Are you looking to for a baby name that is on trend and growing in popularity for this year? This list of trending baby names for 2020 will help you find the perfect name for your new baby girl!
Hot Trending Baby Names for 2020
So, how can we tell which baby names will be exploding in popularity in 2020? Well, of course it’s impossible to predict the future, but there are some key signs that certain names are growing in popularity, while the popularity of other names are waning.
The Social Security website provides amazing baby name data. It provides not only name rankings, but also allows you to see changes in the popularity of every baby name from year to year.
So, I’ve done the legwork for you and have rounded up the top baby names that have significantly jumped up in popularity over the past year. These baby names have been on the rise for several years. You can bet that most of these names will continue to rise this year, making them very popular for 2020.
I’ve chosen trending baby names that have made major leaps in the rankings (some by hundreds of spots!), or popular names that have risen steadily for several years.
This list is perfect if you’re interested in naming your daughter a trending baby name right now. It also could be helpful if you want to avoid naming your child something that is too common (if you want to avoid having 4 Mila’s in the same class, for example).
Either way, I hope this list of popular and trending baby names helps you find your perfect baby name.
Top Trending Girl Names This Year
So, without further ado, here are with top trending baby names for girls for 2020.
Ada
The shortened form of Adelaide, Ada means noble and kind. It moved from 319 to 251 last year. Ada has risen steadily each year since making its debut in the top 1000 list in 2004. Click here for more lovely vintage names for girls.
Alina
Alina is a German name, meaning ‘little noble’. It jumped from 186 to 157 on the charts last year, marking its most popular year since entering the charts in the year 2000.
Amara
Amara is a gorgeous name originating from Nigeria, which means ‘grace, mercy, kindness’. It grew in popularity from spot 206 to 193 last year. It’s been shooting up in popularity each year for the past five years. Before that, it wasn’t even cracking the top 500! To see more unique girls names starting with A, click here!
Amaya
Amaya is a Spanish girl’s name, referring to a village in Spain, or the Basque word for ‘the end’. It rose from 177 to 130 last year, breaking the 150 mark for the first time.
Anastasia
Feminized variant of Anastasius, and means ‘resurrection’. This name evokes tradition and just a bit of glamour. It rose from 169 to 148 last year and has been steadily rising each year.
Arya
Arya is a beautiful Sanskrit name meaning ‘noble’ or ‘strong’. Last year it rose in popularity from 135 to 119 on the charts. It’s popularity has been increasing steadily for the past decade, when it made its first appearance on the top 1000 chart.
Aspen
Aspen is a great unisex baby name meaning ‘quaking tree’. It’s an American baby name which has grown in popularity as of late. It’s been growing in popularity consistently this decade and last year it rose from 329 to 269 on the charts.
Athena
Athena will be another popular baby name in 2020. Athena was originally the Greek goddess of wisdom (and also warfare and handicrafts among other things) and was the daughter of Zeus. Athena is a classic name which has risen steadily since the year 2000, and jumped to its highest position on the charts last year, at 117.
Aurora
Aurora means ‘dawn’ and has its origins in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the sunrise. It was also the name of the princess in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, making it a sentimental favorite among princess fans. After years of rising on the charts, it cracked the top fifty year year, jumping from 51 to 44.
Ayla
Ayla ia a Hebrew and Turkish name, and means oak tree or moonlight. It it the name of the heroine in The Clan of the Cave Bear and moved from 231 to 189 on the chart last year, marking its highest spot as of yet.
Brielle/Briella
Brielle/Briella are shortened versions of Gabrielle/Gabriella, meaning ‘woman of God’, but it is now being used as an independent given name. Both have continuously risen on the charts, Briella reached 259 last year, while Brielle cracked the top 100 at position 99.
Camila
Camila is a Spanish and Portuguese name which originally comes from the Roman name, Camillus. It means ‘ceremonial attendant’ and increased in popularity from 23 to 18 last year, making it the most popular name on our list and will likely stay on trend for next year.
Catalina
Catalina is a Spanish form of the name Katherine. It means ‘pure’. Last year, it rose from 260 to 235.
