Gently old-fashioned stand-alone nickname that owes its popularity to mega popular Abigail.

Abby

Angel is one of those names that has a very different trajectory for girls and boys. As a female name, it was most popular in the US from the 1970s until the turn of this century, almost breaking into the Top 100 at its peak in 2001 but then beginning a long slide down the list.
This may be partly because other forms of Angel -- Angela, Angie, Angelica, Angelina -- have dropped from favor too. Or it may be because of the crossover popularity of Angel for boys, partially inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
As a boys' name, Angel entered the Top 100 in 1997 and remains there today.
Spice Girl Melanie Brown named her daughter Angel Iris.

Angel

Annie is one of the most open and optimistic, the-sun'll-come-out-tomorrow type of name, having been celebrated over the years in song (Annie Laurie), comic strip (Little Orphan Annie), folklore (Annie Oakley, born Phoebe), and film (Annie Hall). It strikes a nice old-fashioned-but-jaunty chord that still has appeal, but we do suggest that you consider putting a more formal version on her birth certificate.
 Still well used, Annie was a Top 20 name from the 1880s to 1907.

Annie

Extremely amiable, open-sounding surname that's gradually being taken over by the girls. 

Bailey

Bailey -- a jaunty surname -- was first used for a female TV character in 1978 in the show WKRP in Cincinnaati, then caught on big time. Bailey's still an appealing choice, though, and a celebrity fave. Parents of daughters named Bailey include Scot Baio and Stella McCartney.

We hesitate to call Bandit an occupational name, any more than Rogue or Vandal are occupational names, yet its use by one of the bandmembers of My Chemical Romance (for his daughter: we're not even going to go there) undoubtedly owes a debt to occupational cousins from Pilot to Parker.  Recommended for use by rock stars with full-time nannies only.

Bandit

An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from 1880 till the 1920s, peaking at Number 515 in 1886-- which means it's just about due for a comeback. And we can see Bax as a worthy follow-up to Max and Jax.
 Singer Ian Dury named his now-grown son Baxter, and Dr. Baxter Stockman was a scientist in the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" series. 
 Fun feminist fact: as an occupational name, Baxter was actually the word for a female baker. It's only used for boys now, but could legitimatelt be a unisex name.

Baxter

Bear has suddenly lumbered onto the baby name landscape.  Perhaps inspired by British adventurer Bear Grylls (born Edward Michael), first celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used it as the middle name for his boy Buddy, and more recently Alicia Silverstone called her son Bear Blu., followed by Kate Winslet's Bear Blaize. It's part of a current trend normalizing once aggressive animal names like Wolf and Fox. Bear is now Number 218 on Nameberry and in the Top 900 in England.

Bear

Beau suggests someone devilishly handsome, with a large measure of southern charm—a nice image to bestow on your boy. Often solely a nickname in the past, it's now standing firmly on its own. Beau has been on the Social Security list non-stop since 1969.
 Beau also has something of a dapper image, thanks to the fashionable Beau Brummell (born George), which led to the stylish New York mayor Jimmy Walker being called Beau James. Other notable Beaus had more formal names at birth—Beaus Bridges and Biden were both the third sons in their families to carry their fathers' names: Lloyd Vernet Bridges III and Joseph Robinette Biden III.
 P.C. Wren's novel Beau Geste was a major bestseller in its day and was also a popular movie—in that case Michael was the character's birth name. Many will remember that the child of Ashley and Melanie Wilkes in Gone With the Wind was called Beau, and there was also a Beau on the old TV western Maverick.
 And if you want a more substantial name on the birth certificate, try Beauregard.
 Art Garfunkel, Emma Bunton, Wendy Wilson, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and now Tori Spelling all have sons named Beau.

Beau

Everything ella, from Ella to Bella to Arabella, is red hot right now. Bella is one of the most, well, beautiful <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/b">girl names starting with B</a>. It carried a hint of a nice Old World grandmotherly veneer, until it became attached to Twilight's Bella Swan. 
Bella derived as a diminutive of Isabella and other names with the suffix -bella, such as Anabella and Arabella, but has a meaning all its own: beautiful.That's because Bella is related to the word for "beautiful" in languages including Spanish, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, and Greek. Belle means "beautiful" in French.
 
If you're thinking of naming your daughter Bella, be aware that there are a lot of little girls whose proper names are Isabella, Arabella etc. who are called Bella, so you may hear the name more frequently than you'd guess judging by popularity statistics.
 In pre-Twilight literature, Bella Wilfer is the central character in Charles Dickens's Our Mutual Friend.
 Mark Ruffalo, Billy Bob Thornton, David Boreanaz and Eddie Murphy are all dads to Bellas. A strong feminist namesake is Bella Abzug. One current Bella is child star turned pop star Bella Thorne, born Annabella.
 Bella was in use as far back as the thirteenth century, then disappeared until the eighteenth when it became fashionable. 
 Today, Bella is among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

Bella

Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of the most familiar and usable <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/4/baby-names-that-mean-beautiful">names that mean beautiful</a>.
Though it has been overshadowed by the Twilight-influenced Bella and longer forms like Isabella and Annabella, Belle has its own Southern charm and would make a pretty choice as a first or middle name.
 Belle was a Top 100 name in the 1880s, but left the list in 1934. It returned to the US Top 1000 for the first time in 80 years in 2016, only to drop off again in 2021. Its most famous bearer was the legendary Western outlaw, Belle Starr (born Myra); Belle Watling is a character in Gone With the Wind. 
 
Read more about Belle and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Belle

Bentley, a somewhat stuffy British surname, previously associated primarily with an incredibly expensive English car, has had a recent surge in popularity, thanks largely to the reality TV shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, with Bentley being the name of the son of breakout star Maci (another new favorite) Bookout.

Bentley

The alcohol-laced member of the Randy-Candy-Mandy sorority of 1970s to 80s nickname names; now pretty much on the wagon. 

Brandy

It’s ok, we can talk about Bruno now!
 
Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for “brown” plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.
 
Today, Bruno is popular in Latin America, Spain, and Eastern Europe, but has been — until recently, at least — neglected in North America.
 
In the middle ages, it was worn by several rulers and bishops, and an eleventh-century saint. In modern times, Bruno gets its “strong man” image from people like wrestler Bruno Sammartino, and Frank Bruno, the British boxer. That, and the fact it was traditionally a name for bears in children’s tales.
 
owever, Bruno also has a more gentle, soulful side that more and more parents are seeing. Singer Bruno Mars (born Peter, but nicknamed Bruno from a young age after Sammartino) has done a lot to raise its popularity in the last 20 years.
 
The Disney movie Encanto may do even more, thanks to its misunderstood prophetic Uncle Bruno, and the catchy song We Don’t Talk About Bruno.
 
