Girl names that start with B stretch further than almost any other letter. According to Social Security Administration birth data, Bella and Brielle sit inside the U.S. top 150, Birdie has climbed roughly 1,110 percent over the last decade of births, and names like Bahija, Baina and Buya are so rare that the federal list has never printed them at all.
Every popularity figure on this page comes from the U.S. Social Security Administration, which builds its annual list from Social Security card applications filed at birth and publishes a name only when at least five babies of that sex received it that year (1). Those are American births only, so a low ranking here says nothing about how common a name is elsewhere. For scale, Olivia and Liam topped the 2025 list for the seventh year in a row (2).
All 100 names below carry a meaning, an origin, a pronunciation and an honest read on where the name stands today, from Bella at number 136 for American girls to Briony, given to five girls in the most recent year.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Beau, Bella, Beckett, Brielle and Blair.
100 Popular Female Names That Start with B
These names couldn’t be more perfect for your baby girl!
Babette
Babette began life as a French pet form of Elizabeth and Barbara, and it still carries that affectionate, slightly formal air. The name manages to sound grown-up and playful at the same time, which is a hard combination to find. American parents almost never use it, so a girl named Babette is unlikely to meet another. If you love the tradition behind Elizabeth but want something with more lift, this is the version that gets you there.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Consecrated to God
- Pronunciation: ba-beht
- Namesakes: Babette Cole, a British children’s illustrator.
- Popularity: Ranked #15,293 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 5 births; its best ranking was #786 in 1961.
Babs
Babs is short, brassy and almost never given as a legal first name in the United States. Most Babses started out as a Barbara, with the nickname doing all the work; the entertainer Barbra Streisand is the best known example. It has the warmth of a name a family invented rather than chose. Used on its own, it reads like a wink at a more formal era.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Foreign stranger, mysterious
- Pronunciation: babz
- Namesakes: Babs McMillan, an Australian actress best known for her role in The Young Doctors TV series.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 1963 at #5,329 (7 births); its best ranking was #2,552 in 1933.
Bahija
Bahija means happy, and it sounds the way it reads: bright, open, easy to say once you have heard it. American birth records have never carried enough girls named Bahija for the federal list to publish it, so your daughter would almost certainly be the only one in her class. For parents drawn to a name with a clear, cheerful meaning rather than a ranking, that is the whole appeal.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Happy
- Pronunciation: ba-hee-jah
- Namesakes: Bahija Khalil, the former Iraqi Director of the Iraq Museum.
Bailey
There are laws of simplicity, and Bailey follows all of them: two syllables, no spelling debate, no nickname required. It came out of English officialdom, where a bailiff kept the peace, and softened into a friendly everyday name for girls and boys alike. It is also a common surname, which is part of why it wears so well in the middle slot. Bailey has cooled since its late-1990s peak, but it never went away.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Bailiff, agent of the law
- Pronunciation: bay-lee
- Variations: Baileigh, Baylee
- Namesakes: Chloe Bailey, an American singer-songwriter. Bailey Noble, an American actress, best known for her role in the TV series True Blood.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #209 for U.S. girls (1,446 births), compared with #60 at its best in 1998.
Baina
Baina means glittering, and it is one of the few names here whose sound does the same work as its meaning. The federal name data has no record of it at all, so it sits outside the rankings entirely. Say it out loud and the three beats give it a lift that shorter names miss.
- Origin: African
- Meaning: Glittering, sparkling
- Pronunciation: bay-ee-nah
Bali
Bali carries the weight of a Sanskrit word for strength and the ease of a place people daydream about. In India it is far more familiar as a surname than as a given name. Used for a girl it is short, warm and simple to spell anywhere in the world, which makes it a beautiful name for a baby with a well-traveled family.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Strength
- Pronunciation: bah-lee
- Namesakes: Geeta Bali, an Indian actress best known for her role in The Cobbler film.
- Popularity: 14 U.S. girls were named Bali in 2025, placing it #7,549; it ranked as high as #5,110 in 2021.
Bambi
Bambi reached American parents through the Disney film and stayed on the charts for decades before fading. The name means baby girl in Italian, so its softness is not an accident of the movie. It reads sweet and a little vintage now, closer to a nickname than a formal name, and the handful of families still choosing it tend to love it for exactly that reason.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Baby girl, child
- Pronunciation: bam-bee
- Namesakes: Bambi Sheleg, an Israeli journalist.
- Popularity: #6,581 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #562 in 1979.
Banji
Banji marks the second born of twins, which makes it one of the most specific names on this list. If you are expecting two, it does a job no other name here can do. American records do not list it, so it arrives with no baggage and no classroom competition. It is one of many beautiful African female names that start with B.
- Origin: African
- Meaning: Second born of twins
- Pronunciation: ban-jee
Bardot
Bardot is a common French surname that Brigitte Bardot turned into shorthand for a certain kind of glamour. As a given name it is very new in the United States and has not held on: it entered the federal data only recently and has since dropped back off. The sound is clipped and confident, and it pairs easily with a longer middle name.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Locational surname
- Pronunciation: bar-doe
- Namesakes: Brigitte Bardot, a French model and actress, best known for her role in And God Created Woman.
- Popularity: It appears in U.S. birth data only around 2022, when 5 girls received it (#15,671).
