New Names for GirlsIn May 2015, the US Social Security Administration will release the official data on the most popular baby names given to children born in 2014. Let’s take a look back at the names that made their mark on the current list!

First, the numbers: in 2013, 51 girls’ names and 45 boys’ names charted in the US Top 1000 that had not ranked in 2012.

Some were retro revivals, names re-entering the rankings after long absences. Others were completely new.

Read on for a list of the 51 new names for girls that charted in 2013, as well as a look at the trends.

New Names for Girls: 51 Names Debuting or Returning in 2013

  1. Daleyza
  2. Mabel
  3. Wren
  4. Henley
  5. Sutton
  6. Remi
  7. Ariyah
  8. Tegan
  9. Carter
  10. Everleigh
  11. Ivory
  12. Katalina
  13. Rosie
  14. Gwyneth
  15. Hadlee
  16. Jurnee
  17. Rory
  18. Elliott
  19. Saylor
  20. Freya
  21. Marjorie
  22. Ariya
  23. Lennon
  24. Liv
  25. Oakley
  26. Hunter
  27. Amalia
  28. Giavanna
  29. Emerie
  30. Kori
  31. Margot
  32. Ellison
  33. Gwen
  34. Wynter
  35. Belinda
  36. Neriah
  37. Rivka
  38. Kailani
  39. Zainab
  40. Marleigh
  41. India
  42. Kaidence
  43. Magnolia
  44. Princess
  45. Avalyn
  46. Ireland
  47. Roxanne
  48. Amia
  49. Astrid
  50. Karly
  51. Penny

New Names for Girls: Trends

Retro Revival – Mabel, Marjorie, and Margot are back! So is Roxanne, a lovely, literary Persian name that was all over the radio in the 1970s and 80s. Belinda is back – though she hasn’t been gone for long. The Welsh Gwen also returned in 2013, and I think Gwen is a name to watch.

Surnames – We love surnames for boys and girls, but the names aren’t always the same. Sutton, Henley and Ellison debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2013, but only for girls. Others are more equal opportunity, including 2013 girl debuts Oakley, Hunter, Carter, Elliott, and Lennon.

Pop Culture – Daleyza, the most popular of 2013’s new names for girls, comes straight from reality television, via singer Larry Hernandez.

Alt Spellings – Alt spellings are especially big on the girls’ list, with Everleigh, Marleigh, Ariya, Ariyah, Kaidence, Tegan, Katalina, Hadlee, Jurnee, Saylor, Giavanna, Wynter, and Emerie all fitting into this category.

Imports – There are some truly gorgeous imports on this years’ list. Gwyneth could make the pop culture list, but somehow I think this is less about La Paltrow and more about the lovely Welsh name. Freya, Astrid, and Liv come to us from Scandinavia, Rivka from Israel, Kailani from Hawaii (does that count as an import?), and Zainab from Arabic. Amalia could be a respelling of Amelia, or it might be a borrowing from overseas.

From the Map – We do like a good place name. Ireland and India both returned to the US Top 1000 in 2013.

Nature Names – Wren, Magnolia, Ivory – there’s no shortage of possibilities in this category. The three names are ones embraced by parents in 2013.

Creative Spins – Part-Ava, part-Evelyn, part-Adalyn, Avalyn debuted in 2013. Some of these names hover at the fringes of the rankings for a few years before fading. Others catch on. My guess is that we’ll be hearing more of Avalyn. Amia seems to be a twist on Mia, with influence from Amy and Amaya.

Borrowed from the Boys – I know – it’s a source of much controversy. But every year there are a few name on the girls’ US Top 1000 that were formerly reserved for boys. The French Remi arrived in the girls’ Top 1000, even as Remy raced up the boys’ chart. Could it be that we see the ‘i’ spelling as feminine in the US? And Rory, a climbing Irish favorite for boys, also debuted for girls in 2013. Here’s an interesting one: Neriah. It’s the name of a minor male figure in the Old Testament, but it seems to have a much longer history of use for girls, at least in the US.

Short and Sweet – Karly, Kori, Rosie, and Penny all cracked the US Top 1000 in 2013. They’re part-variant spellings, part-nicknames as given names.

Visions of Grandeur – The boys’ list included Royal and Duke. Girls rule, too, with Princess entering the US Top 1000 in 2013.

Which of the 2013 debut names is your personal favorite? Are there any that you think will really catch on?

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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4 Comments

  1. You list Tegan under the “variant spellings” — what is it a variant of? That’s the spelling I’d think of as ‘canonical’.

  2. I love Wren and Remi (although, I prefer the Remy spelling, even on a girl). I’m pretty partial to R sounds, I think. I really like nature names in general, and the imports. Gwen and Astrid are loves of mine.

  3. Rory has popped in and out of the girl’s Top 1,000 over the past several years (the first year it ranked was 2003). The gender ratio is veering back toward the boys though, as there are now about twice as many boys given the name than girls (the closest was in 2008 when Rory’s numbers were almost tied, but the girls never had the majority).

  4. Thanks, Abby! I love the way you’ve categorized some of these names and explained the appeal of them. I just shared this post and also your post on the new boys’ names in 2013 on Facebook. Very interesting posts. Well done!