As <ahref="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/901/boy-names-ending-in-o">boy names ending in O</a> continue to rise, we can see this appealing to parents looking for something well-known, multicultural, and not too popular.
 
Its color meaning makes it especially good for a <ahref="https://nameberry.com/list/351/names-for-autumn-babies">boy born in autumn.

Bruno

Until recently it was rarely used as a proper name; Buddy Holly, for example, was christened Charles, and Salinger's Buddy Glass was born Webb. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver did name his fourth child Buddy Bear Maurice--a fittingly named brother to Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela and Petal Blossom Rainbow, and singer Tom Fletcher has a double-nicknamed Buddy Bob.

Buddy

An old-fashioned nickname in the Bud/Buzz/Biff mold; this one's kind of belligerent. Michelle Hicks and Jonny Lee Miller moved outside the box when they used it for their son--given the safer middle name of Timothy.

Buster

Boomer

Casey is a name with a big wide grin, Irish, friendly, and open, and associated with several American folk heroes--Casey Jones, the engine driver of the Cannonball Express who gave his life to save his passengers, and the legendary Casey at the Bat.
 Casey was at its height of popularity in the 1980s bur recently has started climbing the charts again in the US, maybe because some of the Caseys born in the 1980s have become famous in the 2020s.

Casey

One of the original unisex Irish surname names, energetic Casey bounced onto the scene in the 1960s, then peaked in the 1980s for both boys and girls. Today Casey is having a resurgence for both girls and boys and re-entered the charts on the girls' side, likely due to the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) on the hit show Yellowstone.
 "Casey at the Bat" is an 1888 poem by Ernest Thayer.

Charlie derives, of course, from the classic name Charles which, in turn, comes from a German word meaning "free man." Charles became very popular in France during the Middle Ages due to the fame of Charles the Great, also known as Charlemagne. Charley is an alternate spelling.
 
Charlie is one of the friendliest names on the planet, and Good-time Charlie is back. More and more parents (of babies of both genders) these days are opting to put the friendly, genial Charlie on birth certificates. 
 
In fact, one of the most notable things about the name Charlie is that it is used almost equally for girls and boys -- given in the US last year to 2200 baby girls and 2100 baby boys. And the popularity of Charlotte and Charles mean there are even more Charlies of both sexes running around American playgrounds.
 
Charlie has dozens and dozens of pop cultural references, from Charlie Chaplin to Charlie McCarthy to "Charlie's Angels" to Charlie Parker to Charlie Sheen to Charlie Rose. 
 
Putting nicknames on the birth certificate is very much a growing trend. Current celebs who have chosen Charlie for their sons include Tiger Woods, Mimi Rogers, Soledad O'Brien and Sarah Chalke.

Charlie

Chloe is a pretty springtime name symbolizing new growth. Though slightly off its peak in the Top 10 in 2010, Chloe still ranks in the Top 20 and is solidly a modern classic. 
 Along with the US, Chloe has been also mega-popular throughout the English-speaking world and is also a top girls' name in Spain, Italy, Chile, and the Netherlands. The creative spelling Khloe has been moving up as well, thanks solely to the Kardashian klan.
 Chloe appeared in Greek mythology as an alternative name for the goddess of agriculture and fertility, Demeter. She was referred to as Chloe in the spring months, due to the name’s relation to sprouts and growth. Chloe is also mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a Greek Christian woman. 
 
While Chloe has not been used for any recent celebrity babies, it is the name of the now-grown daughters of Olivia Newton-John and of Candice Bergen and the late French film director Louis Malle. Actress and style leader Chloe Sevigny is another high-profile bearer, as is rising young star Chloe Grace Moretz.
 Chloe is a titular character in the Greek pastoral romance Daphnis and Chloe, appears in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is the real name of Nobel prize-winning writer Toni Morrison.

Chloe

Coco came to prominence as the nickname of the legendary French designer Chanel (born Gabrielle) and has lately become a starbaby favorite, initially chosen by Courteney Cox for her daughter Coco Riley in 2004. At first it was the kind of name that the press loves to ridicule, but we predict Coco's heading for more broad acceptance and even popularity.

Coco

In the early 1990s, Cody was in the Top 25 most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' names</a> in the USA; but it has been in decline since then. It retains a greater degree of popularity in the UK, however. Cody might be short for Dakota but despite its nickname feeling, it's a name of its own.

Cody

The genial yet upscale and preppy Cooper was one of the first occupational last names to catch on -- and Cooper remains a pleasing option.
 Cooper began his rapid climb in 1982 and is a popular choice for baby boys. It is wildly popular in Australia, where in some areas Cooper is the top name.
 Two surnamed Coopers currently shining a spotlight on the name: Anderson and Bradley. Parents of Coopers include Melissa Rivers and Dylan Lauren.
 One caveat: Cooper is an extremely popular dog name.

Cooper

Daisy, fresh, wholesome, and energetic, is one of the flower names that burst back into bloom after a century's hibernation. Originally a nickname for Margaret (the French Marguerite is the word for the flower), Daisy comes from the phrase "day's eye," because it opens its petals at daybreak.

 Daisy has a colorful literary and pop culture history – as the innocent Daisy Miller in the Henry James novella, as Daisy Buchanan, the hero's object of desire in The Great Gatsby, and as many movie and TV characters, including in L'il Abner and The Dukes of Hazzard, as the older Daisy in Driving Miss..., as well as Julia Roberts's character in her breakthrough movie, Mystic Pizza.

 Meg Ryan has a daughter named Daisy True, chef Jamie Oliver has Daisy Boo, and Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom recently named their daughter Daisy Dove.

Daisy

An early and still one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">popular unisex names</a>, also a place name and name of a Native American people in the northern Mississippi valley, which makes it a controversial baby name choice. While the popularity of Dakota is trending downward for both genders, it's one of those rare genuinely gender-neutral names that is used for nearly equal numbers of boys and girls.

Dakota

A sassy, spunky, punchy kind of name, Dixie can also be considered a place name, one that has become problematic because of its association with the antebellum South. The Dixie Chicks recently dropped Dixie from their band name because of its association with slavery and white privilege.


The name originated from the ten-dollar bills used in French-speaking New Orleans, which came to be called dixies, or else from the Mason-Dixon line. Dixie, which had been as high as Number 167 in the late 1930s, jumped back onto the popularity list in 2007 and has been on and off the bottom of the Top 1000, though we expect the negative associations to take it out of consideration as a baby name.

 Dixie Carter was a TV actress best known for playing Julia Sugarbaker in the sitcom Designing Women. Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill and model Lily Aldridge named their daughter Dixie Pearl in 2012. Dixie D'Amelio, older sister of dancer Charli, is a newly-minted Tik-Tok star.