Basma
Basma means smile, and it is a gentle, unhurried name to say. It is a familiar name in Arabic-speaking countries and stays rare in the United States, where it still appears in the federal data without ever climbing far. Two syllables, no silent letters, and a meaning a child can understand as soon as she can talk.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Smile, smiling
- Pronunciation: bas-mah
- Namesakes: Basma Abdel Aziz, an Egyptian writer and visual artist.
- Popularity: 16 U.S. girls were named Basma in 2025, placing it #6,888; it ranked as high as #4,714 in 2017.
Battista
Battista descends from Baptista and, further back, from the name given in honor of Saint John the Baptist. It has a formal, old-world sound that suits a girl who will grow into it. American use faded generations ago, so the name now reads as a rediscovery rather than a trend. Battista Sforza, the Renaissance Countess of Urbino, is the name’s most storied namesake.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: To dip
- Pronunciation: bah-tees-tah
- Variations: Baptista
- Namesakes: Battista Sforza, the former Countess of Urbino. Miriam Battista, an American actress best known for her role in the film Humoresque.
- Popularity: U.S. data records it only for boys, and only up to 1925, when it ranked #3,773.
Baylor
Baylor started as an occupational surname for a horse trainer and has become one of the steadiest unisex picks on this list. It is given to more boys than girls, and Bay makes an easy short form. The sound is sturdy without being heavy. Horse families, in particular, tend to notice the meaning first.
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: Horse trainer
- Pronunciation: bay-lur
- Namesakes: Helen Baylor, an American singer-songwriter. Elgin Baylor, a former American professional basketball player.
- Popularity: #694 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 407 births, and #386 for boys with 822.
Bea
Bea is the whole name in three letters, and it does not need a longer form standing behind it. Bea Arthur gave it a dry, unflappable quality that has never really worn off. The meaning, she who brings happiness, is the kind of thing a grandmother would point out at the christening. It suits a child and an adult equally well, which is more than most short names manage.
- Origin: Latin American
- Meaning: She who brings happiness
- Pronunciation: bee
- Namesakes: Bea Arthur, an American actress best known for her role in The Golden Girls TV series.
- Popularity: Ranked #2,218 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 83 births; its best ranking was #1,092 in 1913.
Beatie
Beatie is a Latin name for a voyager, and it sounds like the nickname of someone already on her way somewhere. The federal list has never published it, so it stays entirely outside the rankings. The English actress Beatie Edney is its best known bearer.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Voyager
- Pronunciation: bee-dee
- Variations: Beattie
- Namesakes: Beatie Edney, an English actress best known for her role in the film Name of the Father.
Beatrice
Beatrice was a top-40 name for American girls in the 1910s and has spent the century since as a quieter classic. The meaning, voyager through life, gives it more depth than its prettiness suggests. Beatrix is the sharper spelling if you want a harder ending, and Bea, Bee and Trixie are all waiting as nicknames. It is one of the most timeless women’s names that start with B, and today it sits at #508, comfortably inside the top 600.
- Origin: Italian, French
- Meaning: Voyager through life
- Pronunciation: bee-uh-triss
- Variations: Beatrix
- Namesakes: Princess Beatrice of York, the British granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II.
- Popularity: #508 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #37 in 1913.
Beau
Beau means beautiful, which is a curious thing for English to have kept as a boys’ name for as long as it did. It is having its best year on record, and a small but real number of girls receive it too, the actress Beau Garrett among them. On a girl it reads relaxed and slightly Southern, and it never needs explaining. The single clean syllable pairs easily with a longer middle name, on a son or a daughter alike.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Beautiful
- Pronunciation: boe
- Namesakes: Beau Garrett, an American fashion model. Beau Mirchaff, a Canadian American actor best known for his role in the Awkward TV series.
- Popularity: #2,863 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 59 births, and #60 for boys with 5,165.
Beaumont
Beaumont means beautiful hill, and it arrives with a full set of manners. It is long for a first name, which is exactly why it works: Bea, Mo and Monty are all sitting inside it. American birth data records it only as a boys’ name, and rarely even then, so on a girl it still reads as a surname borrowed for the front. If period drama is your weakness, this one belongs on the shortlist.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Beautiful hill, mountain
- Pronunciation: boe-mahnt
- Namesakes: Daisy Beaumont, an English actress best known for her role in The World is Not Enough film.
- Popularity: U.S. data records it only for boys, ranked #2,609 in 2025 (50 births); no girls’ listing appears.
Beck
Beck means brook or stream, and the sound is as quiet as the meaning. The musician Beck made it familiar to a generation without wearing it out. It is short, unisex and impossible to mispronounce, and it sits well in front of a longer surname. For parents who want one syllable that still means something, Beck is a rare find.
- Origin: Germanic, Hebrew
- Meaning: Brook, stream, martyr
- Pronunciation: bek
- Namesakes: Gina Beck, an English actress and singer best known for her role in Matilda the Musical. Beck, an American musician.
- Popularity: #8,441 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 12 births, and #913 for boys with 259.
Beckett
Beckett means bee cottage, which is almost too neat for a list of B names. It has been a boys’ favorite for years, but girls carry it too, often as a middle name where its rhythm does the most work. As a middle name, its two firm syllables carry real weight without overwhelming a softer first name.
- Origin: English, Latin
- Meaning: Beehive, bee cottage
- Pronunciation: bek-it
- Namesakes: Emma Beckett, an Irish footballer.
