Every year the Social Security Administration publishes the names given to every baby born in the United States. It is one of the most fascinating documents in American culture.
Read carefully, it tells the story of a nation. It shows which names parents reach for when they want something familiar and beloved. It shows which names are climbing because of a television character, a celebrity baby, or a cultural moment that touched millions of people at the same time. It shows which names are fading, not because they have stopped being beautiful, but because a generation has passed and parents are now looking for something their own parents did not use. And it shows, buried in the middle sections where the truly interesting decisions are made, the names that parents chose because they were genuinely right for a specific child in a specific family at a specific moment.
The top 500 baby girl names in the United States is not just a list. It is a portrait of what American parents value when they make one of the most permanent decisions of their child’s life. Across those 500 names you find everything that American naming has always been. The Biblical names that came over with the first settlers and have never left. The classical names that parents reach for when they want something with weight and history. The invented names that nobody but an American parent would have created and that somehow work beautifully. The place names that reflect the country’s ongoing love affair with its own landscape. The names that arrived with immigrant communities and found their way into the mainstream through sheer beauty.
Whether you are searching for a name that sits confidently in the top ten or looking for something further down the list that most people will not have chosen, this guide organises all 500 names into sections that make the search genuinely useful. Because the right name for your daughter is in here somewhere. Let’s find it.
Top US Baby Girl Names
These are the names sitting at the very top of the American charts. They are loved by the greatest number of parents in the country and for good reason. Every one of them has proven itself across years and sometimes generations of use and continues to feel genuinely beautiful rather than worn out by popularity. These are the names that define the current generation of American girls.
Top US Baby Girl Names (The Top Picks: 1 to 25)
- Olivia
- Emma
- Charlotte
- Amelia
- Sophia
- Mia
- Isabella
- Ava
- Evelyn
- Luna
- Harper
- Camila
- Gianna
- Elizabeth
- Eleanor
- Ella
- Abigail
- Sofia
- Avery
- Scarlett
- Emily
- Aria
- Penelope
- Chloe
- Layla
Top US Baby Girl Names (Good Picks: 26 to 50)
- Mila
- Nora
- Hazel
- Madison
- Ellie
- Lily
- Nova
- Isla
- Grace
- Violet
- Aurora
- Riley
- Zoey
- Stella
- Natalie
- Emilia
- Zoe
- Leah
- Willow
- Lillian
- Addison
- Lucy
- Aubrey
- Eliana
- Ivy
Rising US Baby Girl Names
These names are climbing the American charts with real momentum. Some of them will be in the top ten within a few years. Others are having a specific cultural moment driven by a film, a series, or a celebrity choice. All of them are being chosen by parents who want something that feels current and beautiful without being quite at the level where every class has three of them.
Rising US Baby Girl Names (The Top Picks: 1 to 25)
- Victoria
- Hannah
- Aaliyah
- Savannah
- Audrey
- Brooklyn
- Bella
- Claire
- Skylar
- Lucy
- Paisley
- Everly
- Anna
- Caroline
- Genesis
- Airy
- Kennedy
- Madelyn
- Gabriella
- Valentina
- Kinsley
- Naomi
- Sarah
- Maya
- Serenity
Rising US Baby Girl Names (Good Picks: 26 to 50)
- Cora
- Ariana
- Madeline
- Mackenzie
- Jade
- Autumn
- Skyler
- Nevaeh
- Delilah
- Eliza
- Ariel
- Leilani
- Taylor
- Liliana
- Brianna
- Quinn
- Elena
- Natalia
- Vivian
- Eva
- Ruby
- Alice
- Peyton
- Elena
- Daisy
Rising US Baby Girl Names (Best Picks: 51 to 75)
- Josephine
- Athena
- Rylee
- Arabella
- Allison
- Melody
- Remi
- Lilah
- Reagan
- Adalynn
- Samantha
- Brielle
- Piper
- Raelynn
- Rose
- Faith
- Alexis
- Londyn
- Gabrielle
- Alaina
- Maria
- Adeline
- Melissa
- June
- Journi
Classic US Baby Girl Names
These are the names that have held steady in the American top 500 across multiple generations. They are not the most fashionable names right now but they are not trying to be. They are simply good names with proven staying power, names that were beautiful fifty years ago and are still beautiful today, names that will be just as comfortable on your daughter at forty as they are at four.
