Top 20 Girls’ Names of 2012
I love names. Searching for them. Discovering ones I’d never heard before. Sharing ideas with friends and family. Names are just fun. And the task of naming another human being is serious business.
You can imagine my delight when I came across Nameberry’s Top 100 Girls’ Names of 2012. Nameberry compiled the list from its most-searched and most clicked-on names thus far into the year, indicating that these names have gathered the most attention and interest from Nameberry’s viewers. Some aren’t too surprising. But others – like the #1 most-searched name – most certainly shocked me. Here, I share Nameberry’s Top 20.
After the jump, check out the Top 20 Girls’ Names of 2012 (thus far). And tell me what you think of them!
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#20 Lila
Lila is of Arabic origin and means "night." It ranked #136 overall in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#19 Sophia
Greek in origin, Sophia means "wisdom," and was the #1 girls' name in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#18 Claire
Claire is a French name meaning "clear, pure." In 2011, it ranked #50.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#17 Aurora
Aurora is the Latin name for the goddess of sunrise and means "dawn." It placed at #183 last year.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#16 Evelyn
Evelyn is the English version of the French name Aveline. It's meaning is lovely: "wished-for child." It ranked #24 in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#15 Eliza
Eliza is a diminutive of the Hebrew name, Elizabeth. It means "pledged to God." It ranked #255 in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#14 Cora
Meaning "maiden," this Greek-in-origin name placed at #204 last year.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#13 Quinn
Quinn is an Irish name meaning "descendant of Conn." It's also one of the first Irish unisex names. Last year, it ranked #188 overall.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#12 Alice
This has always been a favorite of mine, and it's clear to make a comeback. The German name means "noble," and was #142 in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#11 Adelaide
Adelaide is a variant of the German name, Adelheid, meaning "noble, nobility." While a lot of people are inquiring about it this year, it only ranked #407 overall in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#10 Eleanor
This name's actually on our potential-girl name list. It's a Greek name meaning "bright, shining one." Always a classic, it ranked #150 last year.
Source: Nameberry
Photo via Flickr: Creative Commons -
#9 Isla
I can't say this name without busting out to Madonna's La Isla Bonita. It's a Scottish place-name. It's a river there and also means island. It's climbing the charts quickly, and placed at #268 last year.
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo -
#8 Violet
Violet is a Latin flower and color name, meaning (obviously) "purple." In 2011, it ranked #101 overall, and it's sure to gain in popularity.
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo -
#7 Amelia
A German variant of Amalia, this name means "work." Last year, it ranked #30.
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo -
#6 Penelope
I love Penelope, but can't sell it to the spouse. It's a Greek name meaning "weaver," and hit #169 in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo -
#5 Imogen
With a wonderful meaning of "beloved child," it's hard not to be attracted to this unique name. While it's a classic Greek name, its pop-culture association is likely the cause for its current attention. There is no ranking for this name in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo -
#4 Seraphina
Another name that didn't even rank in the Top 1000 last year, Seraphina is a Hebrew name meaning "ardent, fiery."
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo -
#3 Harper
This was on my list years ago, but has since fallen off because of its popularity. It's an English name meaning "harp player," but I always enjoyed the name because of the author, Harper Lee. It was #54 in 2011.
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo -
#2 Charlotte
This is the French feminine diminutive of Charles, meaning "free man." It's a lovely name and increasingly popular. In 2011, it ranked #27.
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo -
#1 Katniss
Wow, right? Talk about the influence of pop culture! The name has literary and botanical roots, and didn't place on the Top 1000 list of 2011, yet it was the most-searched and clicked-on name thus far this year on Nameberry.
Source: Nameberry
Photo: 123RF Stock Photo
Check out Nameberry’s full list of Top 100 Girls’ Names of 2012 here!
Click here for Nameberry’s
Top 20 Boys’ Names of 2012.
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I like a lot of those names but glad none of my 3 girl’s names were on there. Estelle (stella) Rose Marie, Audrey Kathleen, and Josephine (Josie) Ruth Ann. They are all classics and all fit my beautiful Girls perfectly
My daughters name is Krystal which I love and my granddaughter is named Cheyenne Michele which is just perfect for her
These are terrible names.. poor babies
I like Isla, Aveline, and Seraphina out of the top 20 list.
I wonder how popular the name Brylie is. My cousin named her baby girl Brylie. I I wanna name my baby girl either Kaizlee or Harley.
I named my now almost 3 year old Joan Dolores after my grandmother, but changed the first o from an e to the o. A very small change to make it my daughter’s. And everyone either calls her Joanie, JoJo, or Jona. I don’t quite know where they get Jona from.
I read Escape to Witch Montain years ago and fell in love with the name Tia. At the time you never heard it, and now Tia Danielle, my daughter, hears it quite often. Funny how that happens.
I had to go against everyone to name my daughter Aurora and turns out that its on this list! I do have great taste!
Beautiful names just wish your list was more diverse!