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Welcoming a new baby girl in 2020? Whether you want to stick with the popular choices or go against the trends, choosing a name for your little lady is a big decision with lifelong impact.
There are lots of things that influence a parents’ choice in naming their child, sometimes after a favourite relative or pop culture icon or sometimes they just like the way it sounds (both on its own and together with a surname!). Nature-inspired names are also making a strong showing in 2020, so parents may also be considering their favourite colours, flowers, gemstones and other “natural” names.
More of the Same: All’s well that ends “ah”
The top girl names have been holding steady for the last several years now. The common factor is the ending - all of the names end in ‘ah’, what some people call a “soft a” sound. I wouldn’t expect to see these names drop out of the most popular names any time soon, so expect to meet a lot of cute little ladies named:
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Emma. This classic girl’s name may be popular across the globe, but originated in Germany and, according to nameberry.com, means “universal”. Emma has managed to nab the top spot for the last five years in the US.
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Olivia. It may be used by many new parents nowadays, but the first person to use the name Olivia was William Shakespear in Twelfth Night. Olivia, like its male counterpart Oliver, translates to “olive tree”.
- Ava. In Latin, this popular names translates to “life” and is a variant of the biblical name Eve. Its popularity among celebrity baby names may explain its surge up the ranks of girls names across the US.
Rounding out the top 5 names are two more “ah” names - Isabella and Sophia. This trend isn’t unique to names in the US - many countries are favouring these ah-dorable names. Olivia and Emma both appear in the top three names in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Iceland and New Zealand!
On the Rise
While the names above may not be at risk at being dethroned in the next few years, there are names that are jumping rapidly in popularity or steadily climbing the ranks.
According to the SSA, the girls’ names that made the biggest leap in popularity are:
- Meghan
- Dior
- Adalee
- Palmer
- Oaklynn
Trends
Nature seems to be a common theme among girls names rising in popularity, with names inspired by seasons (Autumn), flowers (Posie, Poppy) and other plants (Willow), and gemstones (Amethyst).
Popstar Billie Eilish may be behind the resurgence of the name Billie as a gender-neutral name that is popular for baby girls next year. Other names making their way from the boy name column and into more neutral or feminine territory include Avery, Riley, and Jordan. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively recently jumped on this trend with the birth of their daughter, James.
Looking for tips on picking a name? Check out the 2019 baby names post with advice on how to decide on your child’s name.
