How popular is the baby name Alaia in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Alaia.

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Popularity of the baby name Alaia


Posts that mention the name Alaia

Numerology: Baby names with a value of 6

Baby names with a numerological value of 6

If you’re on the hunt for baby names with a numerological value of 6, you’re in luck! Because today’s post features hundreds of 6-names.

Before we get to the names, though — how do we know that they’re “sixes” in numerology?

Turning names into numbers

Here’s how to calculate the numerological value of a name.

First, for each letter, come up with a number to represent that letter’s position in the alphabet. (Letter A would be number 1, letter B would be number 2, and so forth.) Then, add all the numbers together. If the sum has two or more digits, add the digits together recursively until the result is a single digit. That single digit is the name’s numerological value.

For instance, the letters in the name Weston correspond to the numbers 23, 5, 19, 20, 15, and 14. The sum of these numbers is 96. The digits of 96 added together equal 15, and the digits of 15 added together equal 6 — the numerological value of Weston.

Baby names with a value of 6

Below you’ll find the most popular 6-names per gender, according to the latest U.S. baby name data. I’ve further sub-categorized them by total sums — just in case any of those larger numbers are significant to anyone.

6

The letters in the following baby names add up to 6.

Girl name (6)Boy names (6)
AdaAbba, Baba

6 via 15

The letters in the following baby names add up to 15, which reduces to six (1+5=6).

Girl names (6 via 15)Boy names (6 via 15)
Aida, Alaa, Adia, An, AmaJad, Aadi, Gabe, An, Ej

6 via 24

The letters in the following baby names add up to 24, which reduces to six (2+4=6).

Girl names (6 via 24)Boy names (6 via 24)
Ava, Alaia, Maia, Nia, Hana, Rae, Amia, Dara, Kaci, Edna, Ani, FaigaIan, Dean, Aden, Dane, Kal

6 via 33

The letters in the following baby names add up to 33, which reduces to six (3+3=6).

Girl names (6 via 33)Boy names (6 via 33)
Kali, Mabel, Anahi, Mara, Alena, Shea, Andie, Vaeda, Adira, Aimee, Alara, Adhara, Arie, Daria, Elana, Bracha, Blanca, Hawa, Shae, Avia, Diane, Eira, Leana, Adria, Dasha, Amen, Amaiah, Eman, NahiaAiden, Isaac, Wade, Kobe, Fabian, Sam, Abdiel, Amar, Shea, Don, Said, Fred, Aram, Arie, Alfie, Fabio, Amen, Jin, Eidan, Adair

6 via 42

The letters in the following baby names add up to 42, which reduces to six (4+2=6).

Girl names (6 via 42)Boy names (6 via 42)
Eliana, Maria, Cecilia, Callie, Amira, Lilah, Elaina, Blair, Maggie, Esme, Amari, Anaya, Nola, Jemma, Macy, Emani, Arden, Ayana, Abril, Jhene, Aanya, Meera, Alisa, Rain, Amarah, Alex, Adalina, Maeva, Khalia, Rio, Kaliah, Dawn, Ileana, Katia, Janice, Danni, Nailea, Madina, Analeah, Evan, Cianna, Rian, Teddi, Rebel, Lili, Delta, Eevee, Maira, Neva, Rina, Sima, Lark, Aseel, LeighaAxel, Damian, Evan, Amari, Alex, Joel, Nash, Andre, Odin, Deacon, Jalen, Ayaan, Rio, Ander, Casen, Heath, Ameer, Dion, Eren, Cedric, Rene, Jacari, Aayan, Arden, Rian, Mikah, Cru, Hans, Axle, Karl, Sami, Aamir, Malek, Aven, Makhi, Nakoa, Ansh, Rain, Ori, Blair, Kanaan, Alias, Arin, Damani, Javi, Asim, Bakari, Talha, Azan

6 via 51

The letters in the following baby names add up to 51, which reduces to six (5+1=6).

