Modern Baby Names

Loyalty is one of the Modern Virtue Names rising precipitously for babies in recent years, used last year for nearly 200 children, about 85 percent of them girls. Loyalty may also owe some of its popularity to trendy sister name Royalty.

Less popular than spelling variation Jazlyn. The extra n does not make this name any better. Nonetheless, this spelling entered the US Top 1000 in 2007 and peaked at Number 573 in 2011.

Created in the style of Jabari, a fashionable Swahili name. Jakari is mainly used among African American families in the US.

This overly trendy spelling jumped into the Top 1000 names in 2013. It got there by being the fourth fastest-rising name on the 2013 list, riding the increasing popularity of Journey and Journee.

Debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016.

This evocative place-name is rising in popularity -- despite (or perhaps because of) the unfortunate association with an airplane that went missing in March 2014.

Jacob meets Jakob meets Kobe -- and apparently, parents in 2013 are fans. It rose 153 spots to break into the Top 1000, making it one of the year's fastest-rising names.

Legacy is proof that any attractive-sounding word can be turned into a name, and this one has the added attractions of an inspirational meaning and a cool creative namesake -- hot young artist Legacy Russell.

Adalee's rise is thanks to the current fashion for all names ada-related. It does have a sweet melodic charm.

The popular -ley suffix can be credited for this name's use in recent years. We're not loving that it sounds as trendy and of-the-moment as it is.

A surname-style name with a contemporary spelling, Karsyn is a unisex name that has been on and off the charts for boys since 2018. As of 2023, it's back in the US Top 1000 and given to more than 200 boys every year.

While Jamar fell out of the Top 1000 back in 2016, this sleek and modern elaboration remains popular. Inspired by Arabic Jamal and rising up the charts alongside Amari and Kamari, Jamari is given to around 500 boys a year.

Prior to 2013, this name was unheard of. That was the year that Larry Hernandez, singer and star of reality show Larrymania, gave the name to his daughter. It has now entered the US Top 1000, following in the footsteps of Daleyza, the invented name Hernandez bestows upon his older daughter.

Also found as Brason, this is one of an army of Jason sound-alikes, which include Cason, Mason, Kaysen, and so on. Stylish, yes; recommended, no.

Strong meaning, sweet but strong sound, fresh and earthy: a winner.

Blakeley is one of the many -ley ending surnames that is being adopted as a first name, taking the 80s unisex darling Blake into the new millennium.