Dixie

While John Wayne and Duke Ellington are worthy role models, the reason Duke is currently enjoying a revival and returned to the Top 1000 in 2013 as one of the year's fastest-rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ names</a> is more likely due to the name given to high-profile TV couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Christened Edward Duke, he has always been called by his middle name, just as Edward Duke Ellington was. Duke is just one of several aristocratic titles being increasingly used by ordinary citizens.

Duke

Emma has now been among the top girl names in the United States for several years, claiming the Number 1 crown in 2008 and again from 2015 to 2018 before dropping back to second place.
 
Emma is simple but has deep history, is streamlined and modern-feeling yet distinctly feminine. It's hard to find all those qualities combined in one name, which is exactly why so many parents (over 14,000 in the US last year) have chosen Emma, not just here but throughout the English-speaking world, Europe, and Latin America.
 Emma has done handsprings up the charts internationally thanks to a legion of Emma heroines, from Bovary to Goldman to Jane Austen's protagonist, along with famous modern Emmas such as Emma Stone and Emma Watson. Parents who have turned from Emily to Emma seeking something more distinctive will have to keep looking.
 
It's worth noting that Emma, Emily, and the longtime British Number 1 Amelia, now in the US Top 10, all derive from different roots and have different meanings. But they continue to feel like very similar names. 
 
Emma originated as a diminutive for Germanic names beginning with the ermen root. A very old royal name well used throughout the centuries—Queen Emma married King Ethelred the Unready in 1002—Emma is also historically associated with Lady Hamilton, the mistress of Lord Nelson and muse of painter George Romney. 
 Emma was given a big boost among <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular baby names</a> when it was given to Rachel and Ross's baby on Friends in 2002. It's also at the top of the list of the many fashionable <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/e">girl names starting with E</a>, which also includes Ella, Eleanor, and Eliza.
 
Parents who love Emma but think it's overexposed have been moving to such alternatives as Amelia, Emilia, Amelie, Emmeline, and Ella. But, of course, many of these names are poised to move up and take Emma's place near the top of the list.
 Three of the hottest young female stars share the name: Emma Watson, Emma Roberts, and Emma (born Emily) Stone.

Emma

Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels. 

Ginger

Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw cut straight to the nickname when they called one of their daughters Gracie, and actors Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt named their newborn daughter Gracie James. Gracie Gold is a popular young figure skater.
 There have been several (mostly young) Gracies in such vehicles as The Nanny, Friday Night Lights, CSI and Miss Congeniality.

Gracie

Gus is a homey grandpa nickname name that can work as a short form for any of the above or stand on its own as a cutting-edge replacement for Max and Jake--though it was off the Top 1000 from 1978 until 2016, when it squeaked in at Number 999.
 Gus was chosen for their sons by Dixie Chick Emily Robison and actress Julie Bowen. In T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (and in the stage musical), the full name of Gus the Theatre Cat is Asparagus.

Gizmo

You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in the UK. A lesser-used -ley ending choice for boys, Harley has a current sound but an old-school biker appeal.

Harley

Heidi became known—and popular—via the 1880 eponymous children's classic by Swiss writer Johanna Spyri and, despite decades of American Heidis of all sizes, shapes, and personalities, the name seems permanently tethered to that spunky little girl on the Alpine mountaintop in the book and Shirley Temple movie. 
 The movie was released in 1937, and two years later the name popped onto the charts, and would, a few decades later, be a Top 100 name for close to twenty years. The prominence of Heidi Klum on Project Runway has given it a new recent bump.

Heidi

Henry is back. The classic Henry climbed back onto the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and now stands at Number 8.
 Like James and Theodore, Henry is a traditional name that also manages to feel stylish. Despite its popularity, it's not for everyone, but in some upscale American suburbs, it can seem as if every other little boy is named Henry or Theo or Jack.
 Henry was derived from the French Henri, which ultimately comes from the Germanic name Heimrich, made up of the components heim, meaning "home" or "estate," and rich, meaning "ruler." The most famous bearer is Henry VIII of England, best known for having six wives—two of whom he beheaded for not bearing him sons. It’s been used in the British royal family many times since, including for the current prince better known as Harry.
 
Other illustrious Henrys that might provide baby name inspiration include Henry David Thoreau, Henry (Hank) Aaron, Henry James, Henry Ford and Henry Miller.
 Numerous celebs have chosen Henry for their sons, from Julia Roberts to Minnie Driver to Heidi Klum to Colin Farrell.
 Appealing international versions include Arrigo, Enrico, Enzio and Enrique.

Henry

Holly ranks just in British Top 50, but it's been out of favor here since the 1970s Era of Nickname Names. Still, the name may be on her way back as a rejuvenated nature pick.
 Jolly Holly has always been among the favorite <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">names for Christmas babies</a>, evoking the symbolic shrub with dark green leaves and bright red berries. And Holly is the flower for the month of December, so it's also among the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/577/names-for-december-babies">names for December babies</a>.
 A memorable fictional Holly is the enigmatic heroine of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's, Holly Golightly (almost named Connie, and with the full name Holiday), played indelibly by Audrey Hepburn. A real life one is actress Holly Hunter. Holly Short is a fairy character in Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl novels. And in Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga, Holly and Jolly are siblings.

Holly

A term of endearment turned cute British celebrity baby name, used by actress Kate Winslet, chef Jamie Oliver, and TV presenter Fearne Cotton, among others. Honey was given to only 40 girls in the US in 2017, but it's relatively popular across the pond, where it ranks in the current Top 500 baby names for girls.

Honey

Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened masculinity. Hunter was for years attached to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; Josh Holloway used it for his son.

Hunter

Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/j">boy names starting with J</a>. 
Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man. 
 
Jack is familiar to all from earliest childhood via Jack and Jill, Jack Sprat, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Jack Horner et al. It is still a recent favorite for novel, TV and movie characters. 
 
Jack is at the top of the charts in Ireland and Scotland, and also ranks highly in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
 
The jaunty Scottish version is Jock.

Jack

Jackson is one of those names that's much more popular than you think, coming in near the top of our annual Playground Analysis, which ranks names by grouping all their spellings together. There were nearly 17,000 baby boys named Jackson -- along Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, and Jaxsyn -- which counted together makes it the Number 3 boys' name.
 
Jackson in this spelling is now slightly more popular than father name John, from which it's derived, though slightly less popular than Jack, which it's often shortened to.
 
With its gentleman cowboy feel, Jackson is now popular throughout the English-speaking world, though it fails to achieve the true international popularity of other top boys' names such as Lucas, Leo, and even Liam. 
 