Girl names (6 via 51)Boy names (6 via 51)
Layla, Delilah, Lydia, Myla, Khloe, Phoebe, Camilla, Charli, Maren, Elora, Nalani, Davina, Haley, Thalia, Irene, Jolie, Paula, Greta, Darcy, Claudia, Aiyana, Dixie, Lianna, Inaaya, Alannah, Caylee, Aubri, Zaina, Eris, Naveah, Tahlia, Amariah, Ameerah, Irina, Amerie, Nariah, Leora, Sidra, Asher, Heidy, Alanni, Flor, Cambrie, Taliah, Jelani, Karli, Emarie, Leanne, Finlee, Kamya, Kalaya, Anaiya, Nomi, Navaeh, Navie, ChanyMichael, Asher, Raiden, Hugo, Jamir, Ledger, Boone, Rome, Issac, Lachlan, Gary, Davian, Deandre, Adrien, Mikael, Gray, Jeriah, Sire, Ansel, Micheal, Lyam, Rashad, Jahseh, Jelani, Darien, Mars, Aariv, Masiah, Denis, Reggie, Ishan, Andrei, Freddie, Kainoa, Kallan, Evian, Omer, Von, Maddex, Rihaan, Robbie, Samael, Amarii, Kyan, Price, Clive, Derian

6 via 60

The letters in the following baby names add up to 60, which reduces to six (6+0=6).

Girl names (6 via 60)Boy names (6 via 60)
Hailey, Millie, Kehlani, Wren, Raven, Matilda, Skye, Nylah, Emely, Averie, Miranda, Selene, Novah, Fallon, Zora, Keziah, Rori, Azul, Maribel, Selina, Mirabel, Petra, Emori, Aashvi, Diamond, Juno, Aryana, Janiya, Judy, Raleigh, Kamiya, Isabell, Abriella, Dayanna, Desire, Eliora, Jannat, Khelani, Hindy, Kayden, Mylee, Camdyn, Nahomi, Aribella, Samaya, Marnie, Zamara, Daliyah, Eliyah, Kavya, Solei, Razan, Corina, Rocio, Maeleigh, Haylie, Caydence, Dakotah, Zenaida, BerlinLandon, Silas, Thiago, Kayden, Enzo, Grant, Bryan, Ibrahim, Ruben, Kason, Moshe, Lucian, Samir, Riggs, Cillian, Devon, Darren, Yahya, Wren, Billy, Benny, Maxim, Nikko, Camdyn, Viraj, Osiel, Lucio, Revan, Kiyan, Aaryan, Carsen, Hernan, Rayaan, Daryl, Aditya, Salman, Bennet, Viggo, Nolen, Genaro, Raleigh, Skye, Shamar, Markel, Emmit, Jahmari, Tobin, Raven, Diamond, Whit, Sven, Kaedyn, Novah, Jibril, Jayse, Cylas, Azaire

6 via 69

The letters in the following baby names add up to 69, which reduces to six (6+9=15; 1+5=6).

Girl names (6 via 69)Boy names (6 via 69)
Riley, Stella, Lillian, Parker, Oakley, Celeste, Harley, Giselle, Rylie, Katalina, Cameron, Maliyah, Addilyn, Laurel, Amoura, Henley, Giavanna, Miller, Janessa, Odette, Sally, Shanaya, Bayleigh, Priya, Zaynab, Audriana, Kaniyah, Saniya, Ziyah, Noura, Samirah, Lenore, Miamor, Jasper, Anastacia, Esty, Ariyana, Ayzel, Zarina, Keisy, Elyza, Ginny, Maevis, LuizaCameron, Jeremiah, Parker, Jasper, Brayden, Riley, Griffin, Malcolm, Hector, Oakley, Marcos, Kaison, Leandro, Miller, Conner, Benson, Kannon, Leonard, Kyro, Alvaro, Joziah, Evander, Castiel, Colten, Rhodes, Harley, Korbin, Darwin, Bishop, Howard, Achilles, Kyaire, Yaseen, Kenny, Tayden, Kalvin, Aston, Vivaan, Smith, Ruger, Linkin, Henley, Kyran, Cordell, Lonnie, Jaydon, Knight, Hendrik, Kory, Aayansh, Neizan, Ulices, Lowen, Croix, Erwin, Azekiel, Ayaansh, Arlow

6 via 78

The letters in the following baby names add up to 78, which reduces to six (7+8=15; 1+5=6).

