Names that Peaked in 2005

  1. Laney
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elaine
    • Meaning:

      "bright shining one"
    • Description:

      A kind of old-fashioned nickname name that's enjoying some fresh life thanks to trendy brother Lane. Lainie is a more old-school spelling.
  2. Esteban
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Stephen, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "garland, crown"
    • Description:

      One of several Latino favorites on U. S. popularity list, Esteban sounds solid and strong. Esteban has ranked among the US Top 500 names for boys for half a century now, making it a familiar name that successfully crosses cultures.
  3. Skyla
    • Origin:

      Variation of Dutch Schuyler
    • Meaning:

      "scholar"
    • Description:

      Skyla is the most feminine form of the Skylar / Sklyer trend - little Skyla will never be mistaken on paper for a boy.
  4. Leonel
    • Origin:

      Variation of Lionel
    • Description:

      A variation of Lionel that has made slow but steady gains in recent years, perhaps helped by the resurgence of Leo.
  5. Kadence
    • Origin:

      Variation of Cadence, word name
    • Description:

      K-beginnings are often substituted for Cs, and this spelling is definitely finding favor with many parents, among them skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. However, sometimes the original is the best - we suggest sticking to the still unusual Cadence.
  6. Aniya
    • Origin:

      English, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "helper"
    • Description:

      A recent coinage in English, perhaps created as a variation to Anya/Anja and Aaliyah. In Arabic, the name can mean "vessel", "pinnacle" or "helper".
  7. Ansley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "clearing with a hermitage"
    • Description:

      Ashley alternative climbing up the baby names charts, probably due to the trendy ley/leigh ending and its similar-but-different status to the more popular Ainsley.
  8. Nasir
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "helper"
    • Description:

      Similar to Nasser, with a slightly more altruistic meaning. Rapper Nas was born Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, and Nasir may have gotten a bump from 2016 show The Night Of, whose protagonist was named Nasir Kahn.
  9. Heaven
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Among the children named Heaven are the daughters of TV personality Brooke Burke and rap singer Lil' Mo, who also has a daughter named God'iss Love. Some parents have taken to using Nevaeh instead—Heaven spelled backwards.
  10. Aliza
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "joyful"
    • Description:

      Aliza might seem like yet another variation of the eternal Alyssa/Alicia/Eliza loop, but it's a distinct name all its own. The z adds zip.
  11. Alondra
    • Origin:

      Pet form of Alejandra or Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "lark"
    • Description:

      A Spanish TV show made this one popular, along with single-named Mexican singer, Alondra.
  12. Braden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "wide valley"
    • Description:

      One of the trendiest of the new two-syllable boys’ names that have swept the country in the past few years, including the rhyming Aidan, Caden, Kaden, and Jaden. It's been falling on the US Top 1000 lately but it is still among the most popular contemporary English names for boys..
  13. Kenyon
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "white haired or blond"
    • Description:

      Kenyon is a very engaging British surname name, the middle y giving it a kind of southwestern canyonesque undertone.
  14. Monserrat
    • Origin:

      Spelling variant of Montserrat, Catalan place-name meaning "serrated mountain"
    • Meaning:

      "serrated mountain"
    • Description:

      Monserrat is a variant spelling of the Catalan name Montserrat. It is likely the better spelling in English-speaking countries given the correct pronunciation of the name.
  15. Jimena
    • Origin:

      Variation of Ximena, Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "son"
    • Description:

      Widespread popularity in the Latino community has propelled this name up the charts in the US. Ximena is the more popular version, given to about three times as many baby girls as Jimena, maybe because of that edgy initial X.
  16. Yadira
    • Origin:

      Spanish, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Feminine name consistently popular in the Latino community.
  17. Conner
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Connor.
    • Description:

      This variation of Connor was practically unused before the 1990s.
  18. Citlali
    • Origin:

      Nahuatl
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      A celestial choice that's used both in Mexico and by Latinx Americans.
  19. Noe
    • Origin:

      Greek and Latin variation of Noah
    • Description:

      Just say Noe to this translation of Noah.
  20. Makena
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of McKenna or Kikuyu
    • Meaning:

      "happy one"
    • Description:

      A name from the East African Kikuyu language with a sweet meaning; and a simplified spelling of McKenna.