Baby Girl Names: 140+ Popular, Unique and Beautiful Picks With Meanings

The most popular baby girl names in the U.S. are Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Evelyn, Sofia and Eliana, according to Social Security Administration data for babies born in 2025.

Scrolling through baby girl names is half the fun of expecting a daughter, until every list starts to look the same. This guide gathers more than 140 girl names into clear groups: popular, classic, modern, vintage, unique, rare, cute, beautiful, short, strong and nature-inspired, plus samplers by origin and by first letter.

Every origin and meaning below was checked against the etymology reference Behind the Name in October 2026. Where a meaning is debated or simply unknown, we say so instead of guessing. Popularity notes come from the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the only ranks we quote are its official top 10.

Top 10 Baby Girl Names in the U.S.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) builds its list from Social Security card applications filed for U.S. births. Eliana is new to the top 10, and Ava dropped out.

Rank	Name	Origin	Meaning
1	Olivia	English (literary)	Spelling first used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night; possibly from Latin oliva, “olive”
2	Charlotte	French	Feminine diminutive of Charles, from a Germanic word meaning “man”
3	Emma	Germanic	“Whole” or “great”
4	Amelia	Germanic	Variant of Amalia: “unceasing, vigorous, brave”
5	Sophia	Greek	“Wisdom”
6	Mia	Scandinavian, Dutch, German	Diminutive of Maria; also matches the Italian word mia, “mine”
7	Isabella	Hebrew, via Occitan	Latinate form of Isabel, a medieval form of Elizabeth: “my God is an oath”
8	Evelyn	English	Surname from the medieval name Aveline; root meaning unknown
9	Sofia	Greek	Form of Sophia: “wisdom”
10	Eliana	Hebrew	“My God has answered”; also an Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of the French Éliane

Sophia and Sofia both appear because the SSA does not combine spellings, so each one earns its own rank. Names with fewer than 5 occurrences are left out for privacy. The SSA also notes that its top 1,000 names represent about 72 percent of names for 2025 births, so plenty of girls get a name from outside the charts.

Classic Girl Names That Never Go Out of Style

Classic girl names have been loved for generations and fit a newborn as well as a grown woman.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Elizabeth	Hebrew	“My God is an oath”
Mary	Hebrew	Meaning debated; theories include “beloved” (from Egyptian) and “wished for child”
Anna	Hebrew	Form of Hannah: “favor, grace”
Catherine	Greek	Meaning debated; long associated with Greek katharos, “pure”
Margaret	Greek	“Pearl”
Eleanor	Old French	From the Occitan name Alienor; meaning debated
Alice	Germanic, via Old French	Short form of the name behind Adelaide: “noble” + “kind, type”
Grace	English	From the word grace, from Latin gratia
Sarah	Hebrew	“Lady, princess, noblewoman”
Julia	Latin	Feminine form of the Roman family name Julius; meaning uncertain
Victoria	Latin	“Victory”
Caroline	French	Feminine form of Carolus (Charles): “man”

Modern and Trendy Girl Names

These girl names sound right at home on today’s birth announcements. Some are ancient names that parents have rediscovered, and others began as surnames or everyday words.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Luna	Latin	“The moon”
Aria	Italian	“Song, melody” (literally “air”)
Nova	Latin	From novus, “new”
Isla	Scottish	From Islay, an island off the west coast of Scotland
Mila	Slavic	“Gracious, dear”
Layla	Arabic	“Night”
Aurora	Latin	“Dawn”
Scarlett	English	Surname for someone who sold or made scarlet cloth
Chloe	Greek	“Green shoot”
Penelope	Greek	Probably from penelops, a type of duck
Aaliyah	Arabic	Feminine form of Aali: “high, lofty, sublime”
Everly	English	Surname from a place name: “boar” + “woodland, clearing”

Announcing soon? Our pregnancy announcement ideas and gender reveal ideas can help you share the news before you share the name.

Vintage Girl Names Making a Comeback

Names from your great-grandmother’s generation sound fresh again. These vintage girl names are familiar without being everywhere.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Beatrice	Italian, from Latin	Form of Beatrix: probably “voyager, traveler,” later linked to beatus, “blessed, happy”
Florence	Latin	“Prosperous, flourishing”
Edith	Old English	“Wealth, fortune” + “battle”
Mabel	Latin	Medieval form of Amabilis: “lovable”
Matilda	Germanic	“Strength in battle”
Harriet	English	Feminine form of Harry (Henry): “home ruler”
Josephine	French, from Hebrew	Feminine form of Joseph: “he will add”
Dorothy	Greek	English form of Dorothea: “gift of god”
Adeline	Germanic, via French	From a Germanic element meaning “noble”
Cora	Greek	Latinized form of Kore: “maiden”
Clementine	French, from Latin	Feminine form of Clement: “merciful, gentle”
Eloise	Old French	Probably from a Germanic name: “healthy, whole” + “wide”

Love this style? Check your family tree for ideas. If her grandmother is choosing what she wants to be called, share our names for grandma list.

