My Ever-Growing Favorites Name List

It may surprise you to know that surname name Porter was fairly popular in the US in the 19th and early 20th centuries, then went underground for 40 years only to reemerge at the turn of this century and climb the ladder again.

A strong, straightforward Irish unisex surname, with a merry glint in its eye, Reagan has been leaping up the popularity lists, to become one of the top girl names starting with R. Some will inevitably link it to President Ronald, but spell it Regan and it's a Shakespearean name: a daughter of King Lear.

This spelling of Silas hit a peak at Number 520 in 2013 -- likely to due the trendy Y -- but has since fallen a bit in the ranking. The classic spelling is much more popular.

Wren, a lilting songbird name, could be the next Robin. Wren entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2012 and is among the new wave of popular English names for girls.

Zoelle is a modern-sounding name combining the stylish Zoe, which means life, with the trendy Elle, French for "she". Could make for a zippier spin on sweet Noelle.