- Popularity: #1,856 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 107 births, and #141 for boys with 2,518.
Belinda
Belinda is a Spanish name meaning beautiful, and it belongs to the generation of names that peaked mid-century and then went quiet. That gap is what makes it interesting now: familiar to grandparents, brand new to a kindergarten class. It has the softness of Melinda and Linda without being either. It last stood at #141 in 1961 and sits at #1,819 today, proof of exactly the gap this rediscovery is riding.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Beautiful
- Pronunciation: buh-lin-duh
- Variations: Bellinda
- Namesakes: Belinda Ang, a Singaporean Supreme Court judge.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #1,819 for U.S. girls (110 births), compared with #141 at its best in 1961.
Belissa
Belissa means fair or lovely one, and it has the run-on musicality that Italian names do so well. It has all but disappeared from American records, which is the point for parents who want something nobody else will use. Bel and Lissa are both hiding inside it, so the name shrinks easily. The actress Belissa Escobedo, known for Hocus Pocus 2, is the name’s most visible bearer today.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Fair, lovely one
- Pronunciation: bell-eesah
- Variations: Bellisa
- Namesakes: Belissa Escobedo, an American actress best known for her role in the film Hocus Pocus 2.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2022 at #15,679 (5 births); its best ranking was #4,778 in 1970.
Belita
Belita means little beauty, and the diminutive ending does exactly what it promises. It has been carried by a British Olympic figure skater and by an American actress, a decent showing for a name this rare. Families with Spanish and Latin origins use it most, though it has not appeared in the American rankings for decades. That rarity is also practical: it rarely gets mixed up with another child’s name at pickup.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Little Beauty
- Pronunciation: beh-lee-tah
- Variations: Bellita
- Namesakes: Belita Jepson Turner, a British Olympic figure skater and entertainer. Belita Moreno, an American actress best known for her role in the George Lopez TV series.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 1980 at #7,482 (8 births); its best ranking was #1,880 in 1945.
Bella
Bella is the fan favorite of the B names, and it works three ways: on its own, as short for Isabella or Gabriella, and as the name a whole Twilight generation attaches to one character. It has eased back from its 2010 peak of #48 but still holds a place inside the U.S. top 150. The meaning is simply beautiful, and nothing about the name argues with that. Belle is the softer alternative if Bella feels too familiar.
- Origin: English, Latin
- Meaning: Beautiful
- Pronunciation: bel-uh
- Variations: Belle
- Namesakes: Bella Thorne, an American actress best known for her role in the TV series Shake it Up.
- Popularity: #136 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #48 in 2010.
Belladonna
Belladonna means beautiful lady, and it is also the name of a plant that can kill you. That contradiction is the whole appeal for parents drawn to gothic literature and to beauty with an edge. It is long, and it shortens neatly to Bella or Donna if the full version is too much for a school register. Rare as it is, it does turn up in the federal data.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Nightshade, beautiful lady
- Pronunciation: bel-uh-don-uh
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #4,783 for U.S. girls (28 births), compared with #4,427 at its best in 2021.
Bellamy
Bellamy means good friend, which is a lot of goodwill for one name to carry. It arrived as a surname and now sits comfortably inside the girls’ top 1,000. Belle and Bella are both available as short forms, so it works as a longer route to a name you already like. It sounds friendly without sounding soft.
- Origin: Norman
- Meaning: Good friend
- Pronunciation: bell-uh-mee
- Namesakes: Beatrice Bellamy, a French politician.
- Popularity: Ranked #797 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 341 births; its best ranking was #718 in 2022.
Bellatrix
Bellatrix is the third brightest star in Orion and a memorable witch in the Harry Potter books, which is quite a range for one name. The Latin meaning, female warrior, is why it sounds so certain of itself. It has only appeared in American records since the late 2000s and remains uncommon. The hard consonants give it a crisp, confident sound that carries the meaning through.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Female warrior
- Pronunciation: bel-uh-triks
- Popularity: 29 U.S. girls were named Bellatrix in 2025, placing it #4,674; it ranked as high as #3,974 in 2024.
Bem
Bem means peace, which is a great deal of meaning packed into three letters. American birth data has never listed it, so it sits outside the rankings entirely. This short, super cute name suits a family hoping for a calm one after a loud few years.
- Origin: African
- Meaning: Peace
- Pronunciation: bim
Benedetta
Benedetta is the Italian feminine form of Benedict and means blessed. It is long, formal and unmistakably Italian, with Bene, Betta and Etta all available when the full version is too much. American use thinned to almost nothing after the early twentieth century, so it now reads as a rediscovery rather than a holdover. If faith is part of how you are choosing, the meaning is the whole argument.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Blessed
- Pronunciation: ben-eh-deht-ah
- Namesakes: Benedetta Barzini, an Italian actress and model.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #12,114 for U.S. girls (7 births), compared with #1,907 at its best in 1914.
Bentley
Bentley means woodland clearing, though most American parents hear the car first. That association is probably why it climbed so fast in the early 2010s and why it has cooled since. It goes to more boys than girls, but plenty of girls carry it, and Ben and Bee both work as short forms. It sounds expensive, which some families like and others carefully avoid.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Bentgrass, woodland, clearing
- Pronunciation: bent-lee
- Namesakes: Elizabeth Bentley, a British poet.
- Popularity: #1,468 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 146 births, and #215 for boys with 1,649.