Cecelia
Cecilia was a 2nd/3rd century martyr. The name was brought to England by the Normans. This name is beautiful and sophisticated. It’s crept up steadily on popularity and reached its highest spot on the chart last year at 155.
Cora
Cora comes from ancient Greek, meaning ‘goddess’. Cora is one of the most stylish baby names for girls (click here for more stylish girl names). It’s growing steadily in popularity and shot up from number 83 to 73 last year.
Delilah
Delilah is a Hebrew baby name, meaning ‘delight’. Delilah was Samson’s mistress in the Old Testament. It’s seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, rising from 102 to 94 on the charts last year.
Diana
Diana means divine, it refers to the Roman goddess of the moon, and more recently, Princess Diana. It’s seen growth on the charts for the last five years. Last year it rose in popularity from 230 to 184, its highest position in a decade.
Dior
This name, likely in homage to the brand name, saw another huge rise in popularity, from 1358 to 792. This is the first year Dior has ranked in the top 1000 names.
Effie
Effie means ‘pleasant speech’ in Greek and is the shortened form of Euphemia. It’s another vintage name that is not over-used today.
Ella
Ella seems like a modern name, but it was actually the 17th most popular name of the 1880’s! It can be a nickname for names that end in -elle, like Isabella, but also as an homage to the fairy tale, Cinderella.
Ellen
Variant of Helen or Eleonora (both meaning shining light).
Eliana
Eliana means “God answered”. It’s risen steadily in popularity since the year 2000 and jumped from 88 to 83 last year.
Ellie
Ellie is a shortened version of Eleanor or Ellen, but is gaining popularity as a name in its own right. It comes from Hebrew and means “God is my light”. After steady increased for years, It reached its highest spot on the chart last year at 37.
Elsie
Elsie was originally a nickname for Elizabeth, which means “God is my light”, but it now being used as an independent given name. Its popularity reached its highest point last year, jumping from 299 to 280. It’s likely to continue rising next year.
Eloise
From Heloise, Saint Eloise was a 12th century saint. Eloise is also a children’s book and makes a lovely choice. Eloise entered the charts at spot 999 a decade ago and has risen steadily for the past ten years. Last years it rose from 190 to 167 last year.
Ember
Ember is an English baby name, which means ‘low burning’. It rose from 289 to 209 on the Social Security charts last year, after rising steadily since entering the charts in 2008.
Emery
Emery was originally a male given name meaning ‘brave’ or ‘powerful’. Recently, it’s been used as a girl’s name. After a few years of steady increases, it broke the top 100 last year rising from 115 to 97 on the charts.
Emilia
Emilia is an Italian girl’s name meaning ‘rival’. Emilia is featured in Shakespeare’s Othello. Although it sounds similar, Emilia and Amelia are different names with different roots and meanings. Emilia has risen steadily in popularity since the year 2000 and reached position 58 last year.
Emerson/Emersyn
Emerson literally means ‘Emery’s son’ and can also mean ‘brave’. It has risen steadily, reaching position 143. Emersyn, an alternate spelling that appears more feminine, rose in popularity drastically in popularity, from 240 to 147.
Everly/Everleigh
Everly was originally a surname, which was a combination of two names meaning ‘boar’ and ‘woodland clearing’. It’s often used to honour The Everly Brothers, a popular band from 1951-73. Last year it moved from 82 to 53 or, if you prefer a less common spelling. Everleigh jumped drastically from 386 to 196.
Freya
Freya, the feminine form of Frey, means “the lady, mistress or noblewoman”. Freya was a goddess in Norse Mythology. The name grew in popularity from 305 to 266 last year.
Gemma
Gemma is an Italian girl’s name meaning ‘precious stone’. It entered the charts in 2008 and rose in popularity from 257 to 229 last year.
Georgia
Th feminine form of George, famous 19th century painter Georgia O’Keefe bears this name. Georgia is lovely old fashioned English girls name that isn’t overused. It reached its highest point at 233 last year.
