What were the top girl names 2025? The most-viewed names by Appellation Mountain readers?
It’s an easy question, but the answer? It’s a list that tends to surprise.
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 Amelia. None of them make the list – at all – here.
Instead, this Top Ten? It’s quirky and truly unusual. But if you’ve been around for a while? You’ll recognize some familiar – to AM readers, anyway – repeats from past years.
This list will be the basis for our 2026 March Madness Baby Names tournament. More on that below.
But first … the Top Ten!
TOP TEN GIRL NAMES AT APPELLATION MOUNTAIN IN 2025
10. HARRIET (unranked in the US)
A traditional name with a long history of use, Harriet feels like it belongs in the US Top 1000 – if not the Top 100. After all, it’s been there before. It’s a feminine form of Henry, a current Top Ten staple for boys. And it’s gently French with a strong T ending, just like favorites Charlotte and Juliette. Another bonus? Nicknames Hattie and Hallie are style stars, both rising in this Sadie-Millie moment. Appellation Mountain readers might be just slightly ahead of the curve with the love for Harriet.
9. SYLVIA (#361 in the US; Sylvie is #360)
A logical successor to Sophia and Olivia, Sylvia is an early 20th style star ready for revival. Sparky French Sylvie is nearly as popular, and since some of those Sylvias are almost certainly Sylvie at least some of the time? This name is more popular than it initially appears. While Silvia is common in many European languages, it’s not currently ranked in the US, but might be another option.
8. ROMILLY (unranked in the US)
A logical alternative to Avery and Bellamy and a formal name for rising Romy, Romilly feels like it ought to be rising in use. And it did reach an all-time high in the US for the year 2024 … 20 births. For comparison, even the name ranked #1000 in the US for 2024 was given to 257 girls. (Raina, if you’re curious.)
7. WREN (#213 in the US)
Wren has been a long-time favorite nature name, rising steadily in the US over the last dozen years, bringing more bird names with it. It’s hit a plateau in recent years. Two reasons why it’s still so popular here? First, it’s a name I talk about lots. My daughter’s bonus middle is Wren, inspired by my sister’s childhood nickname, Bird. Another reason? I suspect Wren is the kind of name lots of parents consider to pair with more classic firsts. I’ve met an Eleanor Wren, and can’t you just imagine Charlotte Wren, Louisa Wren, Magdalena Wren?
6. JAMES (unranked in the US for girls; #5 for boys)
Yes, James is a boy’s name. Overwhelmingly and enduringly. But years ago, I wrote a post titled “James for a Girl.” Controversial though it may be, it remains among the most-read posts on the site, year after year. As with Wren, I suspect parents are mostly considering James as a middle.
5. CELESTE (#198 in the US)
The top girl names 2025 at Appellation Mountain don’t always translate to widespread popularity. But in the case of Celeste, I think it will. It’s an obvious substitute for Charlotte, a nature name with a spiritual side. There’s something delicate and blue sky about this name. I can see it breaking into the US Top 100 in the near future.
4. VALANCY (unranked in the US)
If Celeste is a fast-rising favorite in the US and on the site, Valancy’s popularity is far more limited. It’s a name author LM Montgomery used for a non-Anne novel. That’s why so many people continue to discover this rarity, year after year.
3. RUMI (unranked in the US)
How can the name of a 13th century Persian poet be the hottest thing for girls’ names now? Because again, I think AM readers nailed it with their love of Rumi. First, Beyonce and Jay-Z gave this name to their younger daughter. And then, just as it was quietly gaining traction as a sort of pan-global choice with creative energy, along came KPop Demon Hunters. The main character answered to Rumi, and from Halloween costumes to baby names, the influence is impossible to overlook.
2. SCOTTIE (#202 in the US)
It’s not completely clear why the name Scottie surged in the US popularity data so dramatically in 2024. It leapt from the 600s to this sky-high rank in just a single year. Then again, Scottie feels like a midpoint between fading Charlie and vintage Lottie. It’s just feminine enough, with a sort of retro energy. This time, AM readers are keeping pace with US trends.
1. TALLULAH (#815 in the US)
On paper, the baby name Tallulah held steady from 2023 to 2024 in the US data. But it continues to gain attention, with more parents cautiously considering this bold name with Hollywood history and a batch of compelling nicknames. It’s the kind of name AM readers love – storied, not-too-common, but just familiar enough to prompt others to remark, “Oh, I love that name!”
THE LIST: THE 92 MOST POPULAR GIRL NAMES OF 2025
Why 92 names? I choose a cut-off based on page views. That’s the easy part. Because the most-viewed posts here are typically a mix of lists and #namehelp questions. Another complication? Girls’ names are more popular than boys’ names. So one of my criteria for choosing a cut-off point is when I’ve compiled the Top 50 boys’ names. But … the 92nd most popular girl’s name is roughly as popular as the 50th most popular boy’s name.
Yawn … if that’s TL; DR? Girls’ names are more popular than boys’ names, so it just plain makes sense to list nearly twice as many.
- TALLULAH
- SCOTTIE
- RUMI
- VALANCY
- CELESTE
- JAMES
- WREN
- ROMILLY
- SYLVIA
- HARRIET
- AZURA
- DARCY
- LILA
- LILLIAN
- VESPER
- MABEL
- ASTRID
- TESS
- MARA
- ALMA
- SYLVIE
- IMOGEN
- CLOVER
- INEZ
- ELIZA
- FLORA
- FLORENCE
- NOA
- SELAH
- WILLOW
- OTTILIE
- CONSTANCE
- AVELINE
- SUSANNAH
- NORA
- CIEL
- MIRA
- EUNICE
- COSIMA
- AYA
- URSULA
- DARE
- LAKE
- GEMMA
- ELSIE
- RUE
- WILLOW
- LOUISA
- ALINA
- ELPHABA
- VERA
- KITTY
- ROMY
- NORI
- LARKIN
- REESE
- VALERIE
- ADA
- BARBARA
- ELISE
- POLLY
- TESSA
- TAYLOR
- DAISY
- MAREN
- ALIFAIR
- BRYNN
- BILLIE
- ALICE
- HONEY
- FERN
- IZORA
- CALISTA
- FRANCES
- NATASHA
- AMANDA
- RAFAELA
- ESTELLE
- LOIS
- ZONA
- SIENNA
- ENDELLION
- EVOLET
- IRIS
- PARALEE
- INGRID
- LYANNA
- BLYTHE
- LILO
- REKA
- DJUNA
- EOWYN
There you have it! The top girl names 2025 on Appellation Mountain – a most curious and intriguing list, with a mix of the names we all love (hello, Sylvie and Celeste!) along with some completely unexpected surprises. (Where else could Romilly and Wren rank in the Top Ten?)
MARCH MADNESS BABY NAMES 2026
Every March, while the rest of the world is obsessed with basketball, we lucky few turn our attention to a different kind of bracketology.
This list will determine the contenders for the annual March Madness Baby Names tournament. Check out previous winners here, and come back to vote then!