Berdine
Berdine means bright glowing maiden, the sort of description you would expect on a much longer name. It has not appeared in American rankings since the 1970s, so it is genuinely out of circulation rather than merely uncommon. The Chilean track runner Berdine Castillo is its best known bearer. That decades-long absence from the rankings is exactly what makes it feel unclaimed today.
- Origin: Germanic
- Meaning: Bright glowing maiden
- Pronunciation: bur-deen
- Namesakes: Berdine Castillo, a Chilean track runner.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 1974 at #4,052 (15 births); its best ranking was #1,649 in 1922.
Berenice
Berenice means bearer of victory, and it has the long, deliberate sound of a name that expects to be said in full. Handel wrote an opera around a Berenice, and Edgar Allan Poe used the name for one of his stranger short stories, so it comes with a literary shadow. Its best American ranking came in the 1910s, and it has stayed quietly available ever since. Its length gives parents room to shorten it however the child prefers.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Bearer of victory
- Pronunciation: bare-nees
- Namesakes: Bérénice Bejo, a French Argentine actress best known for her role in the film A Knight’s Tale.
- Popularity: #4,784 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #648 in 1915.
Berlin
Berlin is the German capital borrowed as a first name, and it has the crisp, modern sound that place names bring. It works for a girl or a boy and needs no nickname, though Bee is right there. American use is small and has stayed well outside the top 1,000. For families with German roots, it does a job no other B name does.
- Origin: Germany
- Meaning: Bearer of victory
- Pronunciation: bur-lin
- Namesakes: Berlin Ndebe-Nlome, a Cameroonian footballer. Jeannie Berlin, an American actress best known for her role in The Heartbreak Kid.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #3,788 for U.S. girls (39 births), compared with #2,020 at its best in 2011.
Bernadine
Bernadine means strong brave bear, a meaning far tougher than the name’s soft ending suggests. It was a mid-century American favorite, sitting inside the top 300 in the 1930s, and it has fallen a long way since. The British author Bernadine Evaristo has kept it visible. Its old-fashioned shape makes it a natural fit as a middle name paired with something shorter.
- Origin: French, German
- Meaning: Strong brave bear
- Pronunciation: bur-nuh-deen
- Namesakes: Bernadine Kent, a U.S. politician. Bernadine Evaristo, a British author, best known for her book Girl, Woman, Other.
- Popularity: Ranked #13,465 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 6 births; its best ranking was #264 in 1931.
Bernita
Bernita means victory bringer and pulls from French, German and Greek roots at once, which is unusual for a name this short. It has been off the American list since the turn of the century, so it now sounds like something recovered from a family tree. That makes it a natural middle name, where a bit of ancestry does its best work.
- Origin: French, German, Greek
- Meaning: Victory bringer
- Pronunciation: bur-nee-tuh
- Namesakes: Bernita Walker, an American actress best known for her role in the film Thanksgiving Roast.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2000 at #15,372 (5 births); its best ranking was #689 in 1933.
Berta
Berta means bright, and it is the trimmed European form of Bertha without the baggage the longer version picked up. Five letters, two syllables, no spelling questions. It was a solid American choice in the first half of the last century and has since gone quiet, which is usually when a name becomes interesting again.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Bright
- Pronunciation: bur-tuh
- Namesakes: Berta Vasquez, a Ukrainian-Spanish model, and entertainer.
- Popularity: #10,226 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #583 in 1932.
Berthe
Berthe is the French spelling of a very old Germanic name meaning bright and famous. The painter Berthe Morisot is why most people know it, and she was one of the few women to reach prominence with the Impressionists. It has not appeared in American records since the 1920s. For an art-loving family, the name is a quiet tribute rather than an obvious one.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Bright and famous
- Pronunciation: bairt
- Namesakes: Berthe Morisot, a French painter from the Impressionist period.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 1929 at #4,116 (6 births); its best ranking was #2,022 in 1914.
Besede
Besede marks a child born on Sunday, which makes it one of the few names here that only fits some babies. Babies being what they are, you may not know until she arrives. The name has never been published in American birth data, so it comes with no ranking and no trend to follow.
- Origin: African
- Meaning: Born on Sunday
- Pronunciation: beh-see-dee
Bethann
Bethann folds Beth and Ann together, which is why it feels familiar even to people who have never met one. It reached its best American showing in the 1960s and has drifted out of use since. Bethann Hardison, one of the first high-profile Black models in the United States, is its best known bearer. The two halves blend into one smooth, easy-to-say name rather than sounding stitched together.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Village near Jerusalem
- Pronunciation: beth-an
- Variations: Bethanne
- Namesakes: Bethann Hardison, an American fashion model.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2023 at #10,451 (9 births); its best ranking was #946 in 1967.
Bethany
Bethany takes its name from a village near Jerusalem, and the meaning, daughter of the lord, carries obvious weight for religious families. It peaked in American use in the late 1980s and has settled into a comfortable middle, still given every year and no longer everywhere. Beth is the ready-made short form. It is one of the few names here that reads as gentle and grown-up at once.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Daughter of the lord
- Pronunciation: beth-uh-nee
- Namesakes: Bethany Frankel, an American reality TV star of Real Housewives of New York and a businesswoman.
- Popularity: #752 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #87 in 1987.