Girl names (6 via 78)Boy names (6 via 78)
Genesis, Kennedy, Madilyn, Esmeralda, Melissa, Viviana, Scarlet, Julieta, Oaklyn, Kayleigh, Florence, Scout, Leilany, Estelle, Berkley, Harmoni, Jazmine, Leylani, Tilly, Corinne, Avyanna, Aislinn, Montana, Onyx, Harlyn, Louella, Yesenia, Kenzlee, Batsheva, Taryn, Haisleigh, Rylin, Zulema, Karissa, October, Yohanna, Renleigh, Karson, Pauline, Nazly, TaniyahRobert, Emiliano, Tucker, Patrick, Colson, Daxton, Karson, Onyx, Troy, Dominick, Vicente, Shmuel, Genesis, Scout, Shimon, Seamus, Renzo, Antoine, Montana, Kennedy, Darryl, Braulio, Chester, Gerson, Muhammed, Myheir, Rhyder, Domenico, Shulem, Zyir, Shakur, Callaway, Luqman, Oaklyn, Lennix, Bently, Jairus, Kazmir, Romelo

6 via 87

The letters in the following baby names add up to 87, which reduces to six (8+7=15; 1+5=6).

Girl names (6 via 87)Boy names (6 via 87)
Paisley, Everly, Mackenzie, Veronica, Journi, Marlowe, Marisol, Justice, Tallulah, Blessing, Maryjane, Brayleigh, Cattleya, Hermione, Lotus, Ashtyn, Unique, Cosette, Xitlali, Lilyann, Sequoia, Priscila, Layton, Philippa, Lizzie, Grettel, Lynnlee, Yocheved, Roxanna, Truth, Ellarose, Ellory, JaylynVincent, Victor, Joaquin, Stephen, Sonny, Kolton, Braylon, Dustin, Layton, Justice, Junior, Wylder, Maxton, Niklaus, Mayson, Sultan, Truth, Clinton, Truman, Hampton, Ashtyn, Cortez, Artist, Konnor, Geovanni, Matheus, Neythan, Mackenzie, Zavion, Monty, Zaylin, Yasser, Yeison, Jayvon, Javonte, Dempsey, Geoffrey, Yossi, Binyamin, Priest

6 via 96

The letters in the following baby names add up to 96, which reduces to six (9+6=15; 1+5=6).

Girl names (6 via 96)Boy names (6 via 96)
Destiny, Mallory, Blessyn, Shirley, Blakelynn, Kristen, Vivianne, Journii, Kirsten, TrulyWeston, Stanley, Ernesto, Knowledge, Turner, Krishiv, Pierson, Townes, Jayvion, Muhammadali, Allister, Rexton, Sylus, Triton, Nikolaos, Murray, Kolsyn

6 via 105

The letters in the following baby names add up to 105, which reduces to six (1+0+5=6).

Girl names (6 via 105)Boy names (6 via 105)
Wynter, Dorothy, Esperanza, Christine, Huntley, Lovelyn, Viktoria, CypressLorenzo, Maximilian, Gustavo, Xzavier, Tristen, Cypress, Johnathon, Giovonni, Huntley, Tytus

6 via 114

The letters in the following baby names add up to 114, which reduces to six (1+1+4=6).

Girl names (6 via 114)Boy names (6 via 114)
Rosemary, Jazzlyn, Brynnleigh, Treazure, VittoriaWinston, Princeton, Demetrius, Juancarlos, Townsend

6 via 123

The letters in the following baby names add up to 123, which reduces to six (1+2+3=6).

Girl names (6 via 123)Boy names (6 via 123)
Monserrat, Riverlyn, Antoinette, Kimberlynn, QuetzalliGrizzly, Johnthomas, Maxamillion, Lovensky, Timmothy

Number 6: Significance and associations

What does the number six mean in numerology?

There’s no definitive answer, unfortunately, because various numerological systems exist, and each one has its own interpretation of the number six. That said, if we look at a couple of modern numerology/astrology websites, we see 6 being described as “harmonious,” “loving,” “stable,” “compassionate,” and “responsible.”

We can also look at associations, which are a bit more concrete. Here are some things that are associated with the number 6:

  • Snowflake (six-fold symmetry)
  • Beehive (six-sided cells)
  • Guitar (6 strings)
  • Football (6 points for a touchdown)
  • Ice hockey (6 players per side, including the goalie)
  • Cube (six faces)
  • Six degrees of separation (the idea that all people are six or fewer social connections away from one other)

What does the number 6 mean to you? What are your strongest associations with the number?

P.S. To see names with other numerological values, check out the posts for the numbers one, two, three, four, five, seven, eight, and nine.

Sources: SSA, Numerology – Cafe Astrology, The meaning of the numbers 1 – 9 – World Numerology, 6 – Wikipedia

[Latest update: Jan. 2024]

Baby names that rose the fastest in the U.S data, 1881 to today (absolute increase)

hot air balloons

Having déjà vu?

