U.S.

The 50 most popular baby girl names

Associated Press Business Wire

Every year, the U.S. Social Security Administration updates its list of the most popular baby girl names in America. 

The government agency’s updated list for 2021 — the latest year available — is out. 

Rankings have changed since 2020, with some names moving up and down on the list. Meanwhile, names that have been popular in recent years, including Paisley and Lilian, are no longer among the top 50. 

Instead, there are some newcomers to the list. 

Here’s the complete list of the top 50 baby girl names of 2021.

50. Everly

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A decade ago, in 2012, Everly ranked 902nd. Then, in 2013, Channing Tatum and then-wife Jenna Dewan welcomed daughter Everly. The name’s been zooming up the charts ever since. 

Everly’s first appearance in the top 50 came in 2019. Dewan is pictured here with Everly in 2018. 

49. Ivy

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A newcomer that made the list in 2021: Ivy. 

The name took off after celebrities Beyoncé and Jay-Z named their first daughter Blue Ivy in 2012. 

In this photo, Jay-Z and his daughter Blue Ivy Carter watch Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, on June 13.

48. Eliana

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Eliana is a newcomer to the 2021 list. 

The name is of Hebrew origin came in at number 48 on the list. 

47. Lucy

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Lucy became slightly less popular during the original run of “I Love Lucy,” going from 216th place in 1951 to 227th place in 1957. 

The name became more popular this century. 

Between 2000 to 2003 the name jumped 100 spots. During that period it went from 323rd place to 220th and kept climbing up the list. 

46. Leah

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Leah has always been an American favorite. 

In this photo, actress Leah Remini poses prior to a “Dancing With The Stars” Season 28 show at CBS Television City on Oct. 7, 2019 in Los Angeles.

45. Addison

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This name shot up after “Grey’s Anatomy” introduced the character Dr. Addison Montgomery (played by Kate Walsh) in 2005. It rose as high as 11th place in 2010.

Addison was a top 1,000 boy name for much of the early 20th century and then reemerged in the late 1980s. It started to chart as a girl name in 1994. 

44. Hannah

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While “Hannah Montana” character Lilly Truscott was in step with the rebirth of the name Lilian, the show’s title character was out of step with the trajectory of Hannah. 

As a baby name, Hannah peaked in popularity from 1998 to 2000, just prior to the debut of the Miley Cyrus sitcom. Hannah has been sliding down the rankings ever since. 

43. Victoria

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This classic hasn’t been out of the top 50 since 1986, a few years after the daytime soap “The Young and the Restless” introduced the character Victoria Newman, played by actress Amelia Heinle, pictured here.

42. Zoe

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Actress Zoë Kravitz was born in 1988, while this variation of the name started to climb up the popularity chart. 

Only intermittently popular from the 1940s to the 1970s, Zoe has been a top 50 name since 2009. 

41. Stella

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Stella is now more fashionable than it was during the early 1900s.

The name reentered the top 100 in 2010. It cracked the top 50 for the first time in 2016. 

40. Emilia

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A top 1,000 name in the first half of the 20th century, Emilia reemerged in the 1990s and has been climbing ever since. 

Since 2011, when actress Emilia Clarke became a star via “Game of Thrones,” the name has surged from 325th place. It debuted in the top 50 in 2019. 

Clarke is seen here attending a premiere in New York City on Oct. 29, 2019.

39. Willow

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In 2000, the year actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith welcomed their only daughter, the name Willow was barely holding onto a spot in the top 800.

Now, the name is a star, right alongside singer Willow Smith. 

38. Zoey

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Now more popular than its variation, Zoe, Zoey is a relative newcomer to the ranks of popular baby girl names.

It cracked the top 100 for the first time in 2008 amid the run of the tween sitcom “Zoey 101,” starring Jamie Lynn Spears. It rose to as high as No. 22 in 2014.

37. Riley

Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for K-LOVE Fan Awards

In 2002, Riley was a top 100 name for girls and boys. Then, in 2020, it was the 258th-most-popular boy name. 