It's been chosen over the years by several celebrities for their sons, including Spike Lee, Poppy Montgomery, Carson Daly, Maria Bello, Natalie Maines, Scott Wolf, Maya Rudolph, Katey Sagal, and Charlize Theron, though its heyday as a celebrity baby name was at least a decade ago.
 One of the most common surnames in America, it's got a presidential ring via Andrew Jackson and an artistic one through Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock.

Jackson

This unpretentious, accessible, and optimistic ("everything's jake" -- meaning OK) short form of the top name Jacob is itself widely used, though more parents these days are opting for the full name Jacob. Jake (born Jacob) Gyllenhall is its most prominent current bearer. 

Jake

Jasmine was derived from the Persian word yasmin, referring to the jasmine flower. Scented oil was made from the plant, and it was used as a perfume throughout the Persian Empire. Variants include Jazmin, Yasmin, Yasmine, and Jessamine. 
 
Jasmine, a delicate and aromatic flower name, burst into popularity after the 1992 release of Disney's Aladdin, featuring Princess Jasmine—highly unusual then for an animated character. Propagating a garden of spelling variations, Jasmine remained solidly in the Top 50 until 2009, when it started to wilt.
 
Jasmine was first used as a flower name in the West around 1900, during the blossoming of floral-name fashion.
 
Michael Jordan, Martin Lawrence and Nigel Barker all have daughters named Jasmine. Jasmine has many alternate spellings. Among them: Jasmin, Jasmyn, Jasmyne, Jazmin, Jazmine, Jazmyn, and Jazmynn. Read more about Jasmine and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Jasmine

This nickname for popular and traditional Joseph has a long history of being used as a given name all on its own. Nonetheless, everyone will always assume that Joey is short for the longer form. It might be nice for a potential son to have the option of a more professional and classic name to fall back on.

Joey

Friendly mega-popular short form of Katherine that has definitively replaced Kathy, Katie is often given on its own.  Going forward, though, Katie is more stylishly clipped itself to the grownup Kate.

Katie

Lexi and Lexie, pixieish offshoots of the prolific Alex family, have come into their own. While it's on a gentle downslope, Lexi still ranks in the US Top 500.

Lexi

Lilly may contain one L too many for some people, though this secondary spelling of a name that's become wildly popular is still a popular choice. And the Lilly spelling does feel a bit less wispy, a bit more like a name as opposed to a mere flower, than the slender and delicate Lily. Lilly suggests the long-form Lillian, but it doesn't need to be an abbreviation for anything; Lilly can stand on its own. 
 
However, if you love the flower name but want to make it a little different, you've got to move far beyond Lilly — or Lillian, Liliane, and sisters. You might consider Susannah, which means lily, or a less expected bloom like Azalea or Lotus.

Lilly

Lily is the most popular of the popular delicate century-old flower names now making a return, thanks to its many irresistible attributes: a cool elegance and a lovely sound, a symbol of purity and innocence, and a role in Christian imagery.
 Lily's use as a given name was a direct influence of the flower. The floral name was derived from the Latin lilium, itself derived from the Greek leirion. Lily later became an adjective to describe whiteness and purity.
 
 Lily is a favorite of celebrity parents, including Chris O'Donnell, Kate Beckinsale, Greg Kinnear, Fred Savage, and Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis (who made it a double bouquet, with Lily-Rose). The more proper Lillian is also rising in popularity, though Lily has long stood on its own. 
 Lily is an authors' favorite, some notable example being Lily Bart, the main character of Edith Wharton's House of Mirth, Lily Owens in The Secret Life of Bees and both mother and daughter of Harry Potter. Other current bearers are Lily Tomlin, singer Lily Allen, and actress Lily James. Two one-time starbaby Lilys are now celebrities on their own: Lily Collins, daughter of Phil, and Lily Rabe, daughter of Jill Clayburgh and David Rabe.
 Lily is currently quite popular throughout the English-speaking world as well as in France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and other European countries. Other possible spellings are Lilly, Lili, and Lillie.

Lily

A hot starbaby name – chosen by Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Lisa Bonet, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Carnie Wilson, and Annie Lennox, and used as the nickname of Madonna's Lourdes – Lola manages to feel fun and sassy without going over the top. Be warned, though: "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets," to quote a song from the show Damn Yankees.
 In the past, Lola has been associated with such femmes fatale as the nineteenth century courtesan/dancer Lola Montez (born Elizabeth Rosanna), the Marlene Dietrich character Lola Lola in The Blue Angel and Jean Harlow's in Bombshell. And it's the title of a great Kinks song: L-O-L-A Lola.
 Lola is one of the most truly international <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish name for girls</a>, enjoying mass popularity around the world. It's also one of the hottest <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/l">girl names starting with L</a>.

Lola

Celebrated in song—the rock 'n' roll classic "Louie, Louie"—this is a gregarious, friendly spelling of Louis not often used as a full first name. It reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015. It's a highly popular choice in England and Wales.
 It's the given name of actor and comedian Louie Anderson.

Louie

Recently chosen by singer Elle King for her son. Lucky is a name that could see a considerable rise in the near future, as word names continue to heat up.

Lucky

A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
 
The English form of the Roman Lucia, Lucy derives from the Latin word lux, meaning “light.” Once given to girls born at dawn, Lucy is also associated with Saint Lucia, the patron saint of the blind.
 
Lucy has a wide range of namesakes, from the bossy friend in the Peanuts comic, to psychedelic "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," to the rash and zany heroine of I Love Lucy. 
 
It is a name with a rich literary history, chosen for the heroines of Charlotte Brontë’s novel Villette, E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View, Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy, and C. S Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia - just to name a few. 
 
Beyond fiction, Lucy Stone was an important American activist, Lucy Worsley is a successful author and historian, and Lucy Lui is an actress who has imparted strength and style to the name.
 
Simple but sophisticated, playful but grounded, it is no wonder Lucy is a popular choice. Given to over 4000 girls in the US each year, it is a classic that doesn’t feel dusty.
 
If you love Lucy, but don’t love its popularity, you could consider one of its many variants. From vintage Lucille, to the musical Lucetta, to the fresh, unexpected Lux; from nickname-y Lou to sleek Luciana, there are plenty of possibilities.

Lucy

Luke is a cool-yet-strong Biblical name with a relaxed cowboy feel, which has been on the rise since the advent of Luke Skywalker.
 
Today, the Luke constellation of names is more popular than ever, with the ascendance of Top 10 Lucas and international star Luca. Luke ranks third in the group, but still stands in the US Top 50 and the Top 100 throughout the English-speaking world.
 
Luke originated as a short form of Lucas, a Latin derivation of the Greek name Loukas. The most famous bearer of the name is the first-century Greek physician—an evangelist and friend of Saint Paul, as well as the author of the third Gospel of the New Testament—who was also supposed to have been a portrait painter. He thus became the patron saint of doctors and artists.
 