A couple of months ago, we looked at a long, year-by-year list of the top baby name rises. A month after that, we saw the corresponding list of top drops.

On that second post, Frank B. left a comment in which he asked about absolute rises and drops — because the lists only covered relative movement within the data. So I thought two more posts were in order: top raw-number rises, and top raw-number drops.

We’ll start with the rises again. Just keep in mind that the SSA numbers don’t become very accurate until the mid-to-late 20th century, so many of the numbers below don’t quite reflect reality.

Here’s the format: Girl names are on the left, boy names are on the right, and the numbers represent single-year rises in usage. From 1880 to 1881, for instance, the usage of the girl name Ethel increased by 155 babies and the usage of the boy name Chester increased by 106 babies.

  • 1881: Ethel, +155; Chester, +106
  • 1882: Mary, +1,229; John, +788
  • 1883: Bertha, +173; Grover, +71
  • 1884: Mary, +1,205; Grover, +675
  • 1885: Helen, +148; Willie, +36
  • 1886: Mary, +762; John, +270
  • 1887: Ethel, +208; Harold, +55
  • 1888: Mary, +1,866; William, +1,235
  • 1889: Ruth, +223; Russell, +52
  • 1890: Mary, +430; Charlie, +112
  • 1891: Ruth, +662; Theodore & Herbert, +34 (tie)
  • 1892: Mary, +1,471; John, +1,358
  • 1893: Esther, +558; Claude, +41
  • 1894: Marie, +437; John, +189
  • 1895: Anna, +385; James, +225
  • 1896: Helen, +369; William, +470
  • 1897: Thelma, +159; Dewey, +95
  • 1898: Mary, +994; Dewey, +957
  • 1899: Mildred, +188; Kenneth, +24
  • 1900: Mary, +3536; John, +2,840
  • 1901: Retha, +25; Theodore, +21
  • 1902: Mary, +1,350; John, +1,009
  • 1903: Dorothy, +371; Jack, +88
  • 1904: Mary, +687; John, +499
  • 1905: Mary, +1,105; Charles, +201
  • 1906: Alice, +581; Robert, +225
  • 1907: Mary, +1,211; James, +799
  • 1908: Mary, +1,085; William, +622
  • 1909: Helen, +813; James, +582
  • 1910: Mary, +3,589; John, +1,860
  • 1911: Dorothy, +1,551; John, +1,995
  • 1912: Mary, +7,910; John, +11,140
  • 1913: Mary, +4,342; John, +4,738
  • 1914: Mary, +8,705; John, +8,621
  • 1915: Mary, +12,842; John, +9,634
  • 1916: Mary, +3,246; Robert, +3,004
  • 1917: Mary, +2,847; Robert, +3,474
  • 1918: Dorothy, +3,179; Robert, +5,409
  • 1919: Betty, +1,304; Willie, +409
  • 1920: Mary, +5,141; Robert, +7,656
  • 1921: Betty, +3,618; Robert, +4,096
  • 1922: Betty, +3,259; Richard, +1,165
  • 1923: Betty, +5,097; Robert, +2,300
  • 1924: Betty, +4,605; Robert, +4,685
  • 1925: Gloria, +2,835; Richard, +2,034
  • 1926: Barbara, +1,917; Richard, +1,864
  • 1927: Mary, +2,787; Donald, +2,935
  • 1928: Dolores, +2,843; Herbert, +3,049
  • 1929: Joan, +3,806; Donald, +1,456
  • 1930: Joan, +3,812; Richard, +2,602
  • 1931: Joan, +3,633; Ronald, +1,086
  • 1932: Barbara, +4,514; Ronald, +4,411
  • 1933: Carol, +1,650; Franklin, +2,603
  • 1934: Shirley, +8,523; James, +3,124
  • 1935: Shirley, +19,514; David, +1,664
  • 1936: Carol, +2,785; Robert, +1,968
  • 1937: Barbara, +3,230; David, +3,493
  • 1938: Judith, +4,729; James, +2,526
  • 1939: Judith, +5,748; David, +2,366

(From the SSA: “Note that many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security card, so their names are not included in our data.”)

