The Best Baby Girl Names for Your Little Bundle of Joy

WE'VE LISTED SOME OF THE TOP BABY GIRL NAMES BELOW TO HELP NARROW DOWN YOUR CHOICE.

You've made it through pregnancy, you've made it through birth, and now it's time to name the new baby. If you're welcoming a sweet baby girl into the world, then you know the list of possibilities is long. After all, girl names have evolved tremendously over the past couple of decades. And while certain traditions still hold true, more modern variations are becoming increasingly commonplace.

Naming your baby after a relative? Maybe. But naming her after your favorite kind of flower? Well, now we're talking. Below, we've put together a list of the top baby names for your little girl. We've even divided up our list of girls' names into categories to make navigating things even easier. Below, you'll find options based on tradition, gender neutrality, nature, and more.

READ THIS NEXT: 400+ Boy Names Inspired by History, Music, and Nature.

What Are the Most Popular Baby Girl Names Right Now?
Shutterstock / Nomad_Soul

Each year, the Social Security Administration rounds up the top 1,000 baby girl names. While the series has certainly evolved over the years, some trends are sticking around. Thanks to a shift in popularity, Olivia outranked all other top baby girl names on the list three years in a row, from 2019 to 2021.

Other classic names like Emma, Charlotte, and Amelia trailed close behind, though there were a few more modern hits on the list, such as Mia and Harper.

This indicates a notable change compared to data collected from previous generations, where names like Carol, Karen, and Mary served as about as much variety as you could expect.

That's not to say parents have completely abandoned more traditional names—they haven't. Much like trends in fashion, certain names seem to weave in and out of style every couple of decades. The administration's most recent list also included familiar picks like Sophia, Isabella, and Evelyn.

300 Baby Girl Names for Your Newest Addition

Your baby girl's name might just be hidden below. Check out the following list to help narrow down the options.

Unique Girl Names
Shutterstock / Alleksa
Alaia
Alexis
Angelina
Arabella
Ayleen
Brylee
Cataleya
Coraline
Della
Elena
Everly
Frida
Genie
Glenda
Haylee
India
Jaycee
Jolie
Kaiya
Kiera
Landry
Leilani
Lilyana
Lorelei
Maise
Marlow
Micah
Myla
Naomi
Nellie
Nyla
Oaklynn
Paige
Piper
Saylor
Soleil
Stella
Sutton
Waverly
Zoya
Zuri

READ THIS NEXT: 50 Celebrities Whose Real Names You Never Knew.

Powerful Girl Names (With Meaning)
Shutterstock / Lia Koltyrina
Adira (strength)
Agatha (honorable)
Amira (princess)
Anastasia (resurrection)
Artemis (goddess of the moon)
Athena (goddess of wisdom)
Balsinde (destruction)
Bellatrix (warrior)
Bree (noble)
Claudette (enclosure)
Elanor (sun ray)
Elfreda (elf -strength)
Ermintrude (universal strength)
Esther (star)
Freya (goddess of love)
Frideswide (strong and peaceful)
Genesis (beginning)
Gertrude (strength)
Gesa (spear)
Gwendolyn (blessed ring)
Hera (goddess of marriage)
Indra (mighty)
Justice (to deliver what is just)
Marvella (miracle)
Millicent (strong in work)
Miracle (divine act)
Nevaeh (heaven)
Norah (honor)
Octavia (born eighth)
Ophelia (aid or benefit)
Philomena (friend of strength)
Potentia (power)
Sabrina (legendary princess)
Serenity (peaceful)
Shakti (power)
Trinity (one God in three persons)
Valencia (strong or healthy)
Vivienne (alive)

READ THIS NEXT: People With This Name Are the Clumsiest.

Gender Neutral Names
Shutterstock / MirasWonderland
Andi
Asher
Avery
Baylor
Billie
Blaire
Blake
Cameron
Cary
Chandler
Charlie
Deavon
Dylan
Eden
Ellington
Elliot
Ember
Emerson
Emersyn
Fallon
Grey
Harlow
Hayden
Indiana
Jayden
Jesse
Jordan
Kai
Kennedy
Kyle
Logan
London
Maddie
Mercer
Morgan
Noah
Parker
Peyton
Quinn
Reagan
Rebel
Reese
Reign
Riley
Rowan
Rumi
Ryan
Seneca
Simone
Sloane
Stevie
Taryn
Tatum
Teo
Whitney
Wyatt
Zephyr

READ THIS NEXT: People With These Names Are the Most Attractive.