Classic US Baby Girl Names (The Top Picks: 1 to 25)
- Juliana
- Reese
- Amara
- Molly
- Maci
- Clara
- Margot
- Elsie
- Jade
- Hadley
- Trinity
- Ayla
- Alexa
- Vivienne
- Summer
- Sadie
- Rachel
- Hailey
- Callie
- Isabelle
- Valerie
- Makenna
- Freya
- Cecilia
- Brooke
Classic US Baby Girl Names (Good Picks: 26 to 50)
- Serenity
- Maeve
- Jordan
- Hope
- Hannah
- Adalyn
- Amber
- Athena
- Finley
- Mariana
- Katherine
- Alexandra
- Paige
- Brynn
- Arya
- Sloane
- Londyn
- Jasmine
- Nadia
- Esme
- Jamie
- Gracie
- Kinsley
- Khloe
- Noelle
Classic US Baby Girl Names (Best Picks: 51 to 75)
- Emery
- Priya
- Amara
- Zara
- Harlow
- Emerson
- Sienna
- Ivy
- Rosalie
- Lena
- Maisie
- Miriam
- Norah
- Payton
- Adeline
- Gianna
- Lydia
- Frances
- Daphne
- Celeste
- Willa
- Harley
- Whitney
- Annie
- Ada
Classic US Baby Girl Names (Final Picks: 76 to 100)
- Wren
- Bridget
- Tatum
- Delaney
- Laila
- Ximena
- Ruthie
- Bria
- Journey
- Oakley
- Rowan
- Magnolia
- Pearl
- Arabella
- Kali
- Georgia
- Alicia
- Iris
- Selena
- Alessandra
- Fiona
- Katelyn
- Morgan
- Marley
- Mila
Classic US Baby Girl Names (More Picks: 101 to 125)
- Asia
- Cameron
- Cali
- Drew
- Brooklyn
- Jordyn
- Carmen
- Nyla
- Sylvia
- Ember
- Charlie
- Rylie
- Juliet
- Maleah
- Lila
- Corinne
- Miley
- Madeleine
- Alana
- Vera
- Nancy
- Tatiana
- Liliana
- Kylie
- Raven
Classic US Baby Girl Names (Extra Picks: 126 to 133)
- Sandra
- Ingrid
- Amira
- Marley
- Mallory
- Alivia
- Kaia
- Lyla
Hidden Gem US Baby Girl Names
Further down the American top 500 lie some of the most interesting and genuinely distinctive names in the entire list. These are the names that enough parents have loved to put them in the top 500 but not so many that your daughter will share hers with classmates. This is where the most thoughtful naming decisions often live.
Hidden Gem US Baby Girl Names (The Top Picks: 1 to 25)
- Nylah
- Kendra
- Alison
- Ryleigh
- Maren
- Ainsley
- Briar
- Imani
- Aspen
- Vera
- Theodora
- Anastasia
- Saylor
- Skylar
- Kira
- Estella
- Juniper
- Adaline
- Margot
- Lennon
- Clementine
- Rosemary
- Thea
- Ember
- Callie
Hidden Gem US Baby Girl Names (Good Picks: 26 to 50)
- Laney
- Cecily
- Darcy
- Odette
- Imogen
- Lyric
- Blakely
- Giselle
- Seraphina
- Greta
- Annalise
- Mirabel
- Zuri
- Talia
- Meadow
- Henley
- Lennox
- Remy
- Blair
- Monroe
- Adley
- Tinley
- Oaklee
- Averie
- Amiyah
Hidden Gem US Baby Girl Names (Best Picks: 51 to 75)
- Remi
- Kaylee
- Mikayla
- Mara
- Leighton
- Laylah
- Kaylani
- Kamila
- Galilea
- Fatima
- Destiny
- Daniella
- Cynthia
- Crystal
- Brittany
- Bonnie
- Blanche
- Baylee
- Avah
- Anika
- Amiyah
- Allyson
- Alexia
- Aleah
- Rosalyn
Hidden Gem US Baby Girl Names (Final Picks: 76 to 100)
- Adilynn
- Charleigh
- Everleigh
- Journee
- Kaylie
- Lilianna
- Lylah
- Maliyah
- Nayeli
- Paislee
- Rosalee
- Royalty
- Stevie
- Tinsley
- Waverly
- Zariah
- Alayah
- Aleena
- Alicia
- Alondra
- Alora
- Amara
- Amelia
- Amelie
- Amina
Hidden Gem US Baby Girl Names (More Picks: 101 to 125)