Bettine
Bettine means God’s promise, and it is the most delicate of the Beth family. American records list it in a single year, which is about as rare as a name gets while still officially existing. Appearing in the data for a single year, 1968, makes it about as rare a choice as exists on this list.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God’s promise, god is my oath
- Pronunciation: bet-teen
- Namesakes: Bettine Le Beau, a Belgian actress best known for her role in the film Danger Man.
- Popularity: It appears in U.S. birth data only around 1968, when 5 girls received it (#7,093).
Beverly
Beverly means stream, and it was a genuine top-20 American name in the 1930s before it slipped into grandmother territory. Bev and Bevvy are the obvious short forms, and Beverley is the British spelling. Beverly Cleary wrote the Ramona books, which gives it a warm association for anyone who read them young.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Stream
- Pronunciation: bev-ur-lee
- Variations: Beverley
- Namesakes: Beverly Cleary, an American writer of children’s fiction.
- Popularity: Ranked #1,018 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 246 births; its best ranking was #14 in 1937.
Bevin
Bevin means fair lady and is pronounced like Devin, which is the first thing anyone will ask. It is rare for boys and girls alike and has not turned up in American data for a couple of years. The Gaelic roots give it a softness that the harder-sounding B names lack.
- Origin: Gaelic, Irish
- Meaning: Fair lady, white lady
- Pronunciation: bev-in
- Namesakes: Bevin Prince, an American actress best known for her role in the TV series One Tree Hill.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2023 at #13,724 (6 births); its best ranking was #1,766 in 1978.
Bia
Bia means force or energy, which is a lot of intent for two syllables. The American rapper Bia has made it more visible, and the name has appeared in American records since the late 2000s. It is also a national park in Ghana. It has held a steady, modest place in the rankings since the late 2000s rather than spiking and fading.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Force, energy
- Pronunciation: bee-uh
- Namesakes: Bia, an American rapper.
- Popularity: #6,890 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #5,474 in 2024.
Bianca
Bianca means white in Italian and has the clean, elegant sound that never really goes out of style. It peaked for American girls around 1990 and still sits right at the edge of the top 500. Bianca Jagger gave it a cosmopolitan association the name has kept. Most Biancas simply stay Bianca, which says something about how complete it already is.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: White
- Pronunciation: byan-ka
- Namesakes: Bianca Jagger, a Nicaraguan activist, and entertainer.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #500 for U.S. girls (594 births), compared with #84 at its best in 1990.
Bijoux
Bijoux is French for jewels, and the plural is what gives it its shimmer. It is unusual even by the standards of this list and has not appeared in American data for a few years. The spelling asks a lot of a small child, though the sound is worth it. As a middle name it is close to perfect.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Jewels
- Pronunciation: bee-zhooz
- Namesakes: Caroline Bijoux, a South African chess player.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2022 at #15,693 (5 births); its best ranking was #14,631 in 2016.
Bilhah
Bilhah appears in the book of Genesis as a handmaiden, so the name comes with a long history and a specific one. The meaning, bashful, sits oddly against how striking the name actually sounds. Federal birth data has never listed it, which puts it well outside the rankings.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Bashful
- Pronunciation: bil-hah
Bindi
Bindi means butterfly, and Bindi Irwin has carried it into the conservation work her father started. It is short, cheerful and instantly friendly, the kind of name that suits a toddler and still works later. American use is small, and it has slipped to #4,187 for girls in 2025 from a best rank of #3,745 in 2021. For an animal-loving family, the meaning and the namesake point the same direction.
- Origin: Australian
- Meaning: Butterfly
- Pronunciation: bin-dee
- Namesakes: Bindi Irwin, an Australian zookeeper and conservationist.
- Popularity: #4,187 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #3,745 in 2021.
Binte
Binte means with God, and it packs a spiritual weight into two syllables. It has never been published in American birth data, so it arrives without a ranking attached. Binte is a short name that means a great deal, and it travels well across cultures.
- Origin: Hindi
- Meaning: With God, request
- Pronunciation: bin-tee
- Namesakes: Sunerah Binte Kamal, a Bangladeshi entertainer.
Bintu
Bintu means beautiful one and is used as both a given name and a surname across South Asia and West Africa. In the United States it is genuinely rare and has not appeared in the federal data in recent years. Two clean syllables, no spelling debate, and a meaning that needs no explanation.
- Origin: Bengali, Ugandan
- Meaning: Beautiful one, beauty
- Pronunciation: bin-too
- Namesakes: Jalia Bintu, a Ugandan politician.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2017 at #14,424 (6 births); its best ranking was #12,131 in 2014.
Birdie
Birdie is the biggest comeback story on this list. It was a top-350 name for American girls in the 1910s, then fell almost out of sight for most of a century, and births over the last decade have run about 1,110 percent above the decade before. It sounds like a nickname because it usually was one, which is exactly the quality parents want right now. Bird works as the short form, and the full name is back inside the top 700.
- Origin: English, Swedish
- Meaning: Bird
- Pronunciation: bur-dee
- Variations: Birdy
- Namesakes: Birdy, an English singer and songwriter.
- Popularity: 422 U.S. girls were named Birdie in 2025, placing it #670; it ranked as high as #328 in 1913.
Bisa
Bisa means greatly loved, which is a sentence rather than a definition. The name last appeared in American records in the 1970s, so it is effectively out of use here. It is soft, symmetrical and easy for a small child to say and to spell.