Here, American singer Riley Clemmons speaks onstage during the 2021 K-Love Fan Awards on May 30, 2021 in Nashville.  

36. Aurora

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Aurora cracked the Social Security Administration’s top 50 in 2017. 

The name seemed to surge following the release of the 2014 Disney hit “Maleficent,” costarring Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora.  

35. Violet

Jean-baptiste Lacroix / AFP/Getty Images

Formerly a top 100 girl name of the 1900s to 1920s, Violet reemerged as the 89th-most popular baby girl name in 2012. It cracked the top 50 for the first time in 2015. 

Actress and singer Christina Milian is seen here in 2018 with daughter Violet. 

34. Grace

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From 1900 to 1914, Grace was a top 25 baby girl name. 

Then it began to slide the rankings, a trend that was unchanged by the mid-20th century rise of Grace Kelly as both a movie star and princess.  

Things started to turn around in the late 1980s, and it reemerged as a top 50 favorite following the 1998 premiere of the TV comedy “Will & Grace,” starring Debra Messing as designer Grace Adler. 

Grace reached as high as 13th place in 2004 and 2005.  

33. Isla

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This is Isla’s first appearance in the top 50. 

After dropping out of the top 1,000 in 1909, Isla essentially remained out of the discussion until 2008, when it reemerged as the 623rd most popular girl name. 

The name’s rising popularity roughly tracks with the career of actress Isla Fisher. She reached stardom via the box-office hits “Wedding Crashers” (2005) and “Confessions of a Shopaholic” (2009).

32. Nova

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For decades, Nova was arguably far better known as the title of a PBS science series than as a baby girl name. In 2011, it appeared in the Social Security Administration’s top 1,000. 

In 2012, it served as the name of an aspiring fairy godmother (played by Amy Acker) in a first-season episode of the series “Once Upon a Time.” The name hasn’t looked back. This is Nova’s second appearance in the top 50.   

31. Lily

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As a baby girl name in the United States, Lily has emerged as a 21st-century favorite. It entered the top 100 for the first time on record in 2002, and rose as high as 15th in 2011. 

Two famous Lilys include “Cinderella” actress Lily James pictured here and Lily Collins of Netflix’s “Emily in Paris.” 

30. Ellie

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Actress Ellie Kemper has been a star since her debut on “The Office” in 2009. Meanwhile, Ellie the baby name has enjoyed popularity since the 1990s. 

The name’s 2020 showing was its best yet in the Social Security Administration rankings at No. 29. 

In 2021, it moved down to No. 30. 

29. Madison

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This name surfaced as a popular girl name after 1984’s “Splash” introduced audiences to Daryl Hannah’s Madison the mermaid. 

Madison cooled after a run in the Social Security Administration top 10 from 1998 to 2014. 

The latest rankings show the name ticking upward from 26th place in 2019 to No. 23 in 2020 and falling to No. 29 in 2021. 

28. Hazel

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The name Hazel rose to the next level in 2014 following the release of the movie “The Fault in Our Stars,” starring Shailene Woodley as heroine Hazel Lancaster. 

Hazel went from 105th place in the Social Security Administration rankings that year to 63rd place in 2015. 

The year 2020 marked Hazel’s best showing on the popularity charts since 1917. It was ranked No. 31 that year and climbed the list in 2021. 

27. Nora

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When “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” star Awkwafina was born Nora Lum in 1988, Nora was the 397th most popular baby girl name. 

The name, a favorite of the early 20th century, dropped out of the top 500 in 2000. It climbed shortly afterward. 

From 2003 to 2004 Nora jumped more than 60 spots. The move came as moviegoers made a hit out of the super-sized Steve Martin family comedy, “Cheaper by the Dozen.” The film co-starred Piper Perabo as the brood’s eldest daughter. The character’s name? Nora. 

26. Mila

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Mila debuted in the top 1,000 in 2006. During that same year Mila Kunis graduated from “That ’70s Show” having established herself — and her name — as stars. 

