Girl Names 2024 -- Top, Trends, News

Congratulations, it's a girl! Now comes the challenging part: Choosing the perfect name. As you start your search through the thousands of baby girl names for the right one for your daughter, some advice:

Determine your baby name style

Do you prefer established names that have been used over the centuries or those that are newly-created, maybe even by you? Girl names that attract attention or those that blend in with the crowd? There are a lot of ways to define baby name style and having a sense of yours -- cute girl names vs. classic?, edgy or sedate? -- can be a good place to start your search for a girls' name.

Consider gender identity

Gender identity is an important consideration today. Are you looking for a girl's name that's distinctly feminine or one that's gender neutral? Do you want a traditionally female name that is down-to-earth and straightforward, or a name that's primarily used for girls but has a unisex feel?

Find your popularity sweet spot

We mark the divide between popular and rare names at the cutoff for the Top 1000 Baby Names in the US, and that might be a good place for you to draw the line too (even though the difference is only a few babies). Names in the Top 1000 tend to be more visible than names below that point, but that can help your child's journey through the world. Another popularity consideration may be traditional vs. unique in the sense of unconventional. A name like Sawyer is both popular and unique, while Ottilie and Bronwen are traditional but rare.

Start the search

Create a collection of baby girl names that speak to you, even if you don't have the answers to any of the questions above. You may determine your preferences for your daughter's name starting with the names first and moving on to their characteristics.

Narrow it down

How do you reduce your long list of preferred names to a manageable short list, which we'd cap at 10? You can make a spreadsheet and rate names on their various qualities. You and your partner can trade one list back and forth, crossing off those you don't like and adding new ideas. Or you can go the Marie Kondo route and favor the names that spark joy, no further analysis necessary.

Make a choice

How and when do you make your final choice? Some parents like to wait until they see the baby to make a selection between three or four finalists, while others need to settle on a name before dealing with the excitement and stress of childbirth and caring for a newborn. There's no right answer except the one that feels most comfortable for you.

Need more help?

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