Barbara is back! Among the fastest-rising names of 2023, Barbara came back from oblivion at the very bottom of the Top 1000, gaining nearly 100 places on the popularity list.
 
Credit 2023's breakout movie Barbie, which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara. Rooted in ancient Greek and ranking in the Top 10 in the US throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, Barbara is now poised to become fashionable again for the next generation of babies.
 The name Barbara has the same root as the word barbarian, meaning stranger or foreigner. There is the popular third century St. Barbara, who was reputed to have been imprisoned in a tower and may have been the inspiration for Rapunzel. She became the patron of architects, stonemasons, fortifications, and geologists, and protects against fire and lightning.
 
Barbaras appear in works by Dickens and Thackeray and, most notably, as the idealistic protagonist of the George Bernard Shaw play Major Barbara. Noteworthy bearers include real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, actress Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby), novelist Barbara Pym, TV's Barbara Walters, and "My Name is Barbra" Streisand. Barbara Gordon was the original Batgirl in the comic books.
 And the of course there's Barbie, though today, Bebe, Bobbie, or even Babs might make a cuter retro nickname.

Barbara

A Caroline abbreviation that was wildly popular with Mom's generation...or Grandma's. At one time it was a <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">name for baby girls born at Christmas</a>. because of its association with Christmas carols.
 Carol began to get popular at the end of the nineteenth century, but its high point was the late 1930s and 1940s, when it was a Top 10 name, reaching as high as Number 4 in 1941.

Carol

The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and soap operas. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity. 
 
Cassandra was the name of Jane Austen's mother, sister, and two cousins. Cassandra Wilkins is a character in John Dos Passon's novel Manhattan Transfer, but in the 2007 Woody Allen thriller, Cassandra's Dream, Cassandra was not the name of a person, but a sailboat. Currently, Cassandra Wilson is a noted jazz singer; Charlie Sheen has a daughter Cassandra born in the eighties.
 
Nicknames include Cass, Cassa, Cassie, Sandra, Sandy.

Cassandra

Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice.
 Diana is the Latin name for the Roman goddess associated with the moon, virginity, and hunting; she is the protector of wild animals, represented in myth as both beautiful and chaste.
 Two of her most prominent bearers today are singers Diana (born Diane) Ross and Krall. Fictional Dianas appear in All's Well That Ends Well, Jane Eyre, and Anne of Green Gables.
 Now that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, perhaps this name will finally attract more attention and greater use.

Diana

As the song says, "Dinah, is there anyone finer?" Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume.

 In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah. While some conflate the Biblical Dinah with the Biblical Adinah, they are in fact different figures in the Old Testament.

 Dinah is the heroine of the best-selling Anita Diamant novel The Red Tent. In the George Eliot novel Adam Bede, Dinah Morris is a young preacher who marries the hero. And in the classic film The Philadelphia Story, Dinah is the heroine's sassy kid sister. Dinah also appears in Alice in Wonderland as the name of Alice’s kitten. 

 One important thing to note is that "Aunt Dinah" has been used as a racial stereotype, from the character of the cook in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The term has also appeared in several songs. 

 The name Dinah was adopted by two great singers: Dinah Washington (born Ruth) and Dinah Shore (born Frances).

Dinah

Literally meaning "lady" in Italian, Donna was the perfect ladylike housewife mom name on The Donna Reed Show in the fifties and sixties. And there were plenty of namesakes: Donna was in the Top 10 in 1964. These days we'd be more likely to associate it with the emanciatpated clothes of Donna Karen than as a baby name.
 Though it seems to have a midcentury date stamp, Donna goes back to at least the late nineteenth century, reaching the Top 100 in 1926 and the Top 20 in the 1940s. In 1960, Donna was the fifth most popular name in the United States. Off the charts now, Donna is still remebered as the subject/object of many pop songs, and via the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer,and current bestselling author Donna Tartt.

Donna

Duela

Another boys' name that shows signs of moving to the girls' camp, despite a very obvious and masculine "son" ending. If you love the sound, might we suggest Gracen instead?

Grayson

While Gwen may have originated as a short form of Gwendolen and Gwendolyn, these days it frequently stands on its own. Rocker Gwen Stefani has given it a shot of cool, and parents are choosing it as a standalone more and more often—Gwen hopped back onto the US Top 1000 in 2013 after an absence of over 30 years. Gwen could also be short for Guinevere.

