Are you pregnant and did you find out that you are having a girl? Congratulations!
Or perhaps you have a friend or family member that is expecting a daughter and either way, it is time to look into names. Whether you are the one who is pregnant with a girl and you need to start deciding on what to call her, or you want to help give your pregnant friend or family member ideas for names, you are in luck.
When it comes to naming your kids, it can be tricky because the last thing you want to do is stick your child with a name that she will hate (or he but this list is for girls) for life. In that case, your child will have the option to legally change it once adulthood is reached. However, so many things come into play when you are choosing a name for your children.
You may want to honor a loved one, whether they are deceased or living, which also depends on the culture or religion. For instance, Ashkenazi Jewish people only honor the deceased, whereas Christians and Sephardi Jewish people honor either the living or deceased.
It is an honorable thing to honor your loved ones, whether they are still around or not. However, if the name sounds extremely old-fashioned or you are afraid your child will be the only one in class with that name, then you can always use the name as a middle name and choose something more popular or that is of your preference for a first name.
Other things to consider when naming your children is how unique you want the name to be, or how popular. The last thing you want to do is inadvertently cause your child to be bullied due to having a name that is too unique. And maybe you don’t want your child to have the same name as many other kids.
Regardless of what you decide to name your daughter if you are pregnant with a girl, here is a list of the top 20 names for girls which can give you ideas. Here is the list of the 20 top names of girls that were used in 2017:
1. Olivia is the first name in the list. It means olive and has been around in England since the the 13th century. In fact, it beat Amelia to the top from a year ago!
2. Amelia is an old Germanic word which means work. It was on the top spot a year ago, however, Olivia topped it in 2017.
3. Emily is an old Germanic name which actually means rival even though it is a very endearing sounding name. This name has been in the top 20 for many years and it still is even in the top 10, meaning there will be plenty of girls named Emily in your kids’ classes. If you are having a girl, and plan to use this name, she will know plenty of other girls with the same name.
4. Isla is a Scottish name which means island, and it’s been quite popular for some time in North America.
5. Ava is a Biblical name which means iniquity. There is also a Persian root for this name which means sound. It’s been quite popular for several years but it wasn’t until recently that it was in the top 20 names for girls.
6. Isabella is of Latin origin and it means loved by God. It is used in many languages.
7. Lily is a flower name which has been popular for a long time. It is predicted that it will be popular for quite some time.
8. Jessica was used by Shakespeare for the character of Shylock’s daughter in The Merchant of Venice. It’s been popular since the 20th century and the popularity of Jessica is sticking around.
9. Ella is an abbreviation of Ellen and Eleanor, which has become its own name and it means beautiful fairy.
10. Mia appears to be Italian for mine, but it is a variant of Mary.
11. Sophia which is the same as Sophie is Latin for wisdom, but it sounds a bit firmer. It is more popular than Sophie, but not by much!
12. Charlotte is a French name and a female derivative of Charles. Since Charles stands for a free man, this might mean free woman. The name had been forgotten for a long time, but it is likely Princess Charlotte’s presence that helped it climb up into the list of top 20 girls’ names for several years.
13. Poppy is the flower or seed but the name has gotten quite popular especially over the last year.
14. Sophie means wisdom and is in the top 20 list of most popular names for girls, but Sophia is used more.
15. Grace is of Latin origin, which means divine grace and the popularity of this name has risen over the last few years.
16. Evie is a diminutive from Eve, who was the first Biblical woman, and it means life.
17. Alice traces all the way back to Adalhaidis which is an old Germanic name that means of noble descent.
18. Scarlett means either deep red color or a fine woollen cloth, and has become more popular over the last several decades.
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19. Freya is a name of the Scandinavian goddess of love, and in German the related word Frau means lady.
20. Florence means prosperous and it is also the name of a gorgeous Italian city.
There is the list of the top 20 names that was popular in 2017 for girls. Some names may appeal to you, and others may not, or you may decide to look into other sources for names that are still popular but not necessarily in the top 20. As mentioned previously, be sure to carefully choose names that you really want to use for your daughter. Remember that she will be the one living with the name for life, and if she changes it, then you will know it was not the best choice! Just go with your gut, congratulations and best of luck!
