A to Z of 2016s Top Girls Names
by Ruth Fitzpatrick
Yesterday we brought you the A to Z of boys' names, but of course we didn't forget the girls! Here are the 24 (ahem, U and Y!) names that made their way to the top last year:
A is for Ava – #3 overall in 2016, Ava now far outranks its original form Eve in popularity. It's simple, but beautiful and also extremely powerful: its meaning is 'life'.
B is for Brooklyn – place names as baby names are still fashionable, which is why Brooklyn made it to the top of the Bs!!
C is for Charlotte – still seeing a bounce after the baby Princess Charlotte's birth, this name looks like it's here to stay.
D is for Daisy – a name that is both pretty and super fun, it reminds us of springtime and summer and was ranked #190 in the US last year.
E is for Emma – Emma means 'universal', and it is definitely universally loved! This has been the most popular name in the US for three years running.
F is for Faith – a simple name which packs in a huge amount of power and character, Faith keeps climbing up the rankings. It just made it into the top 100 for 2016, but who knows for 2017!
G is for Grace – serene and aristocratic, Grace topped the "virtue name" list and came out #19 overall.
H is for Harper – in the top 10 for the second year in a row, new parents love it for it melodious sound and its literary associations.
I is for Isabella – this name looks like it's still feeling the "Twilight" effect and came in at #5. It means 'pledged to god' and has a sing-song rhythm to it.
J is for Julia – a name that has never been not popular! Its ancient roots take nothing from its modern feel. Maybe that's because it means 'youthful'!
K is for Kennedy – an Irish surname associated with the powerful political clan, Kennedy sounds fashionable but not flashy.
L is for Lily – another flower to make it into our A to Z, Lily has an ageless appeal to it which is why it's enjoying such popularity across the English-speaking world.
M is for Mia – with a cross-cultural appeal and a playful prettiness to it, we can see why Mia is 2016's #6.
N is for Natalie – meaning 'birthday of ur Lord' and often associated with Christmas, at #31, Natalie is clearing enjoying a year round appeal!
O is for Olivia – just missing the top spot, this name sounds full of strength and determination.
P is for Penelope – like the original Greek heroine from whom we get the name, this one is stubbornly staying where it is! We also love Penny as a nickname!
Q is for Quinn – the top Q-name for both girls and boys!
R is for Riley – a unisex name which has made waves with the girls. A fun name which rolls off the tongue!
S is for Sophia – meaning 'wisdom', new parents all across the US are seeing the wisdom in giving their little girl this sweet, sonorous name.
T is for Taylor – another unisex name which is genuinely sounds suitable for either boys or girls. Finding itself at #89 in 2016, Taylor is definitely in decline, but it's still out top T!
U is for … – eek! Not a single U-name made it into the US top 1000! But that could all change. How about Ulla or Ursa for 2017?
V is for Victoria – meaning 'victory', this name is still completely synonymous with the British monarch who launched it into mainstream popularity over a century and a half ago. Regal, powerful and elegant, it was 2016's #21.
W is for Willow – an ancient tree with immense mythological and cultural significance, the name Willow sounds as supple and mysterious as the tree itself.
X is for Ximena – a Latino name which last year found itself at #118, this isn't likely to have a huge amount of cross-cultural appeal given the difficulties in pronunciation.
Y is for … – again! No Y-names in the top 1000! How about Yvonne? Or the super cute Yasmina?
Z is for Zoey – just as we opened with a variation of Eve, so we close with one too! Meaning 'life', its origins lie in the Alexandrian Greek translation of that first biblical woman to Zoe. Cheerful and enchanting, Zoey came in at #26!
