30 Popular Baby Names for Girls and Boys Dominating 2018

Popular girls names: Aviana

Aviana isn't a common name, but it's rising fast. In 2015, it was No. 661 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. In 2016, it skyrocketed to No. 392.

Aviana means "like a bird" in Latin. Another definition for the name is "way of grace."

Popular girls names: Remington

Remington is typically used for boys, but it is one of the slowly climbing gender-neutral names. It was originally made popular by Pierce Brosnan's 1980s series Remington Steele. The name climbed from No. 622 in 2015 to No. 458 in 2016.

Popular girls names: Nova

Nova was popular in the late 1800s, but made a comeback in 2011. The name comes from the scientific term for a star that burns a thousand times brighter before it fades.

Nova jumped from No. 215 in 2015 to No. 136 on the list of Top 1,000 Baby Names in the U.S. Novalee, which held the No. 949 slot, is also an option.

Popular girls names: Teagan

Teagan is another trending name. It climbed from No. 228 to No. 150 on the 2016 list of the Top 1,000 U.S. Baby Names. It also helps that the name has adorable nicknames like Tilly, Teags, Tiger and Tee. The name could also be a nice tribute to Chrissy Teigen.

Popular girls names: Rowan

As Cafe Mom points out, Rowan is the Anglicized version of a Gaelic name that means "little red haired one." Of course, your little baby doesn't need to be a red-head. In fact, the name has gained popularity because of Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard, who is a brunette.

Rowan was featured on both the boys and girls side of the Top 1,000 U.S. Baby Names in 2016. The name jumped nearly 100 spots to No. 239 on the 2016 list.

Popular girls names: Joy

Joy has gained popularity again, after being popular during the 1930s and 1940s. The name was No. 436 on the 2015 Top 1,000 Baby Names list, but jumped to No. 351 in 2016. The word "Joy" means "delight" or "pleasure" and is derived from the French "Joie."

Popular girls names: Blakely

The feminine form of "Blake" is "Blakely," although Blake Lively's parents must have liked "Blake." Blakely is still popular, climbing to No. 270 in 2016.

Blake is No. 297 on the list of Top 1,000 girls' names and No. 127 on the list of boys' names for 2016.

Popular girls names: Eloise

Eloise has been a popular name ever since Kay Thompson's beloved Eloise books began in 1955. The name entered the top 250 in 2016, hitting 209 on the list of Top 1,000 names for girls in the U.S. It was No. 256 last year.

The origin of the name is uncertain, but it might have derived from the Germanic Helewidis as a compound name that means "hearty" and "wide." The name reached peak popularity in the 1920s, according to Baby Name Wizard.

Popular girls names: Juniper

If you're looking for a fun name for your daughter, Juniper is perfect. The name comes from a small evergreen shrub with berries. The name only recently gained popularity around 2011, even though Donovan's "Jennifer Juniper" was released in 1968.

The name was No. 352 on the list of Top 1,000 Baby Names.

Popular girls names: Zara

Zara isn't just the name of one of the world's largest clothing retailers. It's also a popular name for girls. The name means "flower, blossom" in Arabic. The name was No. 318 on the list of Top 1,000 Baby Names.

Popular girls names: Ariella

For those wanting to name their baby after The Little Mermaid's Ariel but fear the name is too common, Ariella is a nice alternative. The name's popularity started in 2008 and it was No. 335 on the list of Top 1,000 Baby Names in the U.S. Ariel was up at No. 140.

Popular girls names: Iris

The Goo Goo Dolls might be considered "classic rock," but that doesn't mean "Iris" has gone out of fashion. In fact, the name continues to gain popularity. It jumped to No. 186 on the 2016 list of the Top 1,000 Baby Names in the U.S. The name can refer to the Greek goddess of the rainbow, or the flower name.

Popular girls names: Finley

Finley is often thought of as a boy's name, but it's recently been used for girls. In fact, it is now being used more for girls than boys, according to Baby Name Wizard.

The name was No. 189 on the list of Top 1,000 U.S. Baby Names for girls, but No. 287 on the boys' list.

Popular girls names: Ivy

"Ivy" has been a popular name for girls for decades. The Batman villain Poison Ivy hasn't stopped parents from using the name. Beyonce also brought the name extra attention by naming her daughter Blue Ivy. The name was No. 112 on the list of Top 1,000 Baby Names list.

Popular girls names: Ophelia

Ophelia is a classic name that jumped in popularity from 2015 to 2016. It was at No. 975 in 2015, but jumped to No. 580 on the Top 1,000 Baby Names list. According to Baby Name Wizard, it was one of the most popular names for girls from the 1880s until the 1950s. But it experienced a sudden revival in 2015.

The name entered the English language thanks to William Shakespeare, who used it in Hamlet. The Lumineers also had a hit with "Ophelia" in 2016.