Later Lukes have included Luke Duke of The Dukes of Hazzard, Cool Hand Luke, half of the classic soap opera duo of Luke and Laura, contemporary actors Luke Wilson and Luke Perry, and a number of star athletes.
 While Luke, Lucas, Luca, and the French Luc all have the same root and meaning, Lucius and Lucian have a different origin and meaning -- the more evocative "light".

Luke

Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has not been in the Top 1000 for decades. Modern parents in love with Lulu might well reverse that trend.
 Lulu is the now grown daughter of musicians Edie Brickell and Paul Simon. In the Swinging London sixties, Lulu was a popular single-named Scottish singer--whose birth name was Marie.

Lulu

The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10 status in the US and its widespread international popularity.
Often ranked as Number 1 on Nameberry's internal charts, the strong but shimmery Luna is among the Top 100 names for baby girls in a wide range of countries around the world, from France to Italy to Germany, Scandinavia to Slovenia to Spain. It's simple, easy to spell and pronounce, and remarkably diverse.
 And it's also got deeper roots than you might imagine. It was somewhat popular in the US as a baby name around the turn of the 20th century, reaching a high of Number 403 way back in 1881.

Luna's popularity is undoubtedly influenced by the Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood and several high-profile celebrity babies, notably the oldest daughter of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. 
 Along with its celebrity connections, Luna's popularity is partially driven by its standing as a mythological name. Luna’s divine complement is Sol, the god of the Sun. In Roman art, Luna is often depicted driving a chariot.
 
Luna makes another appearance as the endearing oddball Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series, who was central enough to the story to have Harry give his daughter Luna as a middle name, and as the True Blood teacher-shapeshifter character, Luna Garza. 
 
Along with Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, other celebrities who named their daughters Luna include Penelope Cruz and Javier Barden as well as Constance Marie. Joely Fisher and Ellen Pompeo have used it as a middle. Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson use Luna as the nickname they call daughter Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence.
 
Luna is also among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

Luna

Lady

Since we wrote a book called Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana, encouraging parents to move beyond overused names, it's no secret what we think of this trendy surname name, inspired by a mermaid named Madison in the 1980s movie Splash.
 
Madison originated as an English surname, a variant of Mathieson, meaning "son of Matthew." It is occasionally translated as "son of Maud," as Maddy was historically a nickname for Maud. It was introduced as a feminine given name when the mermaid character in Splash takes her name from a street sign on New York’s Madison Avenue..
 
Madison ranked in the Top 10 for nearly 20 years, from the late 1990s until 2015, and has been on a gradual decline since then. But there are still more than 5000 baby girls named Madison in the US each year (along with a few dozen baby boys).
 
Madison’s longtime popularity can be credited to its connection to several of the hottest naming trends of the 21st century so far. It’s a place name, the capital of Wisconsin, ala Savannah and Sienna. It’s also a surname with an Old Money veneer in the vein of Addison and Emerson that feels gender-neutral even if it’s not.
 
And it may have felt like a fresh way to get to the popular nickname Maddie or Maddy, though the classic Madelyn may have more staying power.

Madison

Maggie is a cute, earthy short form that has been in style for several decades now, still sometimes used as an independent name by such parents as Jon Stewart. First used in Scotland, it got a large bump in popularity via the 1971 Rod Stewart hit song "Maggie May." Today's Maggie might just as well be short for a more adventurous name such as Magdalena or Magnolia as for the classic Margaret. 
Maggie Gyllenhaal was born Margaret.

Maggie

Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
 
Max was transformed from cigar-chomping grandpa to rosy-cheeked baby in the 1980s, along with card-playing partners Sam and Jake. Never quite as popular as it seemed, Max is now close to the the highest it's been on the Social Security list since 1917, after which German-sounding names went out of favor. 
 
Max has been a popular starbaby name for decades, most recently for the sons of Christina Aguilera, Cynthia Nixon and Charlie Sheen, while other celebs, such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, have used more formal appellations--Maximilian, Maxwell, Maxfield--on the birth certificate to get to the nickname Max. Skater Scott Hamilton put his own spin on it by maximizing the spelling of his son's name to Maxx.
 
Warning: Max has long been among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

The powerful name of the powerful character played by Russell Crowe in the 2000 film Gladiator first appeared on the popularity charts that same year. Max to the max. One time considered a "too much name" name, Maximus has entered the realm of possibility.
 Maximus was originally a Latin title of honor given to successful military commanders, such as Quintus Fabius Maximus, and then came to be a personal name, borne by several early saints.
 In George Eliot's novel Felix Holt: The Radical, Maximus Debarry is very much an aristocrat. LeBron James used it as the middle name for his son Bryce.

Maximus

Mia is an appealingly unfussy multicultural name that has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the charts and is now firmly among the ten <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/nameberry/girls">top girl names</a>. Mia has surpassed its mother name Maria as the Number 1 <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girls' name starting with M</a>. 
 
Mia originated as a short form of Maria, which ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Miryam. In modern times, Mia has been used as a nickname for names including Amelia, Emilia, and Miriam. Mia is also an Italian and Spanish word meaning 'mine.'
 Mia's success is largely attributable to Mia Farrow--born Maria. Her name entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 1964, the very year that Farrow gained wide attention for her role on the nighttime soap Peyton Place.
 We see Mia as the daughter of Nina, or maybe Maya, and the granddaughter of Mary: a name that has something for nearly everyone. It works for the parent who wants a name that is simple and modern, and for those who seek a name with traditional roots. Mia sidesteps all the curlicues and ruffles attached to names like Isabella and Olivia, yet it's distinctly feminine.
 
And in some ways, Mia doesn't feel as trendy as its popularity standing might indicate. It's likable yet not really stand-out, a compromise choice for a lot of parents. Alternatives include a wide range of rhyming names that are less popular: Leah, Tea, Thea, Gia, Nia, Pia. 
 Kate Winslet is the mother of Mia Honey, and Ian Ziering is dad to Mia Loren.

Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the Slavic root milu, meaning "merciful." Milo predates brother name Miles, a variation that evolved when the name immigrated to the British Isles in the Middle Ages. Mylo is an alternate spelling.
 
Milo has long been a favorite <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' name</a> on Nameberry, also getting some well-deserved appreciation in the wider world. Milo combines the strength of the ancient Greek Olympic wrestler of that name—a six-time winner of the Olympic games—with the debonair charm of a WWII RAF pilot.
 More recently, Milo has been associated with the dashing Milo Ventimiglia of This Is Us fame, and it has also been the name of characters in books Catch-22 and The Phantom Tollbooth, and on screen in Milo and Otis, Alias, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
 Ricki Lake, Camryn Manheim, Sherry Stringfield, Liv Tyler, Craig Ferguson, and Alyssa Milano are six celebrity parents who share our enthusiasm for Milo, as do many Nameberry baby namers.
 Milo is often heard in Ireland. Milo O'Shea was a renowned Irish character actor.

