Choosing a Name for a Baby Girl  

You have discovered the sex of the baby.  It will be a beautiful baby girl.  What will you name your precious bundle of joy?  There are several options available from the traditional to the outrageous.  Here are a few of the more popular names that have been topping the list for the last few years. 

Decorating will be a piece of cake compared to naming your baby.  Choosing a popular name is not without its problems.  When school starts, your child may be one of several girls in the class with the same name.  This can become confusing when the teacher asks for one of them and all of them come.  Changing the spelling of the more popular names won’t help with this situation. 

On the other hand, your little girl won’t have any trouble spelling her name.  The most popular names mostly contain one to three syllables and are spelled in a traditional way.  The names are not likely to be mispronounced or misspelled. 

The most popular name over the last few years is Emily.  This is a German name that means “industrious.”  While there are several spelling variations for this name, the traditional spelling is the most popular. 

The other top nine names include:  Emma, Hannah, Madison, Olivia, Abigail, Sophia, Samantha, Ashley, and Alexis.  Each is spelled the way it sounds. Most of these names don’t conform to what society call “modern”, but they would have meanings that any parent would be proud to associate with their daughter’s name. 

The name Emma means “embracing.” It is also of German origin. Hannah means “gracious.” It is a biblical name taken from the Old Testament. Madison is a trendier name than the others. It is an English name meaning “brave.” 

You might have older relatives who claim one of the following popular names as their own.  Olivia means “peace.”  The name Abigail means “cherished of God.”  This is also a biblical name from the Old Testament.  Sophia means “wisdom” in Greek.  The name Samantha means “listener.”   

The last of the top ten girls’ names are names we hear often.  Ashley means “harmony.”  It is an Old English name.  Also of English origin, Alexis means “defender of mankind.”  Both of these names bring to mind the image of a beautiful high school homecoming queen for many. 

While you may not choose your baby girl’s name based on meaning, it is nice to know what these names stand for.  They may be the most popular for that very reason.  You can be creative with these popular girl names, but don’t make them too hard to spell or recognize as the name they are supposed to be. 

These names may not strike a chord with you as a first name, but may flow nicely as a middle name with whatever name you choose.  Babies have character from the time they are born.  Look into her eyes when you first hold her and see if the name fits your newest family addition. 

The meanings for these names were taken from The Name Book by Dorothy Astoria, Copyright ©1997.