Popular boys names: Atlas

Atlas is a name that skyrocketed to a prime slot on the list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. in recent years. In 2015, it ranked No. 490 and climbed to No. 403 in 2016. The name refers to the Greek mythological Titan who was condemned to hold the world on his shoulders for eternity.

Popular boys names: Kingsley

Kingsley is a name that's been taking leaps on the Top 1,000 baby names chart. In 2015, it was No. 747, but it jumped to No. 585 in 2016. It's a name that can be used for both boys and girls. According to Baby Name Wizard, it only recently became popular in the past five yers.

Popular boys names: Arlo

Arlo is a name that made a big comeback in 2015, notes Cafe Mom. It was No. 502 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names, but jumped to No. 349 in 2016. Clearly, Arlo Guthrie fans aren't the only ones using the name.

Popular boys names: Conor

Conor is a well-known name that's experiencing renewed popularity. It jumped from No. 477 in 2015 to No. 323 in 2016. It's a little twist on the more popular "Connor," which stayed at No. 54 in 2015 and 2016. Perhaps Conor McGregor fans have been honoring the Irish MMA fighter by naming their sons after him.

Popular boys names: Cairo

Cairo is another name that made a significant jump from 2015 to 2016. The name was at No. 941 in 2015 and climbed exactly 100 spots a year later. The name means "triumphant" or "victorious one" in Arabic, and is also the name of Egypt's capital city.

Popular boys names: Wilder

Wilder is typically thought of as a last name — like Laura Ingalls Wilder, Gene Wilder or Billy Wilder. But it is gaining steam as a first name. It was at No. 964 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. for boys, but jumped to No. 723 in 2016.

Wilder is also a common city name, with places in California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee and Vermont all sharing the name.

Popular boys names: Adonis

Adonis is another mythological name that's gained popularity recently. The name was at No. 702 in 2015 but jumped all the way to No. 394 on the 2016 Top 1,000 baby names list.

In Greek mythology, Adonis was the son of Myttha and Cinyras. He inspired a cult that celebrated a harvest honoring his death and rebirth. Adonis Creed was also the title character of Ryan Coogler's Creed, the Rocky spin-off starring Michael B. Jordan.

Popular boys names: Matias

Matias jumped from No. 458 to No. 362 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. for 2016. The alternate Matthias is also on the list at No. 497. According to The Name Meaning, "Matias" means "Gift of God" and is a Biblical name. It is the Spanish and Finnish version of Matthew.

By the way, Matthew was at No. 15 on the 2015 and 2016 lists.

Popular boys names: Lennox

Lennox made a slight jump from No. 488 in 2015 to No. 444 in 2016. The name is also popular for girls, where it was No. 716 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names for girls in the U.S.

The name means "From Levenach" and is of Celtic origin. There is also a Clan Lennox in Scotland and the name of a district there.

Popular boys names: Sage

Sage is another name that's both popular for boys and girls. The name jumped more than 100 spots to No. 546 on the list of Top 1,000 names for boys in the U.S. in 2016. It sits at No. 354 for girls.

The name means "From the spice or Prophet." One famous Sage is Sage Kotsenburg, an American snowboarder who won a gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games.

Popular boys names: Zayn

Zayn has gained popularity thanks to singer Zayn Malik, a member of One Direction. The name climbed from No. 644 to No. 421 on the list of Top 1,000 boys names in the U.S. The name means "God is Gracious."

Zain is also No. 680 on the list of most popular boys names.

Popular boys names: Cyrus

Cyrus has been popular for year thanks to Miley Cyrus and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus. The name is still climbing, reaching No. 427 on the 2016 list of Top 1,000 boys name in the U.S. The name is Iranian in origin and can be translated to "sun," "lord" or "throne."

Popular boys names: Barrett

Barrett jumped from No. 313 to No. 263 on the list of popular boys names in the U.S. The name can be translated to "bear-brave" in English and German.

It's more common as a surname. One famous Barrett is Barrett Strong, a Motown singer and songwriter. He famously co-wrote "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone."

Popular boys names: Kyrie

Thanks to Boston Celtics (and former Cleveland Cavaliers) star Kyrie Irving, the name Kyrie is on the rise. It climbed from No. 334 in 2015 to No. 285 on the 2016 list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. The name means "lord" or "master." There is also a Christian prayer known as "Kyrie eleison," or "Lord, have mercy."

Popular boys names: Theo

Theo can be short for "Theodore," but is also a popular name itself. The name is at No. 354 on the list of Top 1,000 boys names in the U.S. Theodore is at No. 83. The name means "gift of God."

Some famous Theos include Divergent actor Theo James and Luke Cage actor Theo Rossi. However, they were both born "Theodore."