15 Girls Names Set to Dominate 2018

If you’re having a baby girl in 2018, coming up with a name will be your new obsession! You want to pick a name that’s unique, one that will have your child stand out from the pack — but you don’t want to come up with a name that will be too trendy or weird either.

Choosing a baby name is a daunting task, but we’ve put together a list of names that will dominate 2018 and continue to trend into the future.

Cafemom created a list with the help of BabyNameWizard.com‘s Laura Wattenberg, who suggested that the best way to figure out which names will be popular is by looking down the list of popular names and see which ones are rising fast.

So instead of going with the Top 10 names — Emma, Olivia, Ava, Sophia, Isabella, Mia, Charlotte, Abigail, Emily and Harper — look further down the list to see which ones are climbing the chart.

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.” 

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 It was originally made popular by Pierce Brosnan’s 1980s series Remington Steele.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. 

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.

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.

Rowan

As Cafemom 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.

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.”

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.