Girl names that returned to the U.S. baby name data in 2023

In 2023, which girl names re-emerged most impressively in the U.S. baby name data (after an absence of at least one year)?

Here are the top 10+ girl-name returns:

1. Lylla, 59 baby girls
2. Azhani, 34
3. Xalia, 32
4. Merlina, 27
5. Daia, 24 (tie)
6. Mazuri, 24 (tie)
7. Makaiah, 23
8. Aneley, 21 (tie)
9. Kridha, 21 (tie)
10. Keighley, 19 (tie)
11. Simora, 19 (tie)

Lylla corresponds to an anthropomorphic otter character from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).

Merlina may have been influenced by the Spanish-language TV series Merlina — which is simply the English-language TV series Wednesday translated into Spanish. (The main character, Wednesday Addams, was renamed “Merlina” for Latin American audiences, but “Miércoles” for viewers in Spain.)

Another girl name that re-emerged in the data in 2023 was Eclipse, no doubt inspired by the solar eclipse last October.

If you can explain any of the other returns, please leave a comment!

Sources: SSA, Reddit

Image: Adapted from First leaves Novosibirsk Siberia 24.04.2012 by Mikhail Koninin under CC BY 2.0.