- Origin: African
- Meaning: Greatly loved
- Pronunciation: bee-sah
- Namesakes: Ingrid Bisa, an Italian politician. Bisa Williams, an American Ambassador to the Republic of Niger.
- Popularity: It last appeared in U.S. birth data for girls in 1978 at #7,012 (8 births); it first charted in 1973.
Bithia
Bithia means daughter of Yahweh and shares a root with the more familiar Bethia. It was also a town in southern Italy that now sits underwater, a memorable footnote for a name this quiet. American birth data has never published it. If you want biblical without predictable, this is the corner to look in.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Daughter of Yahweh
- Pronunciation: bih-thee-ah
- Variations: Bethia
- Namesakes: Bethia De Groot, an American actress, best known for her role in Apocalypse Cult.
Blade
Blade means glory, which is not what most people expect from a name that sounds like an object. In the United States it is most familiar as a surname, and the federal data records it only as a rare boys’ name. Used for a girl it is an unambiguously powerful name for a little girl, and it makes no apology for it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Glory
- Pronunciation: blayd
- Namesakes: Caroline Blade, an Irish rugby player.
- Popularity: U.S. data records it only for boys, ranked #3,454 in 2025 (33 births); no girls’ listing appears.
Blair
Blair means meadow, and it is one of the cleanest unisex names available. Gossip Girl gave it a decade of visibility through Blair Waldorf, and the name has done something unusual since: it is at its highest ranking ever for American girls right now. Blaire is the alternate spelling, though the shorter version remains standard. It is crisp, easy to say and hard to nickname, which some parents count as a feature.
- Origin: English, Scottish
- Meaning: Meadow, field
- Pronunciation: blair
- Variations: Blaire
- Namesakes: Blair Brown, an American actress, best known for her role in Altered States.
- Popularity: Its best year on record: #169 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 1,806 births.
Blake
Blake means black or pale, and it belongs to the small group of surnames that crossed to girls without ever leaving the boys. Blake Lively is the reason the girls’ side climbed as far as it did in the early 2010s, and these days the name actually ranks a little higher for girls than for boys. It is one syllable, spelled one way, and it suits a toddler and an adult with no adjustment at all.
Blakely
Blakely is Blake with a soft landing, and the extra syllable is what pushed it firmly onto the girls’ side. It means woodland clearing, and it currently sits just inside the top 200 for American girls. Blake, Bea and Lee are all available as short forms. It is a good option if you like the surname trend but want something that reads unmistakably feminine.
- Origin: English, Scottish
- Meaning: Black, woodland clearing
- Pronunciation: blayk-lee
- Namesakes: Susan Blakely, an American actress best known for her role in the TV series Rich Man, Poor Man.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #191 for U.S. girls (1,638 births), compared with #156 at its best in 2021.
Blanca
Blanca means white and is the Spanish counterpart to Bianca with a firmer edge. Blanca Peak, the high ridge in the Colorado Rockies, gives the name a snowbound image that suits the meaning. American use peaked around 1990 and has eased off since, though the name still appears in the data. It is simple to pronounce in English and in Spanish, which matters in a bilingual family.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: White
- Pronunciation: blang-ka
- Namesakes: Blanca, a Puerto Rican American Christian singer, and songwriter.
- Popularity: Ranked #1,857 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 107 births; its best ranking was #393 in 1990.
Blanche
Blanche means fair, and it was a genuine top-100 American name before the First World War. Blanche Devereux on The Golden Girls kept it in the culture long after it left the birth registers. It sounds severe until you meet a child wearing it, at which point it turns charming. It has been out of fashion long enough to be due back.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Fair
- Pronunciation: blanch
- Namesakes: Blanche Baker, an American actress best known for her role in the Holocaust TV series.
- Popularity: 16 U.S. girls were named Blanche in 2025, placing it #6,892; it ranked as high as #76 in 1913.
Blaze
Blaze means a flame, and it is about as direct as a name can be. For a baby due under a fire sign like Aries or Leo, the connection writes itself. It is short, bold, and it will never be mistaken for anyone else in the room.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: A flame
- Pronunciation: blayz
- Namesakes: Blaze Berdahl, an American actress best known for her role in the TV series Ghostwriter.
- Popularity: #4,896 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 27 births, and #781 for boys with 326.
Blessing
Blessing means divine gift, and it is one of the few names here that says out loud what a parent is already thinking. It is common in several African countries and holds a place inside the top 1,300 for American girls. Bless and Blessy both work at home, though most families use the full word. It is a name that will always be explained the same way, which is not true of most.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Divine gift
- Pronunciation: bles-ing
- Namesakes: Blessing Akwasi Afrifah, an Israeli track, and field athlete.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #1,226 for U.S. girls (184 births), compared with #909 at its best in 2019.
Blom
Blom means bloom, and Dutch and Scandinavian families will know it best as a surname. As a first name for a girl it is unusual and entirely unfussy: one syllable, a floral meaning, no nickname needed. American birth records have never listed it. One syllable and a floral meaning make it easy to say and easy to remember.
- Origin: Scandanavian, German, Dutch
- Meaning: Bloom, flower
- Pronunciation: blohm
- Variations: Bloem
- Namesakes: Ellen Blom, a Norwegian ski mountaineer.
