New Girl Names 2024: Adhara to Winifred

The new girl names 2024 have arrived!

What, precisely, does that mean?

Every year, the US Social Security Administration updates the 1,000 most popular names for girls and boys. Inevitably, some names fall off the list and others take their places.

The new list is based on birth data for the prior calendar year, so the May 2024 update covers births recorded between January 1st and December 31st of 2023.

Some names are debuting for the first time, while others have returned after an absence. Occasionally, a name will teeter on the edge of the rankings, in one year and out the next, before moving in one direction or the other.

This year’s list includes 44 new or returning names. That number is pretty typical. Here’s how it stacks up:

Last year, 46 names returned or debuted on the 2022 list.
36 names returned or debuted on the 2021 list.
In calendar year 2020, 47 names debuted or returned.
The 2019 list included 40 new names.
For calendar year 2018, the new data revealed 50 newcomers.
Names chosen in 2017 gave us 43 new girl names.
In 2016, 45 girls’ names ranked in the US Top 1000 that did not appear in the prior year.
The list from calendar year 2015 included 47 new names
The update for the year 2014 set the number at 38.
And for 2013, it stood at 45.

Now, on to the names!

Adhara #769

A night sky name, Adhara is the name of a star in the constellation Canis Major. It means “maiden” in Arabic.

Ailany #855

Another spelling of Hawaiian name Ailani.

Ainara #870

Likely another spelling of Enara, a Basque name meaning swallow (as in the bird), Ainara is trending in Spain.

Aleyna #961

Yet another possible spelling for Elena/Elaina/Alayna, or an Arabic name meaning gentle.

Alitzel #871

A newly invented name by way of Mexico.

Amyra #990

Amir means prince in Arabic. Feminine forms Amira and Amirah are popular in the US, so Amyra follows logically.

Andie #883

Andi already charted in the US Top 1000, and had since 2015. Andie fits better with the boyish-nicknames-as-girl-names trend. Think of Frankie, Scottie, Stevie, and Charlie.

Arely #837

It looks a lot like Latina names Araceli and Yareli, as well as the Old Testament masculine name Areli.

Aura #960

A word name with a golden glow and a supernatural vibe. While Aura’s AU makes it appear close to Aurelia, it comes from a Greek word meaning breeze.

Avani #840

A Sanskrit name meaning earth. Worth noting: Hindi speakers will pronounce this with two syllables, and it is sometimes spelled Avni. But American parents will almost certainly opt for three.

Ayah #999

A name with spiritual significance in Islam, Ayah refers to the passages that comprise the Quran.

Aylani #1000

Another invented Hawaiian name, though Ailani means chief.

Ayra #944

Rising Nigerian singer Ayra Starr puts this short, strong name in the spotlight.

Azari #695

The Old Testament Azariah means “God has helped.” Azari feels like a sleeker update.

Blessing #953

A religious word name, Blessing is most popular in parts of Africa.

Clare #991

A sparer spelling of classic, French Claire.

Dana #970

Sometimes masculine in the past, Dana tends to read more like a feminine form of Daniel in recent decades. A 1970s favorite, Dana has trended towards obscurity in recent years, but rose just enough to chart in 2023.

Dania #853

Either an Italian feminine form of Daniel or an intriguing Arabic name meaning “close.”

Eleanora #946

Gorgeous, elaborate romance language take on Eleanor.

Elouise #954

Eloise and Louise aren’t related names, but this spelling meshes them together.

Emryn #888

Likely a cousin to Emrys, the Welsh name for Merlin, Emryn sounds like it stepped out of a fantasy novel.

Esperanza #989

Gorgeous Spanish name with a powerful meaning: hope.

Etta #938

Short for Henrietta and other names ending with -etta and -ette, this name is forever wedded to legendary singer Etta James – born Jamesetta Hawkins.

Indy #918

Indie already ranks in the girls’ Top 1000, so why not strong, independent Indy, too?

Ivey #851

A twist on Ivy, this one possibly prompted by a common surname spelling.

Jaycee #882

Jaycee feels like it ought to be a name, but is it spelled Jacey or Jaycie or Jaycee? At the moment, it feels like Jaycee is the preferred feminine form of Jason, Jace, and company.

Kaeli #678

Yet another way to spell Kaylee, Kaeli is a character in the Final Fantasy video game series.

Kahlani #975

One more in the Kalani/Kehlani camp of pretty Hawaiian (and Hawiian-ish) options.

Kimora #915

Model turned entrepreneur and reality television personality, Kimora Lee Simmons has also inspired parents to adopt her distinctive name for their daughters.

Kya #820

Another take on Kaia and Kaya, possibly inspired by Mya.

Lilia #957

Lovely Lily name.

Madalyn #904

One more possible spelling of Madelyn/Madeline to add to the US Top 1000.

Mazie #958

A phonetic spelling of Maisie, boosted by trailblazing Hawaii senator Mazie Hirono.

Miller #879

A surname that leads to trending nickname name Millie.

Nataly #931

A spelling of popular Natalie particularly favored by Spanish-speaking families.

Quincy #977

A surname take on long-time favorite Quinn, with a bit of Nancy thrown in, too.

Raquel #905

Spanish form of Rachel.

Reya #952

Also spelled Riya, this name comes from a Sansrkit root meaning singer.

Ruthie #920

Ruth meets Sadie.

Seraphina #974

Fiery and elaborate celebrity baby name we’ve been watching for ages, as Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s younger daughter grows up. After years of quiet gains, Seraphina has finally arrived.

Solana #934

It looks like a mash-up of the Spanish word for sun – sol – and traditional Ana. But it’s also a place name with Latin roots meaning “place in the sun.”

Violette #983

The French form of Violet, or possibly just a spelling for Violet inspired by Juliette.

Whitney #981

Originally an English surname, Whitney now has a very 1980s vibe, thanks to the late, legendary singer Whitney Houston.

Winifred #967

An old school martyr saint, Winifred’s name has long been popular in England. Nickname Winnie makes this a particularly appealing choice.