Names, like fashion, change with the times, which explains why ever-shifting social trends and popular culture greatly influence the monikers parents give their children. So it’s not surprising that names favored just five years ago may be deemed too old fashioned for today’s parents.
So what do popular female names in 2020 tell us about current preferences for the naming of girl babies? Although it’s difficult to pinpoint any one reason for such a personal decision, the trend appears to be a return to more conventional names for girls. (What were parents naming their kids a century ago? See the most popular names in America since 1880.)
2020 was the height of the pandemic, a time when many people experienced the loss of loved ones and job security. So perhaps it was natural for parents to choose traditional names during a time of great upheaval. The top five names on this list are all classically beautiful female names that have been popular for decades, even centuries. Perhaps parents wanted the comfort of knowing their child would have a name that is both lovely and not too unusual.
Popular culture may have also played a role. Did the popularity of Charlotte grow after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge named their only daughter Charlotte? Is the emergence of Aria due to the name of the well-liked heroic female character in “Games of Thrones?” (Missed “Games of Thrones the first time? These are the most binge-worthy series you can stream right now.)
Not all the girl names are of the traditional variety, however. A few like Avery, Addison, and Riley are non-gender specific and could be tagged for boys or girls. And there are some newbies on the list: Nova and Paisley fall into that category.
What girl names will rise to the top in 2021? Check back to see if parents choose time-honored ones — or look to break with tradition with a new batch of names.
Click here to see America’s most popular baby girl names in 2020
To identify the most popular baby girl names in 2020, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the total number of births for each name with five or more occurrences in 2020 from the Social Security Administration. Names with less than five occurrences are not tracked by the SSA in order to protect anonymity. Total births for 2010 and 2000, along with each year in between, also come from the SSA.
Source: mmpile / Getty Images
50. Paisley
> Birth count 2020: 4,333
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
49. Lucy
> Birth count 2020: 4,339
> Pictured: Lucy Liu, Actor
Source: Andrew Toth / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
48. Willow
> Birth count 2020: 4,345
> Pictured: Willow Smith, Musician
Source: Amy Sussman / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
47. Addison
> Birth count 2020: 4,467
> Pictured: Addison Rae, TikTok Star
[in-text-ad-2]
46. Lillian
> Birth count 2020: 4,468
> Pictured: Lillian Gish, Actor
Source: Rich Fury / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
45. Leah
> Birth count 2020: 4,482
> Pictured: Leah Remini, Actor
[in-text-ad]
Source: Pool / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
44. Isla
> Birth count 2020: 4,538
> Pictured: Isla Fisher, Actor
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
43. Everly
> Birth count 2020: 4,590
> Pictured: Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan (Everly is their daughter)
Source: Trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
42. Stella
> Birth count 2020: 4,624
> Pictured: Stella Adler, Dance Teacher
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Original image: Sgt. Michael Connors - 302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachmentderivative work: MyCanon., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
41. Zoe
> Birth count 2020: 4,725
> Pictured: Zoe Salldana, Actor
Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
40. Emilia
> Birth count 2020: 4,750
> Pictured: Emilia Clarke, Actor
[in-text-ad]
Source: Joe Scarnici / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
39. Hannah
> Birth count 2020: 4,910
> Pictured: Hannah Simone, Actor
Source: Vendela Hyde, photographer, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
38. Nova
> Birth count 2020: 4,940
> Pictured: Nova Miller, Musician
Source: Courtesy of Violet Farebrother
37. Violet
> Birth count 2020: 5,075
> Pictured: Violet Farebrother, Actor
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Nicholas Hunt / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
36. Aurora
> Birth count 2020: 5,184
> Pictured: Aurora Aksnes, Musician
Source: Rubenstein, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
35. Lily
> Birth count 2020: 5,195
> Pictured: Lily Rabe, Actor
[in-text-ad]