Unique and Rare Girl Names

Want a name she will not share with three classmates? Start with unique girl names that are recognizable but uncommon, then look at the rare girl names further down.

• Ophelia: Greek; “help, advantage.”
• Elodie: French; from Alodia, possibly Gothic for “all” or “other” + “riches, wealth.”
• Margot: French; short form of Marguerite (Margaret), “pearl.”
• Seraphina: Latin, from Hebrew; from seraphim, “fiery ones.”
• Calliope: Greek; “beautiful voice.”
• Saoirse: Irish; “freedom.”
• Octavia: Latin; feminine form of Octavius, “eighth.”
• Daphne: Greek; “laurel.”

Rare girl names. These are seldom heard in U.S. classrooms, yet each has a documented origin.

• Elowen: Cornish; “elm tree.”
• Xanthe: Greek; “yellow, blond, fair-haired.”
• Ianthe: Greek; “violet flower.”
• Thalia: Greek; from a word meaning “to blossom.”
• Tamsin: Cornish English; contracted form of Thomasina, a feminine form of Thomas, “twin.”
• Cosima: Italian; feminine form of Cosimo, from Greek kosmos, “order, world, universe.”

Cute Girl Names and Short Girl Names

Cute girl names often began as nicknames, and most have a formal version for the birth certificate if you want options later.

• Poppy: English; from the word for the red flower.
• Millie: English; diminutive of Mildred (“gentle strength”) or Millicent.
• Sadie: English; diminutive of Sarah.
• Maisie: Scottish; diminutive of Mairead, the Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret, “pearl.”
• Elsie: English; diminutive of Elizabeth.
• Lottie: English; diminutive of Charlotte.
• Pippa: English; diminutive of Philippa, “friend of horses.”

Short girl names pair well with long last names and leave little room for unwanted nicknames.

• Ava: English; variant of Eve.
• Eve: Hebrew; from a word meaning “to breathe” or “to live.”
• Ada: Germanic; short form of names built on adal, “noble.”
• Amy: Old French; “beloved.”
• Mae: English; variant of May, from the month named for the Roman goddess Maia.

Beautiful and Pretty Girl Names

Looking for beautiful girl names? Some names say it outright. Each of these has “beautiful” or “pretty” in its meaning or history.

• Bella: short form of Isabella and similar names, associated with the Italian word bella, “beautiful.”
• Jolie: French; “pretty.”
• Jamila: Arabic; feminine form of Jamil, “beautiful.”
• Calista: Greek, via Latin; feminine form of Callistus, “most beautiful.”
• Aoife: Irish; “beauty.”
• Bonnie: Scottish; “pretty.”
• Zuri: Swahili; “beautiful.”

Other pretty girl names win hearts with graceful sounds and lovely meanings.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Evangeline	Greek	“Good news”
Anastasia	Greek	“Resurrection”
Rosalie	French, from Latin	Form of Rosalia, from rosa, “rose”
Serena	Latin	“Clear, tranquil, serene”
Celeste	Latin	“Of the sky, heavenly”
Aurelia	Latin	Feminine form of Aurelius: “golden, gilded”

Strong Girl Names and Nature Names

Strong girl names carry meanings tied to courage, victory or resilience. Matilda (“strength in battle”) from the vintage list fits here too.

Name	Origin	Meaning
Audrey	Old English	From a name meaning “noble” + “strength”
Valentina	Latin	From valens: “strong, vigorous, healthy”
Bridget	Irish	“The exalted one”
Louisa	Germanic, via French	Feminine form of Louis: “famous in battle”
Alexandra	Greek	Feminine form of Alexander: “defending men”
Valerie	Latin	From a Roman family name based on valeo, “to be strong”
Veronica	Greek, via Latin	Latin alteration of Berenice: “bringing victory”

Nature names for girls come from trees, plants and the sky.

• Willow: English; from the name of the tree.
• Ivy: English; from the climbing plant.
• Hazel: English; from the tree or the light brown color.
• Violet: English; from the purple flower, from Latin viola.
• Juniper: English; from the tree, from Latin iuniperus.
• Iris: Greek; “rainbow.”
• Daisy: English; from the flower, whose Old English name meant “day eye.”
• Lily: English; from the flower, a symbol of purity.

Baby Girl Names by Origin

Honoring your heritage, or simply love the sound of a language? This sampler groups baby girl names by where they come from.

