Girl Names: Popular Girls Names, Meanings and Origins (SSA Data)
A sourced list of girl names for parents: the most popular names for girls in the US from Social Security data, what the top names mean, female names by origin, unique and rising girl names, and a practical way to choose one.
What parents should know
- Olivia was the No. 1 girl name of 2025 for the seventh year in a row (SSA, May 8, 2026).
- Charlotte rose to No. 2, ending Emma's six-year run as runner-up. Ava left the top 10 and Eliana entered it at No. 10.
- SSA publishes with a lag: the newest list covers 2025 births. Girl name ranks for 2026 will not be published until SSA's next release, usually around Mother's Day 2027.
- Girl names are more varied than boy names: SSA says the top 1,000 covered 67.25% of girls born in 2025, versus 75.59% of boys.
- Eliana climbed from No. 62 in 2019 to No. 18 in 2024 before breaking into the 2025 top 10; Aurora went from No. 39 to No. 16.
- Sophia (No. 5) and Sofia (No. 9) were both in the 2025 top 10. SSA ranks spellings separately, so one sound can be more common than any single spelling suggests.
The most popular girl names right now (SSA's 2025 top 10)
The Social Security Administration counts names from Social Security card applications filed for US births. Its list is the standard that other rankings are judged against. The 2025 list, released on May 8, 2026, is the latest official ranking of girl names.
SSA highlighted two changes at the top for girls. Charlotte climbed to second place, and Ava, a top-10 fixture for years, dropped out entirely, replaced by Eliana at No. 10. Otherwise the list stayed close to 2024's.
| 2025 rank | Girl name | 2024 rank | Girls given the name in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olivia | 1 | 14,718 |
| 2 | Charlotte | 4 | 12,552 |
| 3 | Emma | 2 | 13,485 |
| 4 | Amelia | 3 | 12,740 |
| 5 | Sophia | 6 | 12,088 |
| 6 | Mia | 5 | 12,113 |
| 7 | Isabella | 7 | 10,770 |
| 8 | Evelyn | 8 | 9,116 |
| 9 | Sofia | 10 | 8,094 |
| 10 | Eliana | 18 | 6,423 |
Girls names ranked 11 to 30, with real counts
SSA's release lists only the 2025 top 10, so for the next tier we use the most recent complete national file, covering girls born in 2024. Each count is the number of babies given that exact spelling.
Nature and light names (Luna, Violet, Aurora, Hazel, Lily) now sit alongside long-time classics such as Elizabeth, Eleanor and Emily, and Spanish and Italian names such as Camila and Gianna.
| 2024 rank | Girl name | Count (2024) | 2019 rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Camila | 7,608 | 15 |
| 12 | Harper | 7,370 | 9 |
| 13 | Luna | 7,135 | 16 |
| 14 | Eleanor | 7,127 | 27 |
| 15 | Violet | 6,972 | 36 |
| 16 | Aurora | 6,917 | 39 |
| 17 | Elizabeth | 6,878 | 14 |
| 18 | Eliana | 6,423 | 62 |
| 19 | Hazel | 6,401 | 33 |
| 20 | Chloe | 6,385 | 24 |
| 21 | Ellie | 6,306 | 35 |
| 22 | Nora | 6,128 | 29 |
| 23 | Gianna | 6,097 | 79 |
| 24 | Lily | 6,093 | 34 |
| 25 | Emily | 5,955 | 12 |
| 26 | Aria | 5,935 | 20 |
| 27 | Scarlett | 5,894 | 21 |
| 28 | Penelope | 5,741 | 22 |
| 29 | Zoe | 5,719 | 38 |
| 30 | Ella | 5,685 | 13 |
What the top girl names mean
Many parents want a name with a meaning they can tell their daughter about. These etymologies are summarised from Behind the Name, a reference that cites sources for each entry.
- Olivia: used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night (1602), probably based on Oliva or Oliver, or the Latin oliva, "olive".
- Charlotte: a French feminine diminutive of Charles, brought to Britain in the 17th century.
- Emma: originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with irmin, meaning "whole" or "great".
- Amelia: a variant of Amalia, sometimes confused with Emilia, which has a different origin.
- Sophia: means "wisdom" in Greek.
- Mia: a diminutive of Maria; it also matches the Italian word for "mine".
- Isabella: a Latinate form of Isabel, borne by many medieval queens.
- Evelyn: from an English surname derived from Aveline; once more common for boys, now almost entirely feminine.
- Aurora: Latin for "dawn", the Roman goddess of the morning.
Rising girl names: the biggest climbers from 2019 to 2024
Comparing SSA's 2019 and 2024 national files among names now in the top 200, the largest jumps were Ailany (No. 2,196 to No. 101), Wrenley (1,216 to 149), Oaklynn (506 to 156), Lainey (381 to 38), Hallie (398 to 148), Daphne (435 to 192), Sutton (417 to 197), Margot (306 to 126), Maeve (244 to 75) and Millie (240 to 86).
The pattern is a mix of soft vintage names (Margot, Maeve, Millie, Daphne, Hallie) and modern surname-style or nature names (Wrenley, Oaklynn, Sutton). For 2025, SSA named Klarity, which it calls a contemporary spelling of "clarity", as the fastest-rising girl name, followed by Rynlee, Ailanny, Naylani and Madisson. Our baby name trends 2027 guide follows these names year by year.
