What were the most popular names on the site this calendar year?
It’s an easy question, but the answer tends to surprise.
That’s because popular names for girls at Appellation Mountain don’t look like any other Top Ten list.
This site is big enough to attract a diverse, all-over-the-world readership. But it’s also small enough that quirks of the almighty algorithm or a modestly viral moment can really shift the numbers.
The most popular girls’ names in the US are Olivia, Emma, and Charlotte. None of them make the list – at all – here.
Instead, this Top Ten? It’s wild and surprising! But if you’ve been around for a while? You’ll recognize some familiar – to AM readers, anyway – repeats.
This list will be the basis for our 2025 March Madness Baby Names tournament. More on at below.
But first … the Top Ten!
TOP TEN GIRL NAMES AT APPELLATION MOUNTAIN
10. SASKIA (unranked in the US)
It’s sort of like Sophia, but turned up to eleven. It comes from a Germanic name referring to the Saxons, a tribe. (Think Anglo-Saxon.) In turn, saxon ultimately comes from a word meaning knife. I’ve been singing Saskia’s praises for years, as an undiscovered gem – at least in the US. 34 girls received the name in 2023, which is near an all-time high, but nothing to compete with Olivia.
9. ALIFAIR (unranked in the US)
An intriguing rarity, Alifair has been used in tiny numbers, in multiple spellings, over many years. You might hear it in accounts of the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud, or maybe from author Alafair Burke.
8. ALICE (#65)
One of the few names very popular in the US and very widely-read on the site, too!
7. NORI (#900)
There’s no question that Nori is trending. But what explains it? YouTube series Murder Drones? (The dates don’t match up.) A supposed nickname for Kim Kardashian’s firstborn, North? Maybe – she definitely gave the name a lift. Minor characters from Tolkien to the extended Barbie universe? Or maybe it’s just a sound the fits right now, along the lines of Cora and Rory.
6. AZURA (unranked in the US)
A pretty shade of blue boosted by the Z sound.
5. DULCIE (unranked in the US; Dulce is #781)
Odds are that sweet Dulcie makes this list because Dulce is attracting plenty of attention.
4. KELSEY (#662)
I had my eye on Kelce last year – a name that was already trending before the Kelce brothers crossed over from football to pop culture powerhouses. Could that be why 1990s favorite Kelsey generated so many page views in 2024?
3. VALANCY (unranked in the US)
An obscure name for LM Montgomery fans, one that’s perfect for parents who love to blend the best of Delaney and Valerie in a name that’s far less common than either.
2. JAMES (unranked for girls in the US; James is #4 for boys)
After years of discounting the pageviews for “James for a girl” I realized it was time to face facts: this post has gone from something written on a whim to the most popular featured name on the site. James for a boy ranks near the top on that list, too. My personal guess: while some parents will consider a masculine classic for their daughters, James for a girl succeeds because many of us find James appealing as a daughter’s middle name. Maybe to honor a beloved father or grandfather. Or maybe just because it has the same appeal as Rose – a strong, bright sound. And while Rose can soften a unisex name, James can add an unexpected twist to a conventionally feminine one. So the new Avery Rose? Is Elodie James.
1. TALLULAH (#817)
A new arrival to the US Top 1000, Tallulah feels like a name ready for its close-up. It might be Irish or Native American in origin; it’s definitely a pick with old school celebrity bona fides. And the sounds – lots of L, coupled with that lovely oo of Luna and Ruby and Juniper, is a recipe for success. AM readers are so often ahead of the curve, and so the runaway popularity of Tallulah could be a sign of future popularity and success for this high-energy name.
THE LIST: THE 80 MOST POPULAR GIRL NAMES ON THE SITE IN 2024
- TALLULAH
- JAMES
- VALANCY
- KELSEY
- DULCIE
- AZURA
- NORI
- ALICE
- ALIFAIR
- SASKIA
- PARALEE
- CALISTA
- NOA
- POPPY
- LOUISA
- FLORA
- ZONA
- ROMELIA
- ROMILLY
- AUDRA
- AVELINE
- LILA
- ZUZU
- ALETTE
- PHRYNE
- SUSANNAH
- SOLENNE
- SELAH
- ELSIE
- MARIGOLD
- RAFAELA
- NAVY
- POLLY
- MIRA
- REBECCA
- RUMI
- SYLVIE
- MAREN
- ISLA
- HELENA
- ARDEN
- URSULA
- FIONA
- ARACELI
- WREN
- SLOANE
- ELIZA
- AVONLEA
- IZORA
- IVELISSE
- JOSEPHINE
- FRANCES
- JEZEBEL
- MARLOWE
- VAELA
- CLARA
- VERUCA
- INGRID
- LOTTIE
- GEMMA
- DAPHNE
- DOVE
- FLANNERY
- BERNADETTE
- VERA
- ELOWEN
- HAZEL
- ADERYN
- MARGOT
- MYNA
- SABINE
- VESPER
- ZAZIE
- ANGHARAD
- MARIE
- CLEOPHEE
- YVAINE
- MATILDA
- ISADORA
- ROSEMARY
There you have it! The top girl names 2024 on Appellation Mountain – a most curious and intriguing list, with a mix of the names we all love (hello, Alice and Daphne!) along wiht some completely unexpected surprises. (Where else could Valancy and Alifair rank in the Top Ten?)
There are a few that would make my list, but more I’d click on for the sake of curiosity. For instance, I feel like I might have seen Paralee floating around in some southern family tree somewhere on my dad’s side, so while I wouldn’t use it (reminds me too much of paralegal), I am curious to know more. Alifair strikes me as romance novel/fanfic so I would click on that to see if my gut is right or if I’m totally off. Saskia I know about and admire, but I’d click on that because my daughter is doing a group project with a Saskia at school so I’d like to refresh my memory on it so I can tell her about it.
Had a friend name her baby Tallulah last year, and I totally love it! So darling and full of history. I think Tallulah is the new Clementine (not that Clementine is falling out of favor). I hope we see this name similarly increase in use.
Are your readers mostly US based? Nori is pretty and unexpected, and it’s interesting that there’s nothing to point to as to why it’s popular, other than if you’re the only site to cover it (but that would be the same for all the names you’re the only one to cover)
I love Valancy! It’s different but classy. Don’t like Dove, Wren or Navy though and James does not work as a female name for me. My greatnieces are Saskia and Isla.