Awesome American Names

The Lyla spelling variation has now superseded the original Lila — the former remains on the rise while the latter is consistently falling in popularity.

This version of Malia (as in Obama) peaked at Number 296 in 2009, though it has lost ground since then.

A Basque and Scandinavian form of Michael, pronounced MEE-kel. In the US, it is sometimes chosen as a modern alternative spelling of Michael.

Variation of Miley that is on the decline, thanks to its association with pop starlet Miley Cyrus.

A name rarely heard outside the Latino community, but it was popular enough in the early 2000s to crack the Top 200. Since then, it's lost ground.

Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance.

This unusual spelling was used by Johnny Knoxville for his son.

The Spanish form of popular Ruby is another addition to the list of attractive gem names for girls.

Though as a formal name Rusty is a little, well, rusty, it spent half a century among the Top 1000, departing only in 1995. Only 45 baby boys received the name in the US in one recent year and it's difficult to imagine it as the winning choice of many modern parents. Whether you want an informal name or a spin on a traditional name or even a word name or a name that means red, there are simply too many better options.