Origin	Names and meanings
Hebrew	Naomi: “my pleasantness” Talia: “dew from God”
Greek	Phoebe: “bright, pure”
Irish	Maeve: “intoxicating” Niamh: “bright” Orla: “golden ruler”
Welsh	Carys: from caru, “love” Seren: “star”
Arabic	Amira: feminine form of Amir, “commander, prince” Yasmin: “jasmine”
Spanish	Lucia: feminine form of Lucius, from lux, “light” Paloma: “dove, pigeon”
Italian	Gianna: short form of Giovanna, a feminine form of John Chiara: form of Clara, “clear, bright, famous”
French	Vivienne: form of Viviana, from Latin vivus, “alive”
Sanskrit	Priya: “beloved”
Old Norse	Freya: “lady” Astrid: “god” + “beautiful, beloved”
Hawaiian	Noelani: “heavenly mist”
Japanese	Sakura: “cherry blossom,” though it is often written in hiragana
Igbo and Swahili	Amara: Igbo, “grace” Nia: Swahili, “purpose, aim”

A note on Japanese names: meaning usually depends on the characters used to write a name, so the same sound can carry different meanings.

Girl Names From A to Z

Have a letter in mind? Here is one lovely pick for every letter.

Letter	Name	Origin	Meaning
A	Abigail	Hebrew	“My father is joy”
B	Bianca	Italian	Italian cognate of Blanche: “white, fair”
C	Claire	French	French form of Clara: “clear, bright, famous”
D	Diana	Latin	“Divine, goddesslike”
E	Esther	Hebrew	Possibly “star” in Persian
F	Fiona	Scottish	Feminine form of Fionn: “white, blessed”
G	Georgia	Greek	Feminine form of George: “farmer, earthworker”
H	Hannah	Hebrew	“Favor, grace”
I	Ingrid	Old Norse	“Ing is beautiful”
J	Jane	English, from Hebrew	Feminine form of John: “Yahweh is gracious”
K	Kinsley	English	Surname from a place name: “clearing belonging to Cyne”
L	Lydia	Greek	“From Lydia,” a region of Asia Minor
M	Madeline	English, from French	Form of Madeleine (Magdalene): “of Magdala”
N	Nora	Irish, English	Short form of Honora or Eleanor
O	Olive	English, French	From the name of the tree, from Latin oliva
P	Pearl	English	From the word for the gem
Q	Queenie	English	Diminutive of Queen
R	Rebecca	Hebrew	Probably from a root meaning “join, tie, snare”
S	Savannah	English	From the word for a grassy plain, from a Taíno word
T	Tabitha	Aramaic	“Gazelle”
U	Ursula	Latin	“Little bear”
V	Vera	Russian	“Faith”
W	Willa	English	Feminine form of William
X	Ximena	Spanish	Feminine form of the medieval name Ximeno; meaning uncertain
Y	Yvette	French	Feminine form of Yves, from a Germanic element meaning “yew”
Z	Zoe	Greek	“Life”

How to Choose a Baby Girl Name

These checks help most parents get from twenty favorites to one.

• Say it out loud: call the full name across the house, with your last name, and listen for rhymes or awkward run-ons.
• Check the initials: write out the first, middle and last initials to make sure they do not spell something she will be teased about.
• Think about nicknames: Charlotte may become Lottie and Elizabeth may become Elsie whether you plan it or not.
• Consider siblings: say the names together. Very similar sounds, such as Mae and Maeve, can get confusing.
• Decide on spelling: Sophia or Sofia? A familiar spelling saves a lifetime of corrections.
• Weigh family and cultural meaning: a grandmother’s name, a name from your heritage language or a meaning that matters to your family can outweigh any trend.

Middle name pairing tips. Balance the rhythm: a short first name often sounds best with a longer middle (Ivy Josephine, Eve Anastasia), and a long first name with a short one (Penelope Mae, Clementine Ada). The middle spot is also a good home for a family name or a bolder pick.

The paperwork. In the U.S., you give your baby’s name when you provide the information for her birth certificate, usually in the hospital. The SSA says the easiest way to get a newborn’s Social Security number is to request it at that same moment. A number is voluntary and free, but you need one to claim your child as a dependent on your tax return. Birth certificates come from your state or territory’s vital records office, so ask that office what can appear on one (hyphens, accents, spacing).

Still torn between lists? Browse our baby boy names, or see gender neutral names for options like Avery, Riley, Charlie, Remi, Blake and Finley that work for any child. Next come the fun parts: gathering nursery decor ideas, checking off baby registry must haves and deciding what to write in a baby book. For the announcement card, see our baby girl quotes, and for life after the birth, our guide to the 4th trimester.

Related Betteroo Guides

• Baby boy names
• Gender neutral names
• Gender reveal ideas
• Pregnancy announcement ideas
• Nursery decor ideas
• Baby girl quotes

The Bottom Line

The best baby girl names are the ones that feel right when you say them to your daughter. Whether you land on a classic like Elizabeth or a rare pick like Elowen, a name with a meaning you love and a sound you enjoy saying will serve her well. Shortlist three to five, live with them for a week, and trust your instincts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Betteroo Guides

• girl names that start with A
• flower names for babies
• unique baby names with meanings