Milo

A name that works until your daughter is, say, six. 

Missy

Molly is one of the original nickname names, ALWAYS ranking among the US Top 500 girl names since statistics began, in 1880. Molly peaked in 1991 only to rise just as high again in 2011, and though softening retains a good measure of popularity and charm.
 
What is Molly short for? Molly originated as a diminutive of Mary, spawning from medieval variations Malle and Molle. Molly has been used as a stand-alone pet form of Mary since the Middle Ages, and has been consistently popular as an independent name in the U.S. over the past several decades.
 Likable and down-to-earth, mild yet saucy, Molly has a distinctly Irish feel as well, with such Gaelic associations as 'Sweet Molly Malone' and the martyred reformers known as the Molly Maguires. In the Jewish culture, Molly Goldberg was an early television personality. 
 Other references include the Revolutionary War heroine Molly Pitcher and the Molly Bloom character in James Joyce's Ulysses, as well as characters in novels by Fielding, Hardy, George Eliot, Dickens and Thackeray. More recently, "Good Golly, Miss Molly" was a Little Richard hit and Molly Ringwald a celebrity bearer.
 Amanda Peet is the mother of a Molly, as are Monica Potter and Veronica Webb.

Molly

This jaunty Celtic surname -- the most common family name in both Ireland and the US -- is totally viable as a first. The arguably most famous Murphy is TV's Murphy Brown, and indeed the name is twice as common for baby girls as for baby boys today. But still, it's solidly gender neutral and works equally well for all sexes. 
 There have been countless notable surnamed Murphys, including the currently prominent Eddie and Cillian. Murphy was the eponymous protagonist of Samuel Beckett's first published novel.
 One possible negative: the association with Murphy's Law--if anything can go wrong, it will.

Murphy

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts in the US and throughout the English-speaking world, along with a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to Switzerland.
 
Long a popular choice in England, Australia and New Zealand, Oliver entered the list of Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a> in the U.S. for the first time in 2009, but has already jumped to the top of the charts. Why? Because Oliver is energetic and good-natured, stylish but classic, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness. 
 
Oliver derives from Olivier, the Norman French variation of the Ancient Germanic name Alfihar ("elf army") or the Old Norse Áleifr ("ancestor's relic"), from which comes Olaf. Olivier emerged as the dominant spelling for its associations with the Latin word oliva, meaning "olive tree."

Oliver was used as a given name in medieval England after the spread of the French epic poem ‘La Chanson de Roland,’ which features a character named Olivier. It lost favor after the seventeenth century rule of Oliver Cromwell, then was revived in the nineteenth century. 

Oliver's biggest boost in this country came from the hit book and movie Love Story, which also catapulted the name Jennifer to stardom. Notable namesakes range from Oliver Wendell Holmes to Oliver Hardy to Oliver Stone. In fiction, there is Oliver Twist, and Oliver is also a Harry Potter name.
 Oliver works particularly well with single-syllable surnames, as in Oliver Stone, North and Puck (son of Wolfgang). Other celebrities who have chosen Oliver include Bridget Fonda, Fred Savage, Stephen Stills, and Taylor Hawkes. 
 International forms include the French Olivier, the Spanish Olivero, and the Italian Oliviero.
 Parents considering Oliver for their sons might consider that with Olivia at the top of the charts for girls, there will be an awful lot of children with names starting with Oliv-.

Oliver

Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing.
 
In the nineties and the aughties, Oscar looked to be one of the grandpa names heading straight for the top of the charts, ala Elijah or Theodore. But instead of rising into the Top 100, Oscar has settled into that comfortable place between being too far in or out.
 
Oscar has Irish and Norse roots—Norse Oscar comes from the Old English Osgar, a variation of the Old Norse name Ásgeirr. The Irish form was derived from the Gaelic elements os, meaning "deer," and car, "loving." In Irish legend, Oscar was one of the mightiest warriors of his generation, the son of Ossian and the grandson of Finn Mac Cumhaill (MacCool).
 
Oscar also has remarkable international versatility. In addition to being a top name in Sweden, where it has royal connection, Oscar ranks high on popularity lists in all the English-speaking countries as well as in France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and other European and Latin American countries.
 
Actors Hugh Jackman and Gillian Anderson chose Oscar for their sons.Famous Oscars include Wilde (whose given name was Fingal), Isaac, Madison, Hammerstein, Peterson, de la Renta, the Academy Award, and the Grouch.

Oscar

Like Peggy and Patsy, the kind of zesty moniker young Judy Garland would sport in her early let's-put-on-a-show flicks. It fell out of favor (and the Top 1000) for a while, but has recently rebounded by reentering the charts in 2013. Expect it to continue gaining traction as a result of surprise hit Penelope.

Penny

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

Part of the trend for formerly canine royal names; this is one a little girl might love—up till the age of eight. 

Princess

Riley -- one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/unisex">popular unisex names</a> -- is trendier now for girls though for boys it's a classic, ALWAYS ranking in the US Top 1000. 

In fact, after a decade of softening, Riley has recently taken a turn upward for boys, along with a lot of other gender-neutral names. These days, parents are embracing unisex names even more enthusiastically for their sons than for their daughters.

Riley ranks in the Top 100 for boys throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, though interestingly not in its native Ireland. In the US, Riley is the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/753/best-irish-girl-names">Irish name for girls</a>.

There are lots of athletes and other notable real-life namesakes for a boy named Riley, as well as fictional ones in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight: Eclipse. And Riley can easily be shortened for a boy to Ry or Lee.

Riley

Madonna did much to polish up the image of this old-neighborhood Italian choice when she picked it for her son with British director Guy Ritchie, and several years later it was also used by Rose Byrne and Bobby Canavale for their son. It now feels much more mainstream than many <a href="https://nameberry.com/fameberry">celebrity baby names</a>, sharing the quirky appeal of some other so-far-out-they're-in <a href="https://nameberry.com">baby names</a> as Bruno and Hugo. 
 Legendary boxers Rocky Graziano and Rocky Marciano were both born Rocco. Rocco DiSpirito is an award-winning celebrity chef. Rocco Landesman, meanwhile, is a noted Broadway producer.

Rocco

How many decades will it take for Rocky to triumph over its association with Sylvester Stallone's battered but not beaten boxer? The moment may have come, now that Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. have named their son Rocky. It helps, too, that Madonna's son Rocco helped make the name child-appropriate again.