- Amiyah
- Amora
- Amya
- Anais
- Anastasia
- Anaya
- Aniya
- Annabelle
- Annalise
- Ansley
- Antonella
- April
- Arabella
- Ariel
- Ariella
- Arielle
- Ariyah
- Arleigh
- Aubree
- Aubriella
- Aubrielle
- Audrianna
- Aurora
- Autumn
- Ava
Hidden Gem US Baby Girl Names (Extra Picks: 126 to 131)
- Avah
- Avayah
- Averie
- Avery
- Avianna
- Ayla
Underused Beautiful US Baby Girl Names
These names sit in the lower half of the American top 500, meaning they are genuinely used and genuinely loved but have not yet crossed into the territory where they feel ubiquitous. Many of them are names that were popular in previous generations and are due for a revival. Others are names that have always been beautiful and have simply been overlooked. All of them deserve more attention than they currently receive.
Underused Beautiful US Baby Girl Names (The Top Picks: 1 to 25)
- Azalea
- Azaria
- Azariah
- Aziyah
- Azure
- Azucena
- Bea
- Beatrice
- Belinda
- Bernadette
- Bianca
- Blake
- Blythe
- Cadence
- Calista
- Calliope
- Cambria
- Capri
- Carina
- Carissa
- Carolyn
- Cassandra
- Cassia
- Catalina
- Caterina
Underused Beautiful US Baby Girl Names (Good Picks: 26 to 50)
- Celestia
- Celina
- Celine
- Cerelia
- Cezanne
- Chanel
- Chantel
- Charlene
- Cheyenne
- Chiara
- Chloe
- Christina
- Christy
- Ciara
- Ciera
- Cindi
- Cindy
- Citlali
- Clarissa
- Claudia
- Clover
- Colette
- Coral
- Cordelia
- Corinne
Underused Beautiful US Baby Girl Names (Best Picks: 51 to 75)
- Cosette
- Cressida
- Cyprus
- Dahlia
- Dana
- Dani
- Darby
- Davina
- Dawn
- Deborah
- Delphine
- Demi
- Denise
- Diana
- Diane
- Dina
- Dinah
- Dominique
- Donna
- Dora
- Doris
- Dorothy
- Dove
- Dylan
- Edith
Underused Beautiful US Baby Girl Names (Final Picks: 76 to 100)
- Edna
- Eileen
- Elaine
- Elena
- Elisa
- Elise
- Eliza
- Elizabeth
- Eloise
- Elsa
- Emelia
- Emerald
- Emery
- Emilee
- Emilia
- Emmaline
- Emmie
- Ensley
- Erica
- Erika
- Erin
- Esmeralda
- Estelle
- Esther
- Eugenia
Underused Beautiful US Baby Girl Names (More Picks: 101 to 125)
- Evangeline
- Eve
- Evie
- Ezra
- Fabiola
- Fallon
- Faye
- Felicia
- Felicity
- Fernanda
- Fleur
- Flora
- Florence
- Florida
- Francesca
- Frankie
- Frieda
- Galilea
- Gemma
- Giana
- Giovanna
- Gisela
- Gloria
- Goldie
- Haven
Underused Beautiful US Baby Girl Names (Extra Picks: 126 to 130)
- Heavenly
- Heidi
- Helena
- Hillary
- Holly
US Baby Girl Names by Naming Style
The American top 500 contains names from every major naming style in the English speaking world. Here are the best names from the list grouped by the specific style they represent, so you can find the name that matches not just the sound you love but the whole approach to naming that feels right for your family.
Classic and Timeless US Girl Names (The Top Picks: 1 to 10)
These names from the American top 500 have been in continuous use for generations. They feel equally at home in every era they have passed through and will feel equally at home in the eras to come.