  • 1940: Linda, +7,657; John, +3,739
  • 1941: Linda, +5,355; James, +4,262
  • 1942: Linda, +7,882; James, +10,450
  • 1943: Linda, +6,831; James, +3,072
  • 1944: Cheryl, +5,092; Gary, +2,192
  • 1945: Linda, +3,065; Michael, +3,179
  • 1946: Linda, +11,239; Robert, +14,194
  • 1947: Linda, +46,978; David, +11,381
  • 1948: Deborah, +5,409; Mark, +2,503
  • 1949: Deborah, +7,953; Michael, +7,417
  • 1950: Deborah, +9,877; Michael, +5,220
  • 1951: Deborah, +12,954; Michael, +7,531
  • 1952: Debra, +9,782; David, +7,043
  • 1953: Debra, +10,015; Michael, +5,172
  • 1954: Debra, +9,029; Mark, +6,899
  • 1955: Debra, +4,653; David, +6,653
  • 1956: Karen, +6,843; Mark, +6,596
  • 1957: Cindy, +10,268; Mark, +4,020
  • 1958: Tammy, +5,618; Timothy, +4,011
  • 1959: Donna, +9,517; Mark, +4,260
  • 1960: Lisa, +8,013; Jeffrey, +2,564
  • 1961: Lisa, +8,983; Todd, +4,005
  • 1962: Lisa, +3,394; Scott, +6,790
  • 1963: Lisa, +9,951; Paul, +2,884
  • 1964: Dawn, +4,196; John, +3,900
  • 1965: Lisa, +5,990; Rodney, +5,013
  • 1966: Michelle, +10,937; Christopher, +3,228
  • 1967: Melissa, +4,114; Matthew, +2,778
  • 1968: Jennifer, +8,612; Matthew, +2,253
  • 1969: Jennifer, +6,858; Jason, +9,346
  • 1970: Jennifer, +12,455; Jason, +10,788
  • 1971: Jennifer, +10,626; Jason, +6,897
  • 1972: Jennifer, +6,820; Christopher, +3,954
  • 1973: Heather, +3,032; Jason, +9,236
  • 1974: Heather, +3,836; Jason, +8,082
  • 1975: Amanda, +5,177; Joshua, +2,968
  • 1976: Jamie, +8,306; Jeremy, +4,940
  • 1977: Jessica, +6,467; Joshua, +5,205
  • 1978: Crystal, +2,865; Nicholas, +10,274
  • 1979: Amanda, +11,406; Joshua, +5,921
  • 1980: Tiffany, +6,614; Justin, +9,355
  • 1981: Jessica, +8,602; Brandon, +6,048
  • 1982: Ashley, +5,971; Christopher, +8,995
  • 1983: Ashley, +18,435; Kyle, +4,161
  • 1984: Ashley, +5,478; Joshua, +3,551
  • 1985: Ashley, +8,242; Andrew, +4,252
  • 1986: Whitney, +5,699; Andrew, +3,682
  • 1987: Kayla, +5,917; Justin, +4,874
  • 1988: Brittany, +4,594; Justin, +3,545
  • 1989: Brittany, +10,969; Ethan, +3,162
  • 1990: Taylor, +3,188; Jordan, +5,257
  • 1991: Shelby, +6,703; Dylan, +5,349
  • 1992: Taylor, +4,696; Dylan, +5,298
  • 1993: Taylor, +6,318; Austin, +6,125
  • 1994: Alexis, +2,208; Austin, +5,616
  • 1995: Madison, +3,516; Austin, +2,714
  • 1996: Madison, +3,632; Noah, +3,360
  • 1997: Hannah, +1,993; Jacob, +2,237
  • 1998: Emma, +2,700; Noah, +4,137
  • 1999: Grace, +3,460; Seth, +1,718
  • 2000: Trinity, +2,803; Ethan, +3,783
  • 2001: Isabella, +2,587; Logan, +2,973
  • 2002: Isabella, +3,334; Ethan, +4,143
  • 2003: Emma, +6,170; Aidan, +3,108
  • 2004: Ava, +2,364; Aiden, +1,472
  • 2005: Ava, +4,959; Landon, +2,070
  • 2006: Addison, +4,595; Aiden, +2,492
  • 2007: Addison, +4,328; Jayden, +5,596
  • 2008: Peyton, +1,954; Aiden, +2,472
  • 2009: Isabella, +3,667; Liam, +2,582

Some of these names I’ve written about already, and others I plan to write about in the future. If you can give explanations for any of those others right now, though, feel free! Just leave a comment…

Update, 4/22: Here are the corresponding drops

Source: SSA

Image: Image: Adapted from Turkey-2036 by Dennis Jarvis under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Popular baby names in Puerto Rico, 2016

Flag of Puerto Rico
Flag of Puerto Rico

According to the SSA, the most popular baby names in Puerto Rico in 2016 were Valentina and Sebastian.