Blossom
Blossom means flower-like and belongs to the small group of nature words that became names without ever sounding invented. The early-90s television show is what most adults will hear first. It has been in and out of American records since the 1880s, and its best year on record was 1925, when it reached #727. For parents drawn to Willow, Fern or Clover, this is the same idea with more optimism in it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Flower-like
- Pronunciation: bloss-um
- Namesakes: Blossom Dearie, an American jazz singer. Rose Blossom, an American actress best known for her role in The Gentle Cyclone.
- Popularity: 171 U.S. girls were named Blossom in 2025, placing it #1,300; it ranked as high as #727 in 1925.
Blue
Blue is the plainest of the color-inspired names and somehow the most striking. Beyoncé used it for her first daughter, which is when most American parents started hearing it as a name rather than a word. It is unisex, rare, and impossible to shorten. Beyonce’s daughter remains the name’s most visible bearer in the United States.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Color
- Pronunciation: bloo
- Variations: Blu
- Namesakes: Blu Cantrell, an American singer, and songwriter.
- Popularity: #4,676 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 29 births, and #2,648 for boys with 49.
Blythe
Blythe means cheerful and is a near-twin of the word blithe without the flightiness. Blythe Danner and Drew Blythe Barrymore both carry it, which is more famous bearers than most rare names manage. It has stayed off the American top 1,000 while never quite disappearing. The silent E and the TH give it a texture the shorter B names do not have.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Cheerful, joyous
- Pronunciation: blyth
- Namesakes: Blythe Danner, an American actress best known for her role in Huff. Drew Blythe Barrymore, an American actress best known for her role in several films, including Charlie’s Angels.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #2,052 for U.S. girls (92 births), compared with #1,076 at its best in 1974.
Bo
Bo is two letters and needs nothing else. It means to live, and it comes out of Swedish and Danish naming as easily as it does out of Chinese. It has been a boys’ name for a long time, and it is having its strongest year yet there, while girls have worn it well for just as long. If you want a name that cannot be trimmed any further, this is it.
- Origin: Swedish, Danish, Chinese
- Meaning: To live
- Pronunciation: boh
- Namesakes: Bo Derek, an American actress, best known for her role in the film 10. Morten Bo, a Danish photographer.
- Popularity: #4,570 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 30 births, and #449 for boys with 698.
Bobbie
Bobbie can stand alone or stand in for Roberta, and it means bright fame either way. It was a top-150 name for American girls in the 1930s and has spent the decades since as a nickname more than a birth certificate name. Bobbi and Bobby are the alternate spellings, and each reads a little differently. It has the friendly, slightly tomboyish quality a lot of parents are looking for right now.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Bright fame
- Pronunciation: bob-ee
- Variations: Bobby, Bobbi
- Namesakes: Bobbie Battista, an American journalist.
- Popularity: 91 U.S. girls were named Bobbie in 2025, placing it #2,067; it ranked as high as #110 in 1934.
Bonnie
Bonnie means pretty in Scots, and it is one of the very few names that is also a compliment. It was a top-40 American name in the 1940s and now sits comfortably inside the top 400 after years of climbing. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean means most people can sing it before they can spell it. It is warm, it is short, and it has never sounded fussy.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Pretty, attractive
- Pronunciation: bon-ee
- Variations: Bonny, Boni
- Namesakes: Bonnie Bedelia, an American actress, best known for her role in the TV series Love of Life.
- Popularity: #396 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #33 in 1941.
Bonola
Bonola comes from a Spanish phrase for colic stone and works far better as a name than that description suggests. It is a familiar surname in Spanish-speaking countries and almost unheard of as a first name in the United States, where the federal list has never published it. The Mexican triathlete Barbara Bonola carries the surname into public life today.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Colic stone
- Pronunciation: bahn-oe-luh
- Namesakes: Barbara Bonola, a Mexican professional triathlete.
Bora
Bora means purple in Korean, one of the most straightforward color names on this list. It is a popular Korean name and stays rare in the United States, though it still appears in the federal data. Two syllables, four letters, and no pronunciation trap in either language.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Purple
- Pronunciation: boh-rah
- Variations: Po-ra
- Namesakes: Bora Yoon, a Korean American musical composer.
- Popularity: #7,555 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 14 births, and #5,891 for boys with 15.
Bouvier
Bouvier means herdsman, a plain job for a name that functions mainly as a French surname rather than a first name. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was born a Bouvier, and that is the association it still carries. It last appeared in American birth data in the 1960s, so as a first name it is effectively unused. It makes a striking middle name for a family that likes a bit of history in the second slot.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Herdsman
- Pronunciation: boo-vee-yay
- Namesakes: Hélène Bouvier, a French mezzo soprano opera singer.
- Popularity: U.S. data records it only for boys, and only up to 1963, when it ranked #4,102.
Braelyn
Braelyn is a modern invention built out of familiar parts, and it is a genuinely unique name for girls without being hard to read. It arrived in American data in the 1990s, climbed quickly through the early 2010s and has eased off since. The matching first letter and ending make it a natural for twins. It peaked at #426 in 2011 and has eased since, though it remains a familiar modern pick.
- Origin: Scottish, Welsh
- Meaning: Strong, virtuous, honorable
- Pronunciation: bray-lin
- Variations: Braylin, Braylinn
- Namesakes: Braelyn Thomas Rankins, an American actor best known for his role in Aretha.
- Popularity: #1,080 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #426 in 2011.