Gwen

Gamora

Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US.
 Along with Harper and Hadley, we think it will climb even further. In England, it's associated with Harley Street, home to some of London's most prominent medical specialists.
 A famous fictional namesake is Batman's Harley Quinn, "born" Harleen Quinzel. DC Comics movie Suicide Squad from 2016 was probably part of the reason for the increase in the number of girls named Harley. Harley Cooper was a character who was introduced on the soap The Guiding Light in 1987—that Harley was named after her father's favorite motorcycle.

Harley

The quirky, offbeat and energetic botanical name Ivy is enjoying a deserved revival, propelled even higher by its choice by high-profile parents Beyonce and Jay-Z for daughter Blue Ivy. Ivy is also traditionally used at Christmas, make this one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/577/names-for-december-babies">names for December babies</a>.
 Ivy is derived from the name of the ivy plant, which got its name from the Old English word ifig. Ancient Greeks presented an ivy wreath to newlyweds as a symbol of fidelity. In the language of flowers, Ivy signifies faithfulness.
 British novelist Ivy Compton-Burnett is a notable namesake and Ivy Baker Priest served as U.S. Secretary of Treasury. Another association is the prestigious Ivy League. 
Ivy has been a favorite of scriptwriters—she's appeared on everything from 90210 to Gossip Girl, Dollhouse to Downton Abbey, and is the name of a 1970's American Girl doll.

Janet started as a pet form of Jane but has long been used independently. Jane is a feminine form of John, which derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan. Janet can also be considered a variation of Jeannette, a derivative of Joan and another feminization of the name John.
 
Five hundred years ago Janet was a royal favorite in Scotland, where it remains a common name. Here in the US, however, Janet has been on a downhill slide since the 1960s, with Grandma Janet now knitting booties for baby Janae. Or even, increasingly, Jane.
 There have been several Janets recently involved in US government, Janet is a leading member of the Jackson family, and Janet Evanovich is a bestselling author; and in the past there have been first Best Actress Oscar winner Gaynor, Psycho actor Janet Leigh, and the mother of Jackie Kennedy.
 There are several attractive foreign versions that might prove appealing alternate namesakes for Gran Jan—Gianetta, Zaneta, Janneth, Sinead or Janica.

Janet

Originally a feminine of John, Jean was popular in Scotland long before it found favor elsewhere, and had its most shining moment here in the era of Jean Harlow (born Harlean), ultimate symbol of silver screen glamour. Now, though there are many grandmas and even moms with the name, it doesn't seem all that baby-friendly. Though that could change, and Jean could join Jane.
 A perennial on the popularity list until it finally dropped off in 1994, Jean was in the Top 20 from 1922 to 1936 and ranks among the 100 most <a href="/list/653/100-most-common-names-for-girls">common names for girls</a> of the past century. It was extremely well-used as a middle name, as in Michael Jackson's song "Billie Jean" and tennis champ Billie Jean King, not to mention Hermione Jean Granger from Harry Potter/. It was also the actual first name of Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. Maggie Smith shone in the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and nickname Jeanie was commemorated in the Stephen Foster classic song "I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," as well as in the early sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie.

Jean

Jennifer is the Cornish variation of Guinevere, which ultimately derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. It has been in use in the English-speaking world since the 18th century but came to prominence in the 20th. Playwright George Bernard Shaw chose Jennifer for the name of his leading lady in his play The Doctor’s Dilemma, which drew more attention to the name.
 
Jennifer was the top name of the 1970s, when there were close to 800,000 Jennifers born: No wonder there are now online support groups for grown-up Jens who have suffered a lack of personal identity. These days Jennifer has fallen out of the Top 100 though it's forever a pretty-sounding name. 
 
Many modern parents opt for Jenna over Jennifer, though Jenna too is losing steam. Jenny and Jennie are forever appealing if not exactly stylish short forms; Jenifer is an alternate spelling.
 
One name that's taking over where Jennifer left off is Genevieve. Another idea for Jennifer lovers in search of an alternative: the perennially appealing Jane. Or even the original Welsh Guinevere.
 
Bill and Melinda Gates are the parents of a Jennifer. Wonder how she feels with a sister named Phoebe and a brother called Rory?

Jennifer

A multicultural name that manages to sound soft and strong at the same time, Kamala is also another name for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.

 Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris (who describes her own name's pronunciation as COMMA-la), Joe Biden's vice presidential pick in the 2020 election, is the first Indian-American and the first Black woman to run on a US Presidential ticket for a major party – preceded only by Charlotta Bass, who ran on the Progressive Party ticket in 1952. Kamala Harris's mother was Indian and her father is Jamaican.

 A rising star in the Democratic Party, Harris was sworn in as her state's junior senator in January 2017 and instantly became one of the most visible critics of the Trump Administration. She makes Kamala one of the most recognizable <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/539/hindi-names-for-girls">Hindi names for girls</a>, with a strong sound and international appeal.

Kamala

Kara and the soundalike (though not necessarily related) Cara are among the most multi-cultural names around. Cara has roots in Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Kara can be viewed as simply as K-starting version of Cara. 

But Kara is also uniquely a Norse mythology name, drawn from the name of a valkyrie meaning "wild stormy one".. Kara was a Valkyrie, lover of Helgi, who charmed his enemies in battle by enchanting them with song.

Both Cara and Kara peaked in the 1980s but Kara remains more popular than the Cara variant.

Kara

This endearing nickname name is one Katherine pet form that predates all the Kathys and Katies, having been fairly common in the eighteenth century. With the current mini-craze for animal-related names, Kitty is sounding cute and cuddly again&mdash;she's already jumped back onto the U.K. list, at number 199.
 Kitty was one of the Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice and was a character in Dickens's Bleak House; Ginger Rogers won an Oscar for her performance in Kitty Foyle, and vintage TV fans might remember the alluring Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke. Since then there have been pop culture Kittys galore, including Calista Flockhart's character on Brothers and Sisters, a mom on That 70's Show and Kitty Pryde, one of the X-Men.
 Singer Kitty Carlisle was born Catherine, country singer Kitty Wells grew up as Muriel, and Presidential candidate's wife Kitty Dukakis was born Katharine.
 A historical reference is Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers performed their aeronautical experiments. 
 Short form Kit has been used in recent years for several strong-willed movie heroines and may prove a lively alternative to Kate.

Kitty

Lane is  a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. As a common surname, Lane is attached to such celebrities as Diane and Nathan.


Lane

Laurel takes Laura back to its meaning in nature, resulting in a gentle, botanical option. Even more directly than Laura, Laurel relates back to the laurel wreath signifying success and peace in ancient Greece and Rome.
 Sweet Laurel has been the unlikely name of two DC Comics superheroes—Laurel Kent and Laurel Gand, aka Andromeda.
 Laurel received its highest ranking in 1956, when it reached Number 241. It may be due for a resurgence, thanks to the trend for <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/l">girls' names starting with L</a>. Beware though, that it has the likelihood of being mistaken for Laura and Lauren.

Laurel

The eternal fiancee of Superman turned sweet gray-haired lady who's always available to babysit her grandkids turned....hot new baby name?
 True to the Hundred Year Rule, Lois is poised to climb the charts again and reprise its heyday in the 1920s. Its choice by Mrs. America, Ballerina Farm momfluencer Hannah Neeleman, is helping ropel it back into style.
In the 1920s, Lois was a Top 20 names. Lois stayed in the Top 50 into the 1940's, but dropped off the list completely in 1983.
 
Lois is actually a New Testament name of Greek origin: she was converted by Paul and was the grandmother of Timothy, who became one of Paul's disciples. Other s-ending names are making a comeback, as is Iris and Louise, so why not Lois?

Lois

Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

 Mary, the quintessential New Testament name, was #1 for girls until the mid-twentieth century. Though still popular, Mary is used now mostly for religious or family reasons. If it's style you're after, Mary's many diminutives and derivatives such as Maire, Mamie, May, Mitzi, Molly, Maura, Marietta, and even Maria may seem more fashionable. 

 Mary was the most popular and enduring female Christian name in the English-speaking world (as were Maria and Marie in Spanish and French) until the 1940s. That was when in the US Mary was finally dethroned by such trendy upstarts as Linda and Karen.

 There are six Marys in the Bible, including the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and Mary the mother of Mark, and there have been British royal Marys beginning in the sixteenth century. In earlier times Mary was considered too sacred to be used; it finally gained usage in England in the twelfth century, and by the sixteenth had blanketed the female population, to the point where dozens of pet forms had to be contrived to distinguish one Mary in the family from the others.

