Modern Baby Names

Depending on how you look at it, a variation of the word name Colt or an abbreviated form of Kolton.

Painter is among the most creative choices in this very fashionable category of names, with a particularly pleasant sound. Whereas most occupational names conjure up physical labor, this one feels like a gateway to the arts.

Royalty was the hottest name of 2016, moving furthest up the ladder to enter the Top 1000, and is also arguably the trendiest name of the past decade, used a whopping 71 times as often in 2017 as it was ten years earlier. Royalty represents the convergence of two important trends: word names and superlative names such as Legend and King. This is one we'll hear a lot of for a while.

Divorces Aspen from its nature and ski resort associations. Aspyn first broke into the Top 1000 in 2020.

A Puritanical virtue name and also a place name, belonging to the state capital of Rhode Island and several other towns and cities in the US.

There is much disagreement about the origin, meaning, or even existence of this name. Some sources cite Jesiah as the name of several minor Biblical figures, others say it's a variation of Josiah, still others call it a modern conflation of Josiah and Jesse.

Corbin joined the US Top 1000 during the latter half of the 20th century, first introduced to parents through actor Corbin Bernsen. It reached a peak in 2014 at number 203 and has been making a steady decline ever since.

This nouveau spelling peaked at Number 583 in 2004. In spite of its trend-making K and "ee" ending, Karlee is much less popular than the original Carly.

A sweet and simple Quechua choice with an equally pretty meaning.

The unique O-ending makes this name memorable, especially for someone with ties to Texas.

Blending the sounds of Bryce, Brian, Riley and Kylie, Bryleigh is a modern invention that ranked in the US Top 1000 from 2010 to 2017, alongside its more popular counterpart, Brylee. Peaking in 2015 when it was given to 320 girls, Bryleigh has since been in decline, pushed out by Brynleigh and Everleigh.

Vanellope is a Disney creation, given to the protagonist of "Wreck it Ralph" and now a character on Sugar Rush. She is energetic, tomboyish and very sassy. Read more about Vanellope and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

Arya has become a popular name thanks to the young heroine of Game of Thrones and because of the rise of similar Aria too. Now, variation Aarya has risen up the charts, making the Top 600 in the UK.

This name caught the attention of American parents beginning in 2018, when the Fox show The Four: Battle for Stardom premiered. Zhavia Ward was a finalist on the first season.

As with many other names, the y seems to make this name more girl-appropriate for some parents. About three-quarters of the babies named Austyn are female.