Brandy
Brandy means burnt wine, and it belongs firmly to a particular American decade. It was a top-40 name for girls in the late 1970s and has fallen a long way since. The singer Brandy Norwood kept it visible into the 1990s. Its steep fall from a 1978 top-40 peak to today’s rank makes it feel ready for rediscovery rather than dated.
- Origin: Dutch
- Meaning: Burnt wine
- Pronunciation: bran-dee
- Variations: Brandi, Brandie
- Namesakes: Brandy Norwood, an American entertainer.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #3,072 for U.S. girls (53 births), compared with #37 at its best in 1978.
Brantley
Brantley means fiery torch and is the American form of the German surname brandle. It goes to more boys than girls, though the sound works either way. Brant and Lee are both easy short forms if the full three syllables feel like a lot. It climbed to #119 for boys in 2013 and has fallen back to #499 in 2025.
- Origin: Nordic
- Meaning: Fiery torch
- Pronunciation: brant-lee
- Variations: Brantlee
- Namesakes: Brantley Gilbert, an American country-rock singer.
- Popularity: #11,111 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 8 births, and #499 for boys with 606.
Breeane
Breeane is a spelling of the Irish Brianne, and the double E gives it a softer landing. It has never appeared in American birth data, so it sits outside the rankings entirely. Bree is the obvious nickname and does most of the work day to day. For parents who like Brianna but want something nobody else is using, this is the quiet version.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: High, noble, exalted
- Pronunciation: bree-an
- Variations: Brianne
Breeland
Breeland means cardplayer, an unusually specific thing for a name to mean. Bree is the short form, and Breland is the tighter spelling. It is a traditional French surname that appeared in American birth data in a single year, so as a first name it is close to unused.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Cardplayer, gambler
- Pronunciation: bree-land
- Variations: Breland
- Namesakes: Breland, an American soul singer-songwriter.
- Popularity: It appears in U.S. birth data only around 2016, when 6 girls received it (#14,643).
Brené
Brené has no settled meaning, which is unusual enough to be part of the appeal. The author Brené Brown is why most people have heard it at all. American birth data has never listed it, so there is no ranking to consult and no trend to follow. The accent is doing real work here: without it, the name reads differently.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Unknown
- Pronunciation: bre-naye
- Namesakes: Brené Brown, an American lecturer, and author.
Brenna
Brenna means raven maid, and it was a solid American choice in the 1990s before dropping further than any other name on this list. Births over the last decade ran about 69 percent below the decade before. That descent is not a knock on the name; it is what makes it available again. That steep decline is also an opening: the name is unclaimed by any single generation right now.
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: Raven maid, dark-haired
- Pronunciation: bren-uh
- Namesakes: Brenna O’Brien, a Canadian actress best known for her role in the TV series Inyuasha.
- Popularity: Ranked #1,846 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 108 births; its best ranking was #235 in 1995.
Bretta
Bretta means from Britain and takes an old regional label and makes it sound almost new. It has been out of American records for years and was never common before that. Bree and Etta are both there, and Etta in particular gives it a vintage second life. It is a natural pick for a family with roots in Great Britain.
- Origin: Celtic, Italian
- Meaning: From Britain
- Pronunciation: bret-uh
- Namesakes: Lawrence Bretta, an American politician.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2017 at #16,306 (5 births); its best ranking was #3,222 in 1970.
Bria
Bria means high or noble, and it is a short and sweet name that carries more than its four letters suggest. The singer Bria Valente, introduced as a protégé of Prince, is the association most likely to be noticed by exactly the right people. It peaked for American girls in the early 1990s and still appears every year. Four letters and two syllables make it quick to say and impossible to mishear.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: High, noble
- Pronunciation: Bree-yuh
- Namesakes: Bria Valente, an American singer.
- Popularity: #1,163 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #175 in 1993.
Brianna
Brianna means strong, and it was a top-20 name for American girls at the turn of the millennium. It has come down a long way since without ever falling out of use, which is the mark of a name that was genuinely liked rather than merely fashionable. It carries an unusual number of spelling variations, which is either an advantage or a lifelong correction depending on your view. The actress Brianna Brown, known for the daytime series General Hospital, carries the name into television.
- Origin: English, Celtic
- Meaning: Strong
- Pronunciation: bree-ah-nuh
- Variations: Breeana, Briana, Breana, Breanna
- Namesakes: Brianna Brown, an American actress best known for her role in the daytime TV series General Hospital.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #222 for U.S. girls (1,372 births), compared with #14 at its best in 1999.
Briar
Briar means thorny plant, and it is at its highest ranking ever for American girls. It reads as gentle and prickly at the same time, a rare combination in a nature name. Bryer, Brier and Breyer are all in use if you want the sound without the plant. Briar Cudgeon in Artemis Fowl is a villain, and readers of the series will hear that first.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Thorny plant
- Pronunciation: Brie-er
- Variations: Breyer, Bryer, Brier
- Namesakes: Hannah Brier, a British sprinter.
- Popularity: Its best year on record: #400 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 778 births.
Bridget
Bridget means power and strength, and it is one of the most durable Irish names in English use. It was a top-150 American name in the 1970s and has stayed in circulation ever since without becoming crowded. Bridget Jones’s Diary attached the name to a very particular kind of comedy, which some parents love and others weigh carefully. It has held a steady spot outside the top 