Here are Puerto Rico’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2016:

Girl Names
1. Valentina, 279 baby girls
2. Victoria, 251
3. Mia, 215
4. Amanda, 164 (2-way tie)
5. Mikaela, 164 (2-way tie)
6. Camila, 160
7. Amaia, 157
8. Emma, 156
9. Kamila, 151
10. Sofia, 136

Boy Names
1. Sebastian, 457 baby boys
2. Dylan, 362
3. Ian, 295
4. Jayden, 200
5. Adrian, 198 (2-way tie)
6. Angel, 198 (2-way tie)
7. Luis, 175
8. Mateo, 174
9. Diego, 160
10. Lucas, 147

On the girls’ side: Valentina ousted Victoria from the top spot, and Emma replaced Isabella in the top 10. Five of the top-10 names were not in the U.S. top 100: Valentina (U.S. 106th), Amanda (329th), Mikaela, (616th), Amaia (1,276th), and Kamila (341st).

On the boys’ side: the top name is still Sebastian, and Mateo and Lucas replaced Noah and Fabian in the top 10. Two of the top-10 names were not in the U.S. top 100: Luis (U.S. 112th) and Diego (129th).

The name Monica, despite 2016 the success of tennis player Monica Puig — the first Puerto Rican athlete to win an Olympic gold medal — did not re-enter the PR top 100.

The male name Keniel is losing steam, down from 31st to 42nd.

The Basque name Amaia continues to rise. So do Amaia-variants like Amahia (ranked 31st), Amaya (38th), and Amaiah (94th). (Here’s how Amaia, Amahia, Amaya, and Amaiah are doing in the U.S.) The trendiness of Amaia may be attributable to Spanish pop singer Amaia Montero (b. 1976), or to Spanish actress Amaia Salamanca (b. 1986). Similar names also in the PR top 100 are Alaia, Alahia, Anaia, Anaiah, and Nahia.

Note: The SSA doesn’t include baby name data from the five permanently inhabited U.S. territories in its annual rankings (e.g., the top 1,000). But it does release two separate lists: one for Puerto Rico (the most populous territory at 3.5 million people), one for the four other territories combined. Click below to see the complete sets of rankings.

Source: Popular Baby Names by Territory (SSA)

Image: Adapted from Flag of Puerto Rico (public domain)

Biggest changes in girl name popularity, 2016

Which girl names increased the most in popularity from 2015 to 2016? Which ones decreased the most?

The SSA likes to answer this question by analyzing ranking differences within the top 1,000. I like to answer it by looking at raw number differences that take the full list into account. So let’s check out the results using both methods…

Girl Names: Biggest Increases, 2015 to 2016

Rankings

1. Kehlani, +2,487 spots — up from 3,359th to 872nd
2. Royalty, +618 spots — up from 1,150th to 532nd
3. Saoirse, +465 spots — up from 1,448th to 983rd
4. Ophelia, +396 spots — up from 976th to 580th
5. Aitana, +368 spots — up from 917th to 549th
6. Itzayana, +356 spots — up from 1,125th to 769th
7. Alessia, +348 spots — up from 1,175th to 827th
8. Kaylani, +301 spots — up from 1,056th to 755th
9. Avianna, +298 spots — up from 751st to 453rd
10. Nalani, +294 spots — up from 1,280th to 986th

Kehlani and Kaylani were influenced by singer/songwriter Kehlani Parrish. (Kehlani was the top debut name of 2015, and variant Khelani debuted impressively in 2016.)

Royalty was influenced by the R&B singer Chris Brown, whose daughter (b. 2014) and 7th album (2015) were both called Royalty.

Saoirse was influenced by Irish actress Saoirse Ronan — perhaps specifically by those American talk show appearances in which she talked to the hosts (Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Colbert, etc.) about how to pronounce her name. Plus there was that widely circulated Ryan Gosling quote on the same topic (“It’s Ser-sha, like inertia”).

Alessia was influenced by singer/songwriter Alessia Cara.

