meaning
"beak" or
bekke meaning
"stream, brook".
Beyoncé f African American (Modern)Popularized by the American singer Beyoncé Knowles (1981-) whose given name came from her mother's maiden name (which was originally
Beyincé, of Louisiana Creole origin). This name appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2001, around the time her group Destiny's Child was at the height of their popularity.
Blakely f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from Old English
blæc "black" and
leah "woodland clearing".
Brielle f English (Modern)Short form of
Gabrielle. This is also the name of towns in the Netherlands and New Jersey, though their names derive from a different source.
Brinley f English (Modern)Combination of
Bryn and the popular phonetic suffix
lee. It also coincides with an English surname, which was derived from the name of a town meaning
"burned clearing" in Old English.
Brynn f English (Modern)Feminine variant of
Bryn. It was brought to limited public attention in 1978 when the actress Brynn Thayer (1949-) began appearing on the American soap opera
One Life to Live.
Caden m English (Modern)Sometimes explained as deriving from the Irish surname
Caden, which is an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Mac Cadáin, itself from the given name
Cadán (of unknown meaning). In actuality, the popularity of this name in America beginning in the 1990s is due to its sound — it shares its fashionable
den suffix sound with other trendy names like
Hayden,
Aidan and
Braden.
Cadence f English (Modern)From an English word meaning
"rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Camden m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from a place name, perhaps meaning
"enclosed valley" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English historian William Camden (1551-1623).
Capri f English (Modern)From the name of the picturesque Italian island of Capri. It is likely from Greek
κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar", though it could also be of Etruscan origin or from Latin
capri meaning "goats".
Cassidy f & m English (Modern)From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic
Ó Caiside), which is derived from the byname
Caiside. Very rare as a given name before the 1970s, it established itself in the 80s and then surged in popularity during the 90s.
China f English (Modern)From the name of the Asian country, ultimately derived from
Qin, the name of a dynasty that ruled there in the 3rd century BC.
Ciara 2 f English (Modern)Variant of
Sierra. Use of the name has perhaps been influenced by the brand of perfume called Ciara, which was introduced by Revlon in 1973.
Clover f English (Modern)From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English
clafre.
Colson m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"son of Col". As a given name it entered the American top 1000 rankings in 2017, probably inspired by similar-sounding names such as
Cole and
Colton.
Connor m Irish, English (Modern)Variant of
Conor, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name. This is currently the most common way of spelling it in the English-speaking world, apart from Ireland.
Crew m English (Modern)Either from a surname that was derived from the English town of Crewe (from Old Welsh
criu meaning
"weir"), or from the English vocabulary word for a group of people.
Dakota m & f English (Modern)From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means
"allies, friends" in the Dakota language.
... [more] Diamond f English (Rare), African American (Modern)From the English word
diamond for the clear colourless precious stone, the traditional birthstone of April. It is derived from Late Latin
diamas, from Latin
adamas, which is of Greek origin meaning "unconquerable, unbreakable".
Dream f English (Modern)From the English word
dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.
Easton m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning
"east town" in Old English.
Eden f & m Hebrew, English (Modern), French (Modern)From the biblical place name, itself possibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן (ʿeḏen) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Elle f English (Modern)Diminutive of
Eleanor and other names beginning with
El. This name can also be given in reference to the French pronoun
elle meaning "she".
... [more] Elora f Popular Culture, English (Modern)Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie
Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.
Emerald f English (Modern)From the word for the green precious stone, which is the traditional birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek
σμάραγδος (smaragdos).
Everly f English (Modern)From an English surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
eofor "boar" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Notable bearers of the surname were the musical duo the Everly Brothers, Don (1937-2021) and Phil (1939-2014).
... [more] Fallon f English (Modern)From an Irish surname that was an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic
Ó Fallamháin, itself derived from the given name
Fallamhán meaning "leader". It was popularized in the 1980s by a character on the soap opera
Dynasty.
Fox m English (Modern)Either from the English word
fox or the surname
Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.
Freya f Norse Mythology, English (Modern), GermanFrom Old Norse
Freyja meaning
"lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother
Freyr and father
Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess
Frigg.
... [more] Genesis f English (Modern)Means
"birth, origin" in Greek. This is the name of the first book of the Old Testament in the Bible. It tells of the creation of the world, the expulsion of
Adam and
Eve,
Noah and the great flood, and the three patriarchs.
Giselle f French, English (Modern)Derived from the Old German element
gisal meaning
"hostage, pledge" (Proto-Germanic *
gīslaz). This name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for a child given as a pledge to a foreign court. This was the name of both a sister and daughter of
Charlemagne. It was also borne by a daughter of the French king Charles III who married the Norman leader Rollo in the 10th century. Another notable bearer was the 11th-century Gisela of Swabia, wife of the Holy Roman emperor Conrad II.
... [more] Graeme m Scottish, EnglishFrom a surname that was a variant of
Graham. This particular spelling for the given name has been most common in Scotland, New Zealand and Australia.
Grayson m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"son of the steward", derived from Middle English
greyve "steward". It became common towards the end of the 20th century because of its similarity to popular names like
Jason,
Mason and
Graham.
Griffin m EnglishLatinized form of
Gruffudd. This name can also be inspired by the English word
griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek
γρύψ (gryps).
Gwyneth f Welsh, EnglishProbably a variant of
Gwynedd. It has been common in Wales since the 19th century, perhaps after the Welsh novelist Gwyneth Vaughan (1852-1910), whose real name was Ann Harriet Hughes. A modern famous bearer is the American actress Gwyneth Paltrow (1972-).
Haley f English (Modern)Variant of
Hayley. This spelling gained some popularity in the United States in 1977, possibly due to the author Alex Haley, whose book
Roots was adapted into a popular miniseries that year. This was the most common American spelling from then to 2001, when it was eclipsed by
Hailey.
Halle 2 f English (Modern)In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of
Hall).
Halo f English (Modern)From the English word
halo meaning
"luminous disc or ring", derived from Greek
ἅλως (halos). Haloes often appear in religious art above the heads of holy people.
Heaven f English (Modern)From the English vocabulary word meaning
"paradise". It is derived via Middle English
hevene from Old English
heofon "sky".
Hendrix m English (Modern)From a Dutch surname that was derived from the given name
Hendrik. A famous bearer of the surname was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
Ireland f English (Modern)From the name of the European island country, derived from Irish Gaelic
Éire, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.
Jaden m & f English (Modern)An invented name, using the popular
den suffix sound found in such names as
Braden,
Hayden and
Aidan. This name first became common in America in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. The spelling
Jayden has been more popular since 2003. It is sometimes considered a variant of the biblical name
Jadon.
Jalen m African American (Modern)An invented name. In America it was popularized in the 1990s by basketball player Jalen Rose (1973-), whose name was a combination of those of his father
James and maternal uncle
Leonard.
Jaslene f English (Modern)Combination of the popular phonetic elements
jaz and
lene. It was brought to some public attention in 2007 by Puerto Rican-born model Jaslene Gonzalez (1986-), the eighth winner of the reality television series
America's Next Top Model.
Jax m English (Modern)Short form of
Jackson. It appeared in the video game
Mortal Kombat II in 1993. It first registered as a given name in the United States in 1995 (when it was used only five times) but steadily grew in popularity for two decades, probably inspired by similar names like
Max and
Dax and helped by a character of this name on the American television series
Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014).
Jayden m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Jaden. This spelling continued to rapidly rise in popularity in the United States past 2003, unlike
Jaden, which stalled. It peaked at the fourth rank for boys in 2010, showing tremendous growth over only two decades. It has since declined.