Rocky

It wasn't so long ago that Romeo was considered as outre for an American baby as Casanova or Cupid. But that really changed when David and Victoria Beckham chose it for their second son in 2002, a path followed by Jon Bon Jovi.
 Romeo was not invented by the Bard, but was taken from his source material for the play.
Some sources say it descends from that of Romulus, one of the twin sons of Mars.

Romeo

Rosy-cheeked and cheery, Rosie (also spelled Rosy) has been standing on her own for many decades, back to the days of 1943 musical Sweet Rosie O'Grady. She's one of the perky nickname-names that are filling the popularity lists of other English-speaking countries. In the US, she came back to the Top 1000 in 2013, after a 30 year hiatus.
 A hobbit character in Lord of the Rings, Rosie's current representatives include Rosie (born Roseann) O'Donnell, Rosie Perez (born Rosa), and British-born pregnancy guru Rosie Pope. The Rosie Project is a 2013 bestselling novel by Graeme Simsion.

Rosie

Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago. 

Roxie

Vibrant, sassy, and bubbly, Ruby is a vintage gem that hasn’t lost any of its sparkle. Currently popular in a number of English-speaking countries, Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again for the first time since its heyday in the 1910s. 
The name of a precious stone, Ruby was ultimately derived from the Latin ruber meaning “red”. Despite its sweet, shiny contemporary feel, Ruby has in fact been used as a given name since the 1500s, though it really took off in the Victorian era, alongside Pearl and Opal. 
Many cultures consider rubies to be the stone of kings, and the gem is surrounded by symbolism of wealth, power, life blood, success, and protection. It is also the birthstone for July, which could make it a discreet honor for a July-born relation or just right for a July-born baby. 
In the US, Ruby was a popular choice in the early 20th century, and it peaked at #22 in 1911. By the 1940s however, it was falling down the charts, and while it never left the Top 400, parents turned away from Ruby and to the likes of Judy, Crystal, Rebecca, and Robin instead. 
Then, in the mid-2000s, Ruby made big moves in the UK, leaping to #1 in 2007. Propelled upwards by the catchy song by The Kaiser Chiefs which was released the same year and influenced by celebs such as Tobey Maguire and Charlotte Church choosing it for their daughters, Ruby moved back into the US Top 100 in 2013. 
A truly musical name, Ruby has featured in hits by The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, and Kenny Rogers, while namesakes of the fictional and famous variety including Rue from “Euphoria”, Ruby from “Steven Universe”, and Ruby Rose of “Orange is the New Black”, have kept the name in the public eye. 
Given to more than 3000 babies in the US every year and continuing to climb the charts, Ruby is one of those <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/339/vintage-baby-names">vintage baby names</a> that feels totally modern and full of life. 
Love Ruby but want to beat the trends? You could try another vintage gem like Edith, Lula, Twila, Betsy, or Fern, or perhaps something with a similar sound, like Thisbe, Prue, Billie, or Rumi.

Ruby

Rudy has a bit of style currency, thanks to the fact that Jude Law used it for his son. It has been consistently in the Top 1000 for as long as Social Security records have been tallied, as opposed to parent name Rudolph, which, perhaps due to the reindeer, hasn't been heard from in some time.
 Some people still remember Rudy as a young girl character on The Cosby Show; it appeared again on The Practice, where Judge Rudy Fox was a female.
 The titular protagonist of the 1993 film Rudy was a male.

Rudy

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.

Rusty

Roxy

Sadie started as a nickname for Sarah, but their images couldn't be more disparate. Where Sarah is serious and sweet, Sadie is full of sass and fun.
 Sadie has been soaring in popularity recently. Its last heyday was a century ago. She's been chosen by celebrities including Adam Sandler and Christina Applegate for their daughters.

 In popular culture, there's Somerset Maugham's Sadie Thompson, portrayed by Joan Crawford in Rain, Sadie Hawkins Day, where the girls get to ask the boys to dance, and songs like the Beatles' Sexy Sadie.

Sadie

Sam has long been used on its own for boys, as accepted standing by itself as it is as a short form of Samuel. Straightforward and down-to-earth, Sam is the name of the son of the co-stars of The Americans, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.

Sam is one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/baby-names-starting-with/s">names that start with S</a> in the Western world, ranking higher in several European countries than it does in the US, where it's trended downward since the 19th century, though it's always been in the Top 1000.

The origins of Samantha are not entirely clear, although it is commonly thought to be a feminization of Samuel with the suffix derived from the Greek anthos, meaning "flower." Samantha has been in English-speaking use since the eighteenth century, particularly in the American South, and drew attention via Grace Kelly's Tracy Samantha Lord character in High Society, featuring the song "I love you, Samantha."
 
Though still a lovely name, Samantha is finally beginning to fade after years of widespread use. The modern-day popularity of Samantha was originally inspired by the nose-twitching heroine of TV's Bewitched. It was revitalized by the sensual Kim Cattrell character on Sex and the City.
 
Some of today's parents may well go directly to nickname Sam, or consider an alternative like Samara.

Samantha

Short for Samuel or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.

Sammy

With the prevailing popularity of Samuel, some parents are considering this more (literally) powerful biblical name, which shares the desirable nickname of Sam.
 Samson was, of course, the supernaturally strong champion of the Israelites against the Philistines who was betrayed by Delilah, as dramatized in more than one technicolor epic. But the more it is used for children today, the more the name is able to move away from that image.
Sampson is a variant spelling--Sampson Brass is a character in the Dickens novel The Old Curiosity Shop, Samzun is the interesting Celtic spelling, Sansone the Italian version.
 The story of Samson has been translated into a number of works of art, including Milton's poetic drama Samson Agonistes, an oratorio by Handel, an opera by Saint-Saens, and paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens.

Samson

Sandy

Sasha, largely male in Russia--and also spelled Sascha and Sacha--is an energetic name that has really taken off for girls here, chosen by Jerry Seinfeld (using the alternate Sascha spelling) and other celebs. The Barack Obamas use it as the nickname for their younger daughter, whose proper name is Natasha. But in line with a trend toward softer-sounding boys' names like Asher and Joshua and thanks to Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen, Sasha also still has life as a boys' name too--it's popular in France for boys and girls almost equally.
 Another notable female bearer is 2006 Olympic silver medalist skater Sasha Cohen; Sasha Alexander, on the TV show Rizzoli & Isles, was born Suzana. And Sasha Fierce is the name of Beyonce's alter ego.
 Sasha was as high as 147 in 1988.

Sasha

Though Shelby was trendier ten years ago, it's still a widely used choice.   

Shelby

Sophie is the French form of the Greek Sophia, for which it is also commonly used as a nickname. Given Sophia's long standing among the Top 10 girl names in the US, Sophie may feel more popular than it actually is.
 
