Exotic -elle's

Along with Daniela, Michelle, Nicole, and Denise, Danielle was a big hit from the 1960s to the nineties, sitting comfortably in the Top 20 for several years. Parents then responded to its chic, sophisticated Gallic image, and though it has lost some of its sheen, it's still a widely used choice. Novelist Danielle Steele is its most well-known bearer; it's also the name of Elvis's granddaughter.

What do you do when you love two variations of the same name that also sound quite distinct? One option is to blend them together and keep the best of both. Elizabelle - and Elizabella - have been in use since the 2000s, though they haven't caught on just yet. Possibly divisive, but both are rather pleasing to say.

Combine the charming heroine of the movie Legally Blonde with supermodel Elle Macpherson and the trend toward all names beginning with "el"—Ellie, Ella, Eleanor—and you have one hit name.

Maybe it's because she shares that winning -elle sound with Isabel and Bella, but Estelle is no longer seen as a muumuu-wearing canasta player of a certain age (think George Costanza's mother on Seinfeld or Joey Tribbiani's talent agent in Friends). This could be in part thanks to the young Royal Couple of Sweden, who chose it for their firstborn daughter, or the single-named British R&B singer. It reentered the US Top 1000 in 2012 after a nearly fifty-year absence.

The quintessentially elegant and worldly Gabrielle -- designer Coco Chanel's real name -- is on its descent after years on the rise. Gabrielle was a hit in the 90s and early 2000s, peaking at number 46 in 1999. Popular nickname options include Gabby, Bri, and Brielle. Today Gabriella has taken over as the more popular version and still sits in the Top 100, while Gabrielle is soon to lose its spot in the Top 500. This follows a collective trend of "-a" ending version surpassing the more tailored versions, similar to how Daniela replaced Danielle.

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen undoubtedly gave this name a boost. The French pronunciation (jiz-ELLE) gives it a more graceful, balletic, gazellelike feel.