Source: Anthony Harvey / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
34. Victoria
> Birth count 2020: 5,249
> Pictured: Victoria Beckham, Former Member of Spice Girls, Fashion Designer
Source: Rich Fury / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
33. Riley
> Birth count 2020: 5,309
> Pictured: Riley Keough, Actor
Source: Exchange, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service / Wikipedia / Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license
32. Zoey
> Birth count 2020: 5,331
> Pictured: Zoey Deutch, Actor
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Keystone / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
31. Hazel
> Birth count 2020: 5,457
> Pictured: Hazel Court, Actor
Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
30. Nora
> Birth count 2020: 5,550
> Pictured: Nora Jones, Musician
[in-text-ad]
Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
29. Ellie
> Birth count 2020: 5,562
> Pictured: Ellie Kemper, Comedian
24/7 Wall St.Source: Archive Photos / Moviepix via Getty Images
28. Grace
> Birth count 2020: 5,569
> Pictured: Grace Kelly, Actor
Source: Andrew Toth / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
27. Chloe
> Birth count 2020: 6,093
> Pictured: Chloe Grace Moretz, Actor
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Aria Aber
26. Aria
> Birth count 2020: 6,093
> Pictured: Aria Aber, Poet
Source: Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images
25. Penelope
> Birth count 2020: 6,099
> Pictured: Penelope Cruz, Actor
[in-text-ad]
Source: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
24. Layla
> Birth count 2020: 6,174
> Pictured: Laila Ali, Boxer
Source: Presley Ann / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
23. Madison
> Birth count 2020: 6,196
> Pictured: Madison Beer, Musician
Source: Keystone / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
22. Eleanor
> Birth count 2020: 6,335
> Pictured: Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Jemal Countess / Getty Images
21. Scarlett
> Birth count 2020: 6,455
> Pictured: Scarlett Johansson, Actor
Source: Gage Skidmore / Flickr
20. Mila
> Birth count 2020: 6,602
> Pictured: Mila Kunis, Actor
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Avery Christine
19. Avery
> Birth count 2020: 6,698
> Pictured: Avery Christine, YouTube Personality
18. Emily
> Birth count 2020: 6,856
> Pictured: Emily Mortimer, Actor
Source: idominick / Flickr
17. Sofia
> Birth count 2020: 6,926
> Pictured: Sofia Vergara, Actor
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Charley Gallay / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
16. Elizabeth
> Birth count 2020: 7,216
> Pictured: Elizabeth Olsen, Actor
Source: Ronald Dumont / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
15. Ella
> Birth count 2020: 7,303
> Pictured: Ella Fitzgerald, Musician
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
14. Luna
> Birth count 2020: 7,770
> Pictured: Luna, “Harry Potter” Character
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)
13. Abigail
> Birth count 2020: 7,817
> Pictured: Abigail Adams, Actor
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
12. Gianna
> Birth count 2020: 7,826
> Pictured: Gianna D’Angelo, Singer
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images
11. Camila
> Birth count 2020: 8,096
> Pictured: Camila Cabello, Musician
Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
10. Harper
> Birth count 2020: 8,778
> Pictured: Harper Lee, Author
[in-text-ad]
Source: Steve Powell / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
9. Evelyn
> Birth count 2020: 9,445
> Pictured: Evelyn Ashford, Runner
Source: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
8. Mia
> Birth count 2020: 11,157
> Pictured: Mia Wasikowska, Actor
Source: Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
7. Isabella
> Birth count 2020: 12,066
> Pictured: Isabella Rossellini, Actor
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images
6. Amelia
> Birth count 2020: 12,704
> Pictured: Amelia Earhart, Pilot
Source: Express / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
5. Sophia
> Birth count 2020: 12,976
> Pictured: Sophia Loren, Actor
[in-text-ad]
4. Charlotte
> Birth count 2020: 13,003
> Pictured: Charlotte Brontë, Author
Source: Hulton Archive / Getty Images
3. Ava
> Birth count 2020: 13,084
> Pictured: Ava Gardner, Actor
Source: Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
2. Emma
> Birth count 2020: 15,581
> Pictured: Emma Thompson, Actor
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
1. Olivia
> Birth count 2020: 17,535
> Pictured: Olivia Rodrigo, Musician
Essential Tips for Investing: Sponsored
A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