To date, Mila’s best showing in the Social Security Administration rankings came in 2018 when it reached 14th place. 

25. Layla

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Eric Clapton’s “Unplugged” version of “Layla,” his 1970s hit with Derek and the Dominos, might have been the prime driver behind this popular baby girl name. 

The acoustic “Layla” dropped in 1992. A year later Layla cracked the Social Security Administration’s top 1,000 for the first time since 1978. 

The name rose to as high as 23rd place in 2019. It ranked No. 24 in 2020 and No. 25 in 2021. 

Actress Layla Crawford “The First Family” is pictured. 

24. Chloe

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Even with the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” connection, it’s Chloe with a “C,” as in actress Chloe Grace Moretz, pictured, that’s the more popular variation over Khloe with a “K” (160th place), as in Khloé Kardashian.  

Chloe is currently trending down after reaching ninth place in the Social Security Administration rankings in 2009 and 2010. 

23. Penelope

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In the last 10 years, the name Penelope has become increasingly popular. 

Ranked 941th in 2001, the name soared in popularity as actress Penelope Cruz emerged as a co-star of actor Tom Cruise.

22. Aria

Warner Home Video (left); HBO (right)

Before 2000, Aria wasn’t a top 1,000 baby girl name.  Then came the TV show “Pretty Little Liars,” featuring Lucy Hale’s Aria Montgomery. 

Aria reached as high as 19th place in 2018. In 2020, it ranked as No. 26. 

21. Emily

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Model Emily Ratajkowski was born in 1991 — the same year Emily became a top 10 baby girl name.

The name has been trending down since 2008. The year 2020 marked its lowest showing in the Social Security Administration rankings since 1988. In 2021, it dropped further down to No. 21. 

20. Scarlett

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Since Scarlett Johansson debuted as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Natasha Romanoff in 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” the name Scarlett has zoomed from 115th place among popular baby girl names to the top 25. 

19. Avery

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Long a popular boy name, Avery emerged as a baby girl name in 1989, the same year TV’s “Murphy Brown” introduced Colleen Dewhurst (pictured right) as Avery Brown. 

Since its debut that year in the top 1,000, Avery has risen from 971st place, reaching an all-time high of 12th place in 2013.

Interestingly, “Murphy Brown” also seems to have energized Avery as a boy name. After falling to 494th place in 1991, Avery jumped to 297th in 1993. Avery was the 212th most popular boy name in 2020. 

18. Sofia

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The name Sofia dropped on the list from No. 17 in 2020 to No. 18 in 2021.

This variation of Sophia established itself as a rising star of the 2000s even before Sofia Vergara came to fame on “Modern Family.” 

17. Abigail

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Soccer star Mary Abigail Wambach was born in 1980, just as Abigail cracked the Social Security Administration top 200 for the first time. 

The name broke into the top 100 in 1989, and kept getting hotter and hotter from there. Abigail was a top 10 name from 2001 to 2016. It moved down on the list from No. 13 in 2020 to No. 17 in 2021. 

16. Ella

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In 2020, singer Ella Mae was nominated for her third career Grammy Award and the name Ella scored its third-straight finish in the Social Security Administration’s top 15. In 2021, it dropped one spot to No. 16. 

A top 100 name from the 1900s to 1920s Ella soared to new popularity heights in the mid-2000s.

15. Eleanor

Andrew Eccles/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

This name returned to the pop-culture discussion via Kristen Bell’s character on the 2016-2020 comedy “The Good Place.” 

The name is now roughly as popular as it was in the 1910s and 1920s.

14. Elizabeth

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Elizabeth is about as perennially popular as names get. 

Since 1900, Elizabeth has failed to qualify as a top 25 most popular girl name only twice. 

Since the late Queen Elizabeth II began her reign on the worldwide stage in 1953, it has yet to dip below 22nd place.

13. Gianna

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The popular name Gianna has dropped one spot on the list since 2020. It now ranks as No. 13. 

Basketball star Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people who died in a helicopter crash in 2020. 

