Names that Peaked in 2006

As a Spanish and Portuguese name, Brayan is a variant of the Celtic Brian, familiar in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Italy and France. As a modern invention, it blends Brayden with Bryan, tying it the to the strong meaning of Brian and the fish-related meaning of Braden.

Closely associated with the well-regarded 2006 movie Akeelah and the Bee, about a girl from South L.A. who becomes an unlikely contender in the National Spelling Bee.

This variant of the more popular spellings swaps out the -ie ending for a y, though the result is a name that is more reminiscent of Italy than a girl's name. While it has ranked in the US Top 1000 since 2004, it sits a couple hundred spots behind Nathalie (Number 670), and it pales in comparison to the constant Natalie (Number 31).

This effort to update Sheryl combines Sher- with the familiar -lyn ending. Sherlyn was given to 145 baby girls in 2022, and seems to be on the rise.

A spelling variation of the Hispanic Jovanni, itself a variation of the Giovanni, the Italian form of traditional John. This form may also be used by English speaking parents, hoping to make the pronunciation of Giovanni clear.

Latina "freestyle" singer Nyasia helped put this name on the popularity list.

Natalie retains some classic charm, but the -ee spelling is fading fast. Its the lowest ranked of the spelling variants, a list that includes Nataly, Nathalie, and Nathaly.