Raw Numbers

1. Adeline, +1,700 baby girls — up from 2,403 to 4,103
2. Charlotte, +1,649 baby girls — up from 11,381 to 13,030
3. Riley, +1,390 baby girls — up from 5,720 to 7,110
4. Adaline, +971 baby girls — up from 902 to 1,873
5. Amelia, +864 baby girls — up from 9,838 to 10,702
6. Luna, +849 baby girls — up from 2,796 to 3,645
7. Emilia, +804 baby girls — up from 2,215 to 3,019
8. Camila, +765 baby girls — up from 5,271 to 6,036
9. Nova, +754 baby girls — up from 1,518 to 2,272
10. Evelyn, +708 baby girls — up from 9,352 to 10,060

Adeline and Adaline were influenced, at least initially, by the movie The Age of Adaline (2015).

Other names that saw raw number increases in the 200+ range included Eleanor, Teagan, Kinsley, Scarlett, Everly, Quinn, Aria, Remi, Harper, Penelope, Thea, Claire, Rowan, Hazel, Ruby, Blake, Aurora, Ivy, Harley, Eloise, Willow, Elena, Josephine, Alice, Blakely, Saylor, Nora, Leia, Iris, Margot, Isla, Freya, Samara, Joy, Zara, Eliana, Joanna, and Malia.

Girl Names: Biggest Decreases, 2015 to 2016

Rankings

1. Caitlin, -542 spots — down from 609th to 1,151st
2. Caitlyn, -462 spots — down from 598th to 1,060th
3. Katelynn, -402 spots — down from 652nd to 1,054th
4. Kaitlynn, -381 spots — down from 994th to 1,375th
5. Neriah, -344 spots — down from 943rd to 1,287th
6. Bryanna, -276 spots — down from 783rd to 1,059th
7. Kiley, -275 spots — down from 898th to 1,173rd
8. Yaritza, -271 spots — down from 935th to 1,206th
9. Denise, -210 spots — down from 993rd to 1,203rd
10. Kaelyn, -203 spots — down from 521st to 724th

caitlyn jenner, magazine cover

Caitlin, Caitlyn, Katelynn, and Kaitlynn, were negatively influenced by Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner), who appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in mid-2015 with the headline “Call me Caitlyn.”

This reminds me of what happened a few decades ago to Hillary — another name that was strongly associated for a time with a female who wasn’t conforming to gender norms. Perhaps tellingly, the name Bruce wasn’t hit nearly as hard. Jenner did fall of the charts, though.

Raw Numbers

1. Sophia, -1,311 baby girls — down from 17,381 to 16,070
2. Alexa, -1,289 baby girls — down from 6,049 to 4,760
3. Madison, -1,090 baby girls — down from 10,072 to 8,982
4. Emma, -1,001 baby girls — down from 20,415 to 19,414 (…but still the #1 name overall)
5. Aubrey, -869 baby girls — down from 7,376 to 6,507
6. Isabella, -852 baby girls — down from 15,574 to 14,722
7. Emily, -840 baby girls — down from 11,766 to 10,926
8. Kylie, -753 baby girls — down from 4,149 to 3,396
9. Alexis, -744 baby girls — down from 3,406 to 2,662
10. Abigail, -672 baby girls — down from 12,371 to 11,699

Other names that saw raw number drops in the 200+ range included Kaitlyn, Avery, Allison, Alyssa, London, Kaylee, Sofia, Katelyn, Kimberly, Zoey, Mia, Chloe, Kendall, Taylor, Sadie, Khloe, Mackenzie, Hannah, Peyton, Addison, Samantha, Ashley, Olivia, Gabriella, Brianna, Lauren, Anna, Brooklyn, Morgan, Jocelyn, Sydney, Natalie, Victoria, Makayla, Zoe, Hailey, Payton, Brooke, Annabelle, Trinity, Keira, Adalyn, Jordyn, Kayla, Molly, Audrey, Faith, Madelyn, Lillian, Caitlin, Caitlyn, Makenzie, Paige, Aaliyah, Paisley, Nevaeh, Elizabeth, Amy, and Jessica.

Interesting how certain like-names went in opposite directions last year. Leia, Alessia, and Adaline rose; Leah, Alyssa, and Adalyn fell.

Do you have any other explanations/guesses about any of the names above? If so, please comment!

(In 2015, the big winners were Alexa and Alaia, and the big losers were Isabella and Isis.)

Sources: Change in Popularity from 2015 to 2016, Emma and Noah Remain Social Security’s Most Popular Baby Names for 2016