Unique girl names that still feel familiar
Girl names are spread more widely than boy names, so it is easier to find something uncommon. In SSA's 2024 file, the girl name at No. 1,000 (Raina) was given to 257 babies, compared with 14,718 for Olivia.
If you want rare but recognisable, look at names that were once common and have cooled. Between 2019 and 2024, Aubrey fell from No. 46 to No. 130, Bella from No. 50 to No. 109 and Everly from No. 42 to No. 81. Mary, the most-used girl name of the last century, ranked only No. 132 in 2024.
Remember that SSA ranks every spelling separately. A creative spelling may look unique in the data while sounding identical to a top-20 name.
Female names by origin: Italian, Spanish, Arabic and Japanese
Here is how well-known girl names from several traditions rank in the US, using SSA's 2024 national file. SSA does not record origin, so these groupings are general; many of these names are used across several cultures.
| Origin | Name | 2024 US rank | Girls in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian | Gianna | 23 | 6,097 |
| Italian | Mila | 33 | 5,472 |
| Italian | Lucia | 98 | 2,658 |
| Spanish | Camila | 11 | 7,608 |
| Spanish | Valentina | 47 | 4,438 |
| Spanish | Ximena | 173 | 1,744 |
| Arabic | Layla | 37 | 5,305 |
| Arabic | Amira | 136 | 2,176 |
| Arabic | Fatima | 316 | 972 |
| Arabic | Maryam | 390 | 806 |
| Japanese | Hana | 708 | 395 |
| Japanese | Emi | 994 | 259 |
| Japanese | Yuna | 1,074 | 231 |
| Japanese | Aiko | 2,378 | 76 |
Japanese and Korean girl names: what US data can and cannot tell you
Japanese girl names appear in US data at small counts: Hana went to 395 girls in 2024 and Aiko to 76. Mina, which is used in Japanese, Korean and several European languages, ranked No. 608 with 493 babies. Layla, by contrast, is Arabic for "night" according to Behind the Name and is now firmly mainstream at No. 37.
Korean given names are especially hard to track in SSA files. SSA removes hyphens and spaces and ranks each spelling separately, and names with fewer than five births are excluded for privacy, so common Korean names such as Seo-yeon or Ji-woo did not appear at all in the 2024 national file under those spellings. For these traditions, family and community naming customs are a better guide than US rankings.
How to choose a girl name: a five-step shortlist
- Each parent lists 10 favourites privately, then compare and keep the names on both lists.
- Check each finalist on SSA's Popularity of a Name tool for its direction over time, and search the other spellings too.
- Say the full name aloud with the middle and last name, and write the initials to catch accidental words.
- Think through nicknames. Eleanor can become Ellie, Nora or Nell; Elizabeth has dozens. Make sure you like the likely ones.
- Use your top two for a week before deciding, then choose the one you keep reaching for.
Classic girl names across a century
SSA's ranking of the most popular names from 1926 to 2025 is led by Mary, Patricia, Jennifer, Linda and Elizabeth. Of those, only Elizabeth is still in today's top 30 (No. 17 in 2024). SSA notes that even Mary has ranked as low as No. 134 in some years.
This is why many current favourites feel both old and new. Evelyn, Sophia, Isabella, Charlotte and Emma all appear in SSA's century top 100, yet they are also in the 2025 top 10. A name that was big for great-grandparents and skipped a generation or two often reads as fresh today.
Where to go next: boy names, trends and first words
For a son, our boy names guide has the matching list with counts and meanings. Our baby name trends 2026 and baby name trends 2027 guides explain which styles are rising. After birth, see when babies recognise their own name, typically in the second half of the first year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name?
Olivia. It was the No. 1 girl name in the US in 2025, its seventh straight year at the top, according to the Social Security Administration.
What are the top 10 girl names?
SSA's 2025 top 10 girl names are Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Evelyn, Sofia and Eliana.
Are there official girl name rankings for 2026?
Not yet. SSA releases each year's list the following spring, so 2026 ranks are expected around Mother's Day 2027. The 2025 list is the newest official one.
What are some unique girl names?
Cooling names such as Aubrey, Bella and Everly, and rising names still outside the top 100 such as Margot, Daphne, Sutton and Celeste, are less common in SSA's 2024 data. Check any name on SSA's Popularity of a Name tool.
Which girl names are rising fastest?
Between 2019 and 2024, Ailany, Wrenley, Oaklynn, Lainey, Hallie, Margot, Maeve and Millie climbed furthest among today's top 200. Klarity was SSA's fastest riser in 2025.
Why are Sophia and Sofia ranked separately?
SSA does not combine different spellings. Each spelling gets its own rank, which is why both appeared in the 2025 top 10.
Keep reading
Sources
This guide was checked against the current guidance below. Medical and safety recommendations can change; use the linked source and your child's clinician for decisions specific to your family.
- Social Security Administration: Olivia and Liam top America's most popular baby names for the seventh straight year (press release, May 8, 2026)
- Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names (2025 top 10, Popularity of a Name tool)
- Social Security Administration: Beyond the Top 1000 Names (national data files; share of births in the top 1,000)
- Social Security Administration: Background information and data qualifications for popular names
- Social Security Administration: Top names over the last 100 years
- Behind the Name: Olivia
- Behind the Name: Charlotte
- Behind the Name: Layla