- Elizabeth
- Katherine
- Margaret
- Charlotte
- Eleanor
- Josephine
- Audrey
- Alice
- Clara
- Grace
Modern and Fresh US Girl Names (The Top Picks: 1 to 10)
These names from the American top 500 feel completely of this moment. They carry the particular energy of names that are being chosen by parents who want something that sounds like right now.
- Nova
- Luna
- Everly
- Aria
- Isla
- Willow
- Aurora
- Freya
- Juniper
- Wren
Nature Inspired US Girl Names (The Top Picks: 1 to 10)
Nature names have been climbing the American charts for years and show no sign of slowing. These names from the top 500 carry the particular warmth and groundedness of names connected to the natural world.
- Violet
- Ivy
- Hazel
- Willow
- Rose
- Lily
- Daisy
- Aurora
- Iris
- Pearl
How US Baby Girl Naming Has Changed by Decade
The American naming landscape shifts significantly from decade to decade. Understanding those shifts helps you see which names are genuinely timeless and which are products of a specific cultural moment. Here are the names that defined each recent decade so you can position your choice within that history.
Most Popular US Girl Names of the 1990s (The Top Picks: 1 to 10)
The 1990s produced a very specific flavour of American girl name. These names defined a generation and many of them are now the names of the parents choosing names for their own children.
- Ashley
- Jessica
- Amanda
- Brittany
- Stephanie
- Jennifer
- Megan
- Nicole
- Amber
- Rachel
Most Popular US Girl Names of the 2000s (The Top Picks: 1 to 10)
The 2000s saw a shift towards more classical and international sounds. These names marked the beginning of the move away from the specifically American invented names of the 1980s and 1990s.
- Emily
- Madison
- Emma
- Olivia
- Hannah
- Abigail
- Isabella
- Samantha
- Elizabeth
- Ashley
Most Popular US Girl Names of the 2010s (The Top Picks: 1 to 10)
The 2010s saw classical names consolidate their dominance while nature names began their rise. This decade established the naming landscape that still dominates the American charts today.
- Emma
- Olivia
- Sophia
- Isabella
- Ava
- Mia
- Emily
- Abigail
- Madison
- Charlotte
Tips for Choosing from the US Baby Girl Name Charts
Choosing a name from the American top 500 comes with its own specific set of considerations. The charts are not just a list of names. They are a map of the naming decisions of millions of parents, full of useful information for anyone navigating the same territory. Here is what is genuinely worth understanding before you decide.
- Understand what rank actually means in practice. A name at number one in the US charts, like Olivia, is still only given to roughly one percent of baby girls born in any given year. That means 99 percent of girls born that year have a different name. Even a very popular name is not as ubiquitous in real life as its chart position might suggest. However, popular names do cluster in specific communities, schools, and social circles. If everyone you know is naming their daughter Olivia, your daughter will encounter that name repeatedly even if it is only one percent of the national total.
- Look at the trajectory of a name rather than just its current position. A name rising fast up the charts this year will be significantly more common by the time your daughter starts school. A name that peaked five years ago and is now falling will become rarer during your daughter’s childhood. Checking whether a name is rising or falling tells you more about what your daughter’s experience of the name will be than its current rank alone.
- Consider the sweet spot between recognition and rarity. The American top 500 contains a genuine sweet spot around positions 100 to 300 where names are common enough to be immediately recognised and correctly spelled but rare enough that most girls will not share their name with classmates. Names in this range, like Maeve, Cecilia, Thea, and Imogen, offer a genuinely useful balance for parents who want something distinctive but not unfamiliar.
- Be aware of spelling variation inflation. American naming culture produces more spelling variants of the same name than any other English speaking country. Kaylee, Kayleigh, Kaylie, Calee, Caleigh, and Caylee are all variations of the same name, but they appear as separate entries in the SSA data. This means that a name whose core sound is very common may be spread across multiple spelling variants in the charts, making each individual variant look less popular than the underlying name actually is.