Iris
Iris is the classic purple and yellow flowering bulb that arrives to mark the start of spring. Iris is a recognizable name, but still special. Last year it rose from spot 148 to 138.
Isla
Isla, pronounced eye-la, is a baby name originating in Scotland. There is a Scottish island called Islay, or it may be derived from the Gaelic word for ‘rocky place’. Isla is also the Spanish word for island. It’s one of my favorite boho names for girls. It entered the top 1000 in 2008 and moved from 103 to 82 last year.
Ivy
From the small crawling plant of the same name. Ivy is a beautiful nature-inspired name for girls, which rose from 107 to to its highest ranking ever, at 86, last year.
Joanna
Meaning ‘God is gracious’ Joanna comes from the Greek. Joanna’s popularity has risen steadily for the past five years, reaching 212 last year, its highest spot since 2001.
Josephine
Feminized form of Joseph, meaning ‘may God add’ or ‘may Good increase’. Josephine is a lovely classic girls name which is still not overused (and a personal favorite of mine!). It’s popularity has increased steadily since the year 2000 and broke the top 100 last year when it moved up 16 spots to 91.
Journee/Journey
Journey means a trip or experience from one place to another. It is typically used for girls, but can also be used for boys. It’s two most common spellings have both risen from 261/281 to 207/231.
Juliette
Juliette is a French girl’s name, meaning ‘youthful’. Despite the slightly different spelling, this name is synonymous with the star-crossed lovers from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Last year it rose from 207 to 185.
Juniper
A type of tree, symbolizing good health or healing, Juniper is becoming a popular baby name, increasing from 313 to 281 last year. Click here to read more plant-inspired names for girls.
Kailani
Kailani is a beautiful Hawaiian baby name. It means “the heavens’ or ‘royal one’. It’s only made the top 1000 names since 2013, but has gained popularity quickly. Last year it rose from 619 to 389 on the charts.
Kali
Kali is a cute girl’s name, and has risen in popularity from 300 to 274. Kali has several origins. In Sanskrit, Kali means ‘black’, while in Swahili it means ‘intense’.
Kamila
Kamila is an Arabic baby name with means ‘perfect’. It entered the charts in 2003, and has risen steadily. Last year it rose from 292 to 267 on the charts.
Lia
Lia is a cute name, and is a more unique option than the original spelling, Leah. It’s on of my favorite three letter names for girls. It also makes a great nickname for names ending in -lia. Last year it moved almost a whole hundred places from 337 to 246.
Luna
Luna is one of the most popular girl’s names on our list, and shot up from spot number 37 to 23. Luna comes from the Latin word for the moon. Luna is a lovely celestial name for girls and is a well known Harry Potter character as well. After entering the charts in 2003, it has risen steadily each year, and it likely to continue that trend in 2020.
Magnolia
The name Magnolia comes from the flowering tree of the same name. After entering the top 1000 in 2013, it has risen steadily. Last year it moved from 384 to 314 on the charts. It’s a great uncommon flower name for girls!
Maeve
From the Gaelic for ‘intoxicating’, Maeve is one of the most lovely unique one syllable names for girls. It rose from 360 to to a high of 334 last year.
Meghan
This spelling of the more popular Meghan saw the greatest increase in a girls name last year, gaining over 700 spots, from 1404 to 703. Before 2018, it did not make the top 1000 for several years, but it having a resurgence, likely due to Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex’s popularity.
Mila
Mila is quickly becoming a very popular girl’s name which stems from Slavic and means ‘gracious, dear’. Rising from 30 to 14, it’s risen in the charts each year since 2007. It will likely be one of the most popular names of 2020.
Millie
Millie can be a shortened form of several names, including Amelia, Camilla, Melissa, Mildred or Millicent.It can also be a name in its own right and means ‘industrious’. Millie entered the charts in 2009 and has been on the rise ever since. It shot up from from 355 to 304 last year.
Myla
Myla can either mean ‘soldier’ or ‘merciful’. It appeared on the charts in 2005. It is gaining steam as a popular name in 2020, moving from spot 325 to 283 last year.