The Bryants’ deaths prompted an outpouring of tributes that year and inspired parents such as Lakers teammate Pau Gasol and his wife, to name their newborn daughters after Gianna. 

12. Camila

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Singer Camila Cabello was born in 1997. That same year this fast-rising name cracked the Social Security Administration’s top 1,000. 

In 2020, Camila was the second-most popular baby girl name in California, and the third-most popular girl name in Texas. 

It has dropped one spot on the list going from No. 11 in 2020 to No. 12 in 2021. 

11. Luna

MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images

This baby girl name is hot and getting hotter. It’s up from 14th place in the 2020 rankings. A decade ago in 2012, Luna was the 224th most popular girl name. 

Singer John Legend is seen in 2019 with his daughter Luna. 

10. Harper

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NASCAR driver Justin Allgaier is seen here with his daughter Harper in 2021. The name Harper climbed on both the boy and girl name charts this century. 

The name’s rise coincided with the rise of a TV show about a family named Harper.  The top-rated “Two and a Half Men” premiered in 2003. A year later, Harper became a top 1,000 girl name for the first time on record. 

9. Evelyn

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“Basketball Wives” reality star Evelyn Lozada is seen here in 2019.

Per Social Security Administration data, Evelyn has been in or just outside the top 10 since 2017. 

In 2021, the name maintained its spot on the list at No. 9 for the second consecutive year. 

8. Mia

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In 2000, a year after soccer star Mia Hamm helped lead the U.S. team to a Women’s World Cup championship, the name Mia cracked the top 100 popularity rankings for the first time. 

To date, Mia has been high in the top ten. In 2020, it was ranked as No. 8 and has maintained that spot again.   

7. Isabella

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A fixture in the top 10 since 2004, Isabella has not always been popular. 

The name slipped out of the top 1,000 in 1949. It didn’t stage a comeback until 1990, one year after the soap opera “Days of Our Lives” introduced character Isabella played by Staci Greason.

Isabella was the No. 1 girl name in 2009 and 2010. 

6. Sophia

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When actress Sophia Bush was born in 1982 the name Sophia was the 224th most popular girl moniker. By the time Bush debuted on “One Tree Hill” in 2003 Sophia had risen to 20th. 

Though no longer the most popular girl name as it was from 2011 to 2013, Sophia remains a top 10 favorite. 

5. Ava

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A trendy baby girl name in Hollywood circles, as Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear’s Ava Sambora (left) and Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon’s Ava Phillippe (right) can attest, Ava has been among the nation’s five most popular baby girl names since 2006. 

It has claimed the No. 3 spot on the popularity charts since 2016. In 2020, it was the No. 1 baby girl name in five U.S. states, all of them southern states: Alabama; Georgia; Louisiana; Mississippi; and, South Carolina.

In 2021, it ranked as No. 3 on the list. 

4. Amelia

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The name Amelia has jumped up two slots since 2020 from No. 6 to No. 4 on the list. 

In 2020, it was the most popular girl name in Alaska, Kentucky, North Dakota and Vermont. 

Amelia has been a mainstay of the top 50 since 2010. That’s the year of the debut of the Shondaland character Dr. Amelia Shepherd played on “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy” by Caterina Scorsone. 

3. Charlotte

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Prince William and Kate Middleton’s daughter Princess Charlotte of Wales is pictured here. 

In 2020, Charlotte was the top girl name in eight states, including Indiana, Maine and Virginia.

It jumped up one slot since 2020 when it was ranked No. 4 on the Social Security Administration’s list. 

2. Emma

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After a five year run in the No. 1 spot Emma dipped to No. 2 in the 2019 Social Security Administration rankings, where it’s remained since. 

The name Emma has been in overdrive since 2002, a year after actress Emma Watson emerged in the first Harry Potter movie. 

1. Olivia

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After cracking the top 10 in 2001, two years after Mariska Hargitay debuted as Olivia Benson on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Olivia became the No. 1 baby girl name in 2019. 

This is its third consecutive year at the top of the rankings.