Sophies are scattered throughout European royal history, including Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess of Brabant, Princess Sophie of Sweden, and in modern times, Sophie, Duchess of Wessex, the wife of Britain's Prince Edward. German-born Catherine the Great was born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, but changed her name to Catherine upon her conversion to Russian Orthodoxy.
 
Sophie is Sophia's cuter, more irreverent near-identical twin. Which do you like better? And do you see them as virtually the same name or very different? While you definitely couldn't name sisters Sophie and Sophia, you may have both on your short list and consider them distinctly separate choices. Sophie is lively and down-to-earth, while Sophia is more sophisticated and buttoned-up. 
 
Sophie was the choice of both Eric Clapton and Luke Perry, as well as of Bette Midler for her now-grown daughter.
 Sophie Zawistowska is the Polish heroine of the iconic William Styron novel Sophie's Choice, played in the 1982 film by Meryl Streep—who would play the mother of a Sophie decades later in Mamma Mia!.

Sophie

Stella is a name with star quality and sparkle, that manages to sound both ethereal and earthy. Celestial but not otherworldly, it lands somewhere between the popular Ella and bold Seraphina. 
 
The name Stella was derived from stella, the Latin word for “star”. It was coined by the poet, Sir Philip Sidney who used it in his 1590 sonnet collection, Astrophel and Stella, which translates literally to “the star lover and his star.” 
 
While Astrophel has remained obscure, Stella came into common usage in the 1800s. Inspired perhaps by its similarity to Ella and Esther, and by its association with the Virgin Mary, from her Catholic title, Stella Maris, it was popular in the early decades of the 20th century.
 
After fading in the 70s, Stella is now back and brighter than ever. Following on the heels of Gabriella and Isabella, it ranks in the US Top 50 and is given to almost 5000 babies each year. With equally astronomical Luna now making the Top 10, Stella might rise even higher.
 
Stella holds international appeal too and has taken shining spots on the charts in Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Italy, and France. 
 
The name Stella was famously bellowed by Marlon Brando in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, and it has proved a popular choice among celebrities, including Matt Damon, Ellen Pompeo, Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott, and Gena Lee Nolin. 
 
Designer and animal rights activist Stella McCartney is another notable namesake, as is Stella Adler, an influential acting teacher. 
 
If Stella is shining for you but it’s not quite the brightest star on your list, then you could consider its variants, the literary Estella, or the French Estelle. Alternatively, you might like another starry name, such as Astraea, Seren, or Izara, or something just equally celestial, like Elara, Celia, or Celeste.

Stella

Shadow

Sparky

Teddy is in some ways one of those midcentury boys' nicknames -- like Jimmy or Bobby or Billy -- yet because it was never that popular, it feels timeless too. The preferred short form of Theodore these days may be Theo and of Edward may be....Edward, but Teddy can work adorably for either and grows up to Ted. And of course, let's not forget the inevitable teddy bear.

Teddy

This jaunty unisex nickname name has recently been given a shot of testosterone via actor Tobey Maguire and the gruff, erudite character on West Wing.

Toby

Tucker has more spunk than most last-name-first-names, and also a positive, comforting ("Tuck me in, Mommy") feel. 
 Tucker got something of a preppy image via bow-tied conservative TV commentator Tucker Carlson, and quite the opposite from writer/blogger Tucker Max, author of the #1 best-seller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. Tucker Crowe is a character in the Nick Hornby novel Juliet, Naked.

Tucker

Long associated with the Churchill family and common in the West Indies, the distinguished Winston has tended to be neglected here. The exception was during the World War II period, when Winston Churchill was a towering figure and his name reached Number 234. It's now enjoying something of a renaissance.
 Winston Smith is the main character in George Orwell's 1984, is a presence in Pulp Fiction, is the name of a character in the best-selling book and film How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and was the middle name of both John Lennon and John Howard, long-serving Australian Prime Minister.
Billie Piper and Laurence Fox named their son Winston in 2008. 
 With the current trend towards using hero names, we can see this upstanding Anglo-Saxon example making a return.
 The nickname Winnie came into the public consciousness with the Winnie-the-Pooh books, but is now almost exclusively feminine--though you can shorten it further to the winning Win.
 Minor irritant: Connection to the cigarette brand.

Winston

The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously.  The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down to earth.  And Zeus wasn't just the supreme god, he was also the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and fate, among other weighty responsibilities.

Zeus

Zoe is one of those surprising names that has been on the Top 1000 nearly every year since 1880, but it's only since the turn of this century that it's ranked in the Top 100. 
 
Despite its popularity in several spellings -- Zoey ranks nearly as highly -- Zoe still manages to sound distinctive. Credit the initial Z, the sleek simplicity, the not-silent final e, and the name's compelling. meaning: life.
 
The history of Zoe begins in the third century when the Alexandrian Jews translated Eve, which means 'life,' to the Greek equivalent Zoe. Zoe was in use as far back as the Roman classical period, and was popular with the early Christians, who bestowed it with hopes of eternal life, but it didn't migrate to the English-speaking world until the mid-nineteenth century.
 
Zoe Washbourne was a strong warrior in the sci-fi show Firefly, Zoe Hart the leading female character on Hart of Dixie, Zoe Barnes a journalist on House of Cards, and kids might recognize Zoe from Sesame Street.
 Zoe is currently hot around the world, popular in countries from Scotland to Spain, France to New Zealand.
 Zoe has spawned a number of variant spellings, including Zoey, Zoie, and Zooey. Zoey has been embraced by TV scripters--she has been seen on the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101, The West Wing and How I Met Your Mother. Zoie ranked in the Top 1000 for 20 years but has just dropped out. 
 Wide-eyed actress Zooey Deschanel, whose first name is pronounced the same as Zoe, was named after Zooey Glass, the male protagonist of the J. D. Salinger novella Franny and Zooey.

Zoey is a modern spelling variation of Zoe, the Greek Jewish translation of Eve. For a few years, it was even more popular than the original Zoe, but has now dropped back to the second ranked spelling. 
Despite its Jewish origins, Zoe was historically more popular among Christians. Two early saints were named Zoe—Saint Zoe of Rome and Saint Zoe of Pamphylia. 
Zoey has been a consistent favorite for girls in the 21st century, its kinship with Joey giving it a tomboyish feel. Zoie is a US Top 1000 name as well. Zoey has become a screenwriters' fave, with characters by that name appearing on Zoey 101, Nurse Jackie and The West Wing.

Zoey

kitchi1's list "Popular Names for Dogs" of 99 great name ideas: Abby - Zoey!

Popular Names for Dogs

Whether you want your child to have a name usually used on dogs, you are avoiding it, or you just need some name inspo, check this page out! Below are the top 100 names for both male and female dogs.