Naomi
Meaning ‘pleasantness’, Naomi is a Hebrew name whose popularity has increased steadily over the past 20 years. It reached its highest position, 64, last year.
Nova
Nova means ‘new’ and is a name that has increased in popularity since entering the chart in 2011. It’s a great celestial-inspired name and made a huge leap from 95 to 56 last year.
Oaklynn
Oaklynn combines the name Oakley and the name Lynn to create a pretty nature-inspired girl’s name. It appeared on the top 1000 name charts in 2017. Last year its position rose from 888 to 452 on the Social Security charts.
Palmer
Palmer is a favorite unisex name of mine. It’s an English name which originally has roots from the Latin. It refers to someone who worked as a palmer, or refers to a plam tree and refers to a pilgrim to the Holy Land. Last year, it landed in the top 1000 for the first time, growing in position from 1043 to 679. It’s one to watch in the upcoming year!
Parker
Parker was originally a surname or a male given name, which referred to a park keeper. It is gaining popularity as a female given name, and after twenty years of increasing popularity, it reached its highest position at 162 last year.
Remi
Remi is a French girl’s name which means ‘oarsmen’. It can be used as a unisex name, but the ‘Remi’ spelling is more commonly used for girls, while the ‘Remy’ spelling is more typical for boys. Remi only appeared on the top 1000 chart about five years ago, but has been skyrocketing up the charts ever since. This cute baby name rose in popularity from 249 to 177 last year.
River
River is a great unisex name. It honours the flowing body of water of the same name. As a girls’ name, River has skyrocketed up the charts over the past ten years, after making an initial appearance in 2009. it currently sits at position 244.
Rosalie
Rosalie was originally a French girl’s name, and refers to a rose. It’s one of my favorite 7 letter names for girls. Its popularity increased since entering the charts in 2009 and it rose to its highest position, 208, last year.
Rose
Associated with the flower of the same name, it was Norman and Germanic roots. It’s a beautiful one syllable name for girls. Despite being a classic, this name has steadily increased its position on the charts, reaching a 20 year high last year it rose from 141 to 123.
Ryleigh
Ryleigh is an alternate spelling of the Irish name, Riley. Riley is a unisex name, but by using ‘leigh’ it becomes more markedly feminine. It means ‘courage’. While still not as popular as the traditional spelling (which sits at the 28th position), Ryleigh is quickly increasing in popularity and rose from 161 to 145 last year.
Sienna
Sienna is a fairly modern baby name. It refers to the colour sienna, which is an reddish orange-brown. It moved from 222 to 186 last year.
Sloane
Sloane was originally a surname, but it gaining in popularity as a female given name. It comes from the Irish and means “raider”. Sloane entered the charts in 2009 and has moved up steadily every year since. Last year it moved from position 220 to 181.
Samara
Samara is a beautiful Hebrew baby name meaning ‘protected by God’. It rose from 324 to 256 in popularity last year.
Valentina
Valentina is the female form of the Roman name, Valentinus, meaning ‘healthy’ or ‘strong’. Many people often associated it with Valentine’s Day. It grew in popularity from 94 to 81 last year.
Valeria
Valeria is a beautiful twist on the more common name, Valerie. Its roots are in Latin and it means ‘strength’ or ‘valour’. Last year it rose from position 156 to 142.
Vera
Meaning faith in Russian or ‘true’ in Latin, Vera is a lovely Victorian name that isn’t overused. Vera appeared on the charts in 2009 and rose from 277 to 257 last year.
Willow
Willow takes its meaning from the tree of the same name. Slender and gracefulness are often associated with the willow tree. Willow is a beautiful plant-inspired name for girls and has been inching close and closer to the top 50. Last year it rose from 81 to 62 on the charts last year.
Zara
Zara is a Hebrew name, meaning ‘seed’. It has risen steadily since appearing on the charts in 2005. It moved from 283 to 253 last year alone, reaching an all-time high.
Well, those are the top trending baby names of 2020. Happy name hunting!
Name meanings sourced from Behind the Name.
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