 The poet Byron deemed Mary a "magic" name, and Bing Crosby proclaimed it "a grand old name." Mary has always been a good-girl name, as reflected by such mid-century icons of propriety and wholesomeness as Mary Poppins and Mary Tyler Moore. The lovely Lady Mary Crawley of Downton Abbey has restored some freshness to the name.

 Among the celebs who dropped their birth name of Mary are Meryl Streep, Debbie Reynolds, and Lily Tomlin.

 For more detail on the origins and possible meanings of the name Mary, see this <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/in-search-of-the-meaning-of-mary">excellent post on the subject</a>.

Mary

Natasha, an appealing, still unusual name, entered the American mainstream post-Cold War but seems to have peaked in the eighties, replaced by the more straightforward Natalie. As is common for Natashas the world over, the Obamas shorten their Natasha's name to Sasha.
 Cultural references range from the central character in Tolstoy's War and Peace to Chekhov's Three Sisters and some of his short stories to comix heroine agent Natasha Romanoff, and was seen on screen in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers.

Natasha

Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.
 
Nora has two separate origin stories, as a derivative of both Honora and Eleanor. The Irish and Anglo-Norman version derives from Honora, based on the Latin word honor. The Hungarians spawned Nora as a short form of Eleonora, a variation of Eleanor.
 One of Nora's most prominent contemporary namesakes is the late witty writer Nora Ephron. Other notable Noras are the independent Ibsen heroine of A Doll's House, and the female half of the witty Nick and Nora Charles duo, adding up to a most desirable choice. 
 It can also be spelled Norah, as in Norah Jones.

Nora

Pam was a somewhat pampered prom queen of the sixties who was never called by her full name, which is a pity because Pamela is so mellifluous and rich in literary history. A Top 25 name from the late 1940's through the late 60's, Pamela has just, sadly, dropped out of the Top 1000. 
 Pamela was first used by Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney in his sixteenth century pastoral epic Arcadia, but it was Samuel Richardson's enormously popular novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded two centuries later that really promoted it.
Rarely used now, Pamela might almost be ready for a revival, and the appealing Pam (wife of Jim, the male-equivalent name) on The Office may help bring it back. 
 But no, we won't be recommending the name of Pamela's partner--Linda.

Pamela

Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men, with intriguing mid-century characters with names like Joan and Betty--and Peggy, causing a bit of a re-think. MM's proto-feminist Peggy Olson was followed by Amy Adams's strong Oscar-nominated Peggy Dodd character in The Master.
 Peggy has been used independently since the eighteenth century, later combined with other names such as Peggy Sue, made famous by the Buddy Holly song and the film Peggy Sue Got Married.
 Some notable namesakes who have gone by Peggy include jazz singer Peggy Lee (born Norma), art patron Guggenheim (born Marguerite), skater Fleming, and author/speechwriter Noonan (born Margaret).
 It's not likely that Peggy will ever regain the 31st position it held in 1937, but we can see it coming into somewhat wider use.

Peggy

Parents are beginning to scan the whole spice shelf for inspiration, picking up on Saffron, Sage, and Cinnamon -- and opening up a chance for this spiciest possibility of all; used for peppy TV characters. 

Pepper

Quinn is one of the first popular Irish unisex surnames, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. Quinn was used for about 3000 baby girls and 700 boys in the US last year.
 
Quinn is the Anglicized version of the Irish patronymic surname Ó Cuinn, meaning "descendent of Conn." Conn has two possible derivations—the Old Irish cond, meaning "intellect," or cenn, meaning "chief." One of the most notable Quinn clans was from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. 
 Quinn started taking off for girls in the mid-nineties, possibly influenced by the popular show Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Since then, there have been female Quinns on the animated MTV show Daria, on Zoey 101, and—most prominently—on Glee, featuring cute blond cheerleader character Quinn Fabray.
 Some other, more <a href="https://nameberry.com/lists/category/unusual-names">unusual names</a> with the Q-factor: Quincy, Quintina, Quintana, Quinta, Quilla--and, on a different note, Queenie.

Quinn

Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.

Raven

Sounded bright and chirpy in the fifties and ranked in the Top 100 until 1980, but by now Robin has lost traction. Robin is, however, having something of a style comeback for boys.