- Think about which decade you want your daughter’s name to belong to. Every name carries a generational signature. A name that was number one in 1995 will be associated with a specific generation for decades. A name that is number one right now will eventually carry the same associations for the generation being born today. If you want a name that belongs to no specific decade, look for names that have appeared consistently in the American top 100 across multiple decades without being strongly identified with any particular one.
- Do not be put off by a name you love simply because it is popular. Popularity is not a quality of the name itself. It is a quality of other people’s choices. A child named Olivia is not less individual because other children share her name. She is simply Olivia, which is a genuinely beautiful name that other parents have also recognised as beautiful. If the name you love happens to be at the top of the charts, that is evidence that your taste is good, not evidence that your choice is wrong.
- Check the SSA data yourself for the most current information. The Social Security Administration publishes the previous year’s baby name data every spring. The most accurate and current information about what American parents are actually naming their daughters is always at ssa.gov. Any list you find elsewhere, including this one, is drawing on that data and may reflect rankings from a year or two ago. For the most current picture of American naming, going directly to the source is always the most reliable approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
The American baby name charts raise some very specific questions about how the data works, what the rankings actually mean in practice, and how to use the charts as a tool for finding the right name rather than simply following the crowd. Here are the most honest and useful answers for parents navigating the American naming landscape.
How does the Social Security Administration collect baby name data?
The Social Security Administration collects baby name data from Social Security card applications filed for newborns. When parents apply for a Social Security number for their new baby, which almost all American parents do within the child’s first year of life, the name on the application is recorded. The SSA then publishes aggregated data each year showing how many babies were given each name. Names given to fewer than five babies in a given year are excluded from the published data to protect privacy. The rankings are based on the raw count of babies given each name, not on any percentage or weighted figure. This means that a name given to 20000 babies ranks above a name given to 19000 babies regardless of the total number of births that year.
What is the most popular baby girl name in the US right now?
Olivia has held the top position in the American baby girl name charts for several consecutive years, making it the most consistently dominant name in recent American naming history. Before Olivia, Emma held the top spot for multiple years. The dominance of these two names reflects a broader shift in American naming towards classical, internationally familiar names with long histories in the English and Latin traditions. Both names feel simultaneously traditional and fresh, which is the combination that American parents have found most appealing in the current era of naming.
Why do some names suddenly jump up the US charts?
Sudden rises in the American name charts almost always have a specific cultural trigger. A beloved television character, a celebrity baby announcement, a viral moment, or a cultural figure who captures the national imagination can push a name from obscurity into the top hundred within a single year. The name Khaleesi, from Game of Thrones, jumped into the American top 1000 within two years of the show’s premiere. The name Arya, from the same show, rose even faster and held its position longer. Celebrity baby names have historically had a measurable effect on national naming trends, with some names jumping hundreds of positions in the year following a high-profile celebrity birth announcement.
Is it better to choose a popular name or a rare name for my daughter?
There is no objectively better choice between popular and rare and anyone who tells you otherwise is expressing a preference rather than a fact. Popular names carry the advantage of immediate recognition, correct spelling, and the particular warmth that comes from a name that has been chosen by many people precisely because it is beautiful. Rare names carry the advantage of distinctiveness, individuality, and the particular quality of a name that belongs completely to the person who carries it because almost nobody else has it. What matters is not the rank of the name but whether it is genuinely right for your daughter and your family. A popular name chosen because it is truly loved is always better than a rare name chosen because you wanted to avoid something common.
What are the most underrated beautiful names in the US top 500?
These are the names that appear in the American top 500 but receive far less attention and appreciation than their beauty deserves. Each one is genuinely distinctive while being established enough to be immediately understood.
- Maeve
- Cecilia
- Thea
- Imogen
- Clementine
- Willa
- Juniper
- Opal
- Sylvia
- Beatrice
How often do the top US baby girl names change?
The very top of the American charts changes slowly. A name that reaches number one tends to hold the position for several years before being displaced. Olivia held the top spot for five consecutive years before the most recent data. Emma held it for five years before that. The broader top ten changes more frequently, with names moving in and out over two to three year cycles as cultural moments push new names up and the appeal of existing top ten names gradually saturates. The middle of the top 500, roughly positions 100 to 400, is where the most movement happens year to year as emerging trends and fading ones play out across thousands of naming decisions happening simultaneously across the country.