Classic Names for Girls
Shutterstock / Dmytro Hrebeniuk
Abigail
Adrienne
Alexa
Allison
Amanda
Angela
Anna
Arielle
Ashley
Audrey
Bailey
Bella
Brandy
Bridget
Brittany
Cameron
Candace
Carly
Caroline
Chelsea
Christina
Clarissa
Courtney
Daniella
Danielle
Deborah
Diana
Donna
Dorothy
Elizabeth
Ellen
Erica
Fatima
Felicity
Gabrielle
Grace
Hailey
Hannah
Harriet
Heather
Helen
Isabel
Jasmine
Jenna
Jennifer
Jessica
Johanna
Josephina
Juliet
Kathleen
Kendra
Kimberly
Lacey
Laura
Lillian
Lisa
Madeline
Margaret
Mariana
Marilyn
Martha
Mary
Matilda
Megan
Meredith
Molly
Nancy
Natalie
Nicole
Patricia
Rachel
Samantha
Sandra
Sasha
Shannon
Sophia
Soraya
Stephanie
Sydney
Teresa
Tinsley
Tracey
Valentina
Victoria
Short Girl Names
Shutterstock / brackish_nz
Ada
Ana
Ava
Belle
Cleo
Dale
Dani
Drew
Elsa
Etta
Eve
Faye
Gia
Halle
Hope
Ila
Joy
Kali
Koa
Leia
Liv
Mae
Maya
Mia
Shay
Sky
Tess
Wren
Zoe

READ THIS NEXT: 21 Celebrities You Didn't Realize Go by Their Middle Names.

Nature-Inspired Names
Shutterstock / vitmark
April
Arden
August
Aurora
Autumn
Beck
Birdie
Branwyn
Briar
Capri
Chloe
Clementine
Clover
Cordelia
Daisy
Daphne
Dawn
Fawn
Fern
Finn
Flor
Georgia
Hazel
Indigo
Iris
Ivy
Jade
Juniper
Lavender
Lily
Luna
Opal
Paisley
Pearl
Poppy
Posey
River
Robin
Rose
Sage
Savannah
Sienna
Skye
Stormi
Summer
Tierra
Vera
Violet
Willow
Winter
Wisteria
Why Do Names Matter?

What's in the name? The answer may surprise you, depending on who you ask. These additions to the family tree not only serve as an opportunity for parents to express their interests in values, but they might even have the power to influence their owners' behavior.

Research into the subject began years ago, though unfortunately, baby girls were largely excluded from observation. In 1948, two Harvard professors kicked things off with a study of thirty-three hundred male graduates, looking to determine how their names may have impacted their academic performance

Their findings suggested that participants with more unusual names were more likely to have flunked out. At the very least, they seemed to associate strange names with strange behaviors, including psychological neurosis, as compared to those who went by more traditional titles like John, Robert, or William.

As time went on, researchers took up an interest in the impact names had on girls, too. And the findings were just as significant. Data suggests that names can influence anything from professional choices and marital partners to more niche behaviors like investment options and the ability to work well in a group setting.

Apparently, both boys and girls—men and women—are subject to something called the implicit-egotism effect. The theory states that people unconsciously gravitate toward things they associate with themselves, including their names. For instance, someone named Josephine might feel more loyalty toward politicians like Joe Biden than they would candidates with names more dissimilar to their own.

Of course, there's an even weightier significance to address. Names carry opportunities to introduce our family, culture, and heritage. For example, in the Sikh tradition, a new baby girl calls for Naam Karan, a naming ceremony that usually involves a large social gathering. The occasion is considered one of the 16 most significant experiences in life, right up there with life and death.

We can also look to conventions in Ireland and Greece, where parents often name their new baby after their parents or grandparents. Meanwhile, babies in Bali are often named after their birth order, with Ni Luh as the most popular pick for the firstborn daughter. In China, it's most common for babies to be given short names, usually just three letters long.

Traditions vary widely by culture, but what they all have in common is this: Names carry meaning, whether the inspiration draws from history or more modern influences. Anyone asking that you shorten things to make it easier on them should really think twice about the request.

Four Tips for Naming Your Sweet Baby Girl
Shutterstock / Ground Picture

We know, the list of girl names is long, and coming to a final decision is much easier said than done. That's why we outlined a few tips below to help you with the decision.

Name Her After Someone Special

Naming your kid after a family member isn't that uncommon. In fact, the tradition is pretty well established. It's called "patronym" and it's been going on for millennia. While little girls weren't originally included in this custom, things have loosened up over the years.

Think about who in your family you'd like to honor and see what your partner thinks of the name. Remember, you don't have to stick to "girly" names only. There are tons of little girls walking around today with names like Charlie, Andy, and Spencer, so don't let gendered norms hold you back.

Choose Something That Resonates With You

It's simple advice, but it's important to remind new parents: It's not just about how others will receive this name. Your baby is a piece of you, and the same goes for their name. Besides, that name will be dripping from your lips for the rest of your life. You may as well like the way it sounds.

Don't Let Gender Dictate the Name

Long gone are the days when girl names had to be girly. If Elon Musk has the confidence to name his kid a nonlinguistic collection of characters, you can definitely give your baby girl a little something androgynous. Also on the SSA's list of top baby names were gender-neutral hits like Riley, Willow, and Brooklyn.

See What History Has to Offer

History is packed with inspiring women. Comb through and see if you find any worth naming your kid after. Besides, some of those old-timey names are coming back in style. If you're lucky, you'll find someone influential, and something on-trend.

Wrapping Up

That's it for our list of baby girl names. Be sure to check back with us soon for more ideas to share with the ones you love. You can also sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss out!