Names that Peaked in 2009

  1. Kaylee
    • Origin:

      American variation of Kayla
    • Meaning:

      "laurel, crown"
    • Description:

      A widely used name, Kaylee pulls together something from Kayla and something from Hailey, yet somehow loses something in the process. It has surpassed cousin Kayla on the charts and is one of three girls' names starting with Kthat ranks in the US Top 100.
  2. Emmanuel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is with us"
    • Description:

      Emmanuel--spelled with one or two 'm's'-- was popular with early Jewish immigrants, until overused nickname Manny caused it to fade. Now, this important biblical name is being revived in its full glory.
  3. Melina
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "little honey"
    • Description:

      This traditional Greek name feels somewhat more distinctive than Melissa, though after a recent upward blip in popularity, it seems to be sliding back down -- which may not be a bad thing for parents looking for a name that both fits in and stands out.
  4. Laila
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Layla (Arabic); Sami variation of Helga (Finland)
    • Meaning:

      "night; holy"
    • Description:

      Beguiling and lovely, Laila is one of the lilting variations of Leila and Layla. It's the name of the former-boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali and of actor Shawn Wayans. In Finland, the Sami people use this in place of the Scandinavian name Helga.
  5. Julien
    • Origin:

      French from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father"
    • Description:

      Julien is the handsome French form of Julian, which derives from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
  6. Teagan
    • Origin:

      Irish or Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "little poet or fair"
    • Description:

      Teagan is a cousin of trendy names Reagan and Keagan now given to girls about six times as often as boys. As an Irish name, it's a diminutive of the original Tadhg. Teagan may also be a variation of the Welsh Tegan, a saint's name that means fair.
  7. Mya
    • Origin:

      Variation of Maya, Greek mythology and Central American Indian name
    • Description:

      This distinctive spelling was popularized by the R&B singer Mya (Harrison) and has inspired many baby namers to adopt Mya for themselves.
  8. Yadiel
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Yehudiel
    • Meaning:

      "God has heard"
    • Description:

      This name, which is the Spanish version of the Hebrew name of one of the archangels, Yehudiel, appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2008 and has been on and off the charts since. Angel-esque boy names ending in L are especially stylish right now, meaning we may see Yadiel continue to climb.
  9. Fernanda
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Fernando, Spanish and Portuguese version of German Ferdinand
    • Meaning:

      "bold voyager"
    • Description:

      Fernanda is very popular in the Latino community, with a lot more charm than its male counterpart. The standard nickname is Nanda, and variations include Ferdinanda and Fernandina.
  10. Jaylen
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      More popular than the Jalen spelling. Like other names with many variants, when you count up all the alternatives, the name is much more popular than it first appears.
  11. Isaias
    • Origin:

      Latin variation of Isaiah
    • Meaning:

      "Salvation of the Lord"
    • Description:

      Widely used in the Hispanic community, as is the shorter Isai. While the original Isaiah and cousin Isaac are much more popular, Isaias commanded attention as the name of a storm in the summer of 2020.
  12. Kaleb
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Caleb
    • Meaning:

      "devotion to God"
    • Description:

      Kaleb is one of several boys' names starting with k that started life as a classic C name, Caleb. Kevin Federline named his boy Kaleb Michael Jackson.
  13. Cayden
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name, English
    • Meaning:

      "battle"
    • Description:

      Cayden is one of the many spellings of this popular name, made all the more popular when they're counted together. According to our annual playground analysis, sound-wise at least, Cayden is the 13th most popular name in the US, given to more than 10,600 baby boys.
  14. Kamari
    • Origin:

      Variation Qamar, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "moonlight"
    • Description:

      A melodic name, popular among the African-American community, where it joins sound-alikes Amari, Jamari, and Damari. It ultimately derives from the Arabic Qamar, meaning "moon", and is also used by Swahili speakers and those from Comoros and Somalia. It could also be considered a Greek place name, from a coastal village in Santorini.
  15. Maddison
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Madison
    • Meaning:

      "son of Maud"
    • Description:

      While the traditionally spelled Madison has been among the most popular names in the 21st century, this version isn't exactly unpopular. Nevertheless, the second d is superfluous.
  16. Kayleigh
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Kaylee and Caylee
    • Description:

      The -leigh suffix seems to be losing its luster; several names in this category, including Kayleigh, Kyleigh and Ryleigh, peaked in popularity a few years back but have since lost quite a bit of ground.
  17. Analia
    • Origin:

      Combination name, Ana plus Lia
    • Description:

      Analia is a melodic newcomer to the US Top 1000, a fresher spin on the Olde Worlde Anamaria. It charted in the US from 2009 to 2012, and then reentered the popularity list in 2015. El Rostro de Analia is a popular Spanish language telenova on the Telemundo channel, which probably greatly contributed to its initial entry to the US list in 2009 at Number 331 when it was unranked the previous year!
  18. Jovani
    • Origin:

      English, Latin American
    • Meaning:

      "god is gracious"
    • Description:

      A respelling of Giovanni which makes the Italian pronunciation – three syllables, rather than four – more clear. Jovani and its variant Jovanni were both Top 1000 picks for the first decade and a half of the 20th century. They are particularly popular in the US's Latino community.
  19. Yareli
    • Origin:

      Native American, Spanish variation of Yara, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "water lady; small butterfly"
    • Description:

      Possibly a derivative variation of Yara, a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries meaning butterfly, Yareli was given to more than 400 baby girls in the US last year.
  20. Maliyah
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian variation of Mary
    • Meaning:

      "bitter"
    • Description:

      This version of Malia (as in Obama) peaked at Number 296 in 2009. Though Maliyah has lost ground since then, it's surprisingly enduring for a newly-fashion name whose pop culture connection was more than a decade ago.