Robin

Roxy, also spelled Roxie, is one of those high-stepping showgal names with plenty of moxie, among the many sassy nickname names on the U.K. popularity list--currently Number 398.
 The fictional character Roxie Hart has had a long and interesting life, beginning with the 1926 play Chicago, then a silent film, a 1942 hit movie starring Ginger Rogers, a 1975 Broadway musical with Gwen Verdun as Roxie, plus the 2002 movie Chicago, with Renee Zellweger playing the part.
 Other Roxys have appeared on Hannah Montana and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Roxy

Rogue

The Selina spelling swims just below the Top 1000, within 20 babies of reaching the US popularity list.  Selena and even Celine are much more popular, but the Selina spelling is used for the Julia Louis-Dreyfus character on Veep and is also the spelling used by Catwoman alter-ego Selina Kaye.  

While Selina looks as if it might be pronounced sel-eye-na and undoubtedly is by some bearers, its proper pronunciation is sel-ee-na.

Selina

Stephanie is the feminine form of Stephen, derived from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown." It’s been the name of several royal women throughout history, including the medieval Stephanie, Queen of Navarre, and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, the daughter Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. International variations of Stephanie include the German Stefanie, Italian Stefania, and Spanish Estefanía.
 
Stephanie has had more staying power than most female forms of a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' name</a>, managing to be feminine without being frilly, and having had a long run of popularity. In the 1970s and 1980s, Stephanie was Top 20 name.
 The variantly spelled Stephenie Meyer gained fame as the author of the Twilight franchise, the tennis player Steffi Graf was born Stefanie, so there are obviously lots of variations on this name. Singer Stevie Nicks has the conventional spelling of Stephanie on her birth certificate. Stephanie Plum is the protagonist of the eponymous books by Janet Evanovich.

Stephanie

The name of one of the most powerful Marvel superheroes — and the first major black female comic book heroine — is certainly a big one to live up to! Portrayed in the live-action X-Men movies first by Halle Berry and then by Alexandra Shipp, Storm is a mutant descended from a long line of African witch-priestesses, who can bend the weather and atmosphere to her will.
 Several high-profile parents have already braved this one, like Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, whose daughter Storm Brieann was born in 1994. And now that Kylie Jenner has a little Stormi, we're forecasting a few more Storms on the horizon...

Storm

Talia is derived from the Hebrew elements tal, meaning "dew," and yah, in reference to God. In the mythology of one ancient sect, Talia was one of ten angels who attended the sun on its daily course. The occasionally homophonous name Thalia has unrelated Greek origins.
 
In tandem with the longer-form Natalia, this pretty Russian-flavored girls’ name has been rising in the popularity charts in the US.
 
A prominent bearer is Talia Shire, doomed to go down in cinema history as Rocky's mousy girlfriend Adrienne, along with actress Talia Balsam, aka the former Mrs. George Clooney. Most recently, Talia was attributed to YouTube star Talia Joy Castellano, a young girl battling cancer who passed away at age 13.
 
Talia is also an Australian Aboriginal name meaning "near water".

Talia

Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie put this name of a geographical feature on the baby name map when she chose it for her newborn daughter, Vale Guthrie Feldman.  Vale might be considered part nature name, part place name: A vale is a kind of valley, often used in poetry.

This truly unique choice doesn't even register on the US extended list of names given to five babies or more, but we expect Vale to register as parents are inspired by Guthrie and husband Mike Feldman's creative choice.

More prosaicly, Vale might be a short form of Valerie or Valentina.

Vale

Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century saint.
 
Victoria, the epitome of gentility and refinement, reflects the image of the long-reigning British queen. Queen Victoria, for whom the Victorian Era is named, ruled over England for over sixty-three years.
 
In the 1990s, Victoria managed to breach the Top 20, a surprisingly high standing for a name that is more of a classic than a fashion favorite these days. One enduring appeal of Victoria is that it's a traditional girls' name with a powerful meaning. 
 
One possible role model is proto-feminist Victoria Woodhull. Ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and Victoria's Secret have given the name a more modern edge, and it also has been a Twilight name.
 
Vicky (and Vicki, Vickie, and Vikki) and Tory (along with Tori) have traditionally been used as nicknames for Victoria. Vittoria is the pretty Italian version.

Victoria

Valkyrie

Rarely heard, and when it is, usually attached to a witch. Historically, though, Wanda was a legendary eighth century queen of Poland, and in literature it is the central character of Ouida's eponymous novel Wanda. A musical namesake is the great Polish harpsichordist Wanda Landowska.

Wanda

undefined's list "Girl Names from DC and Marvel" of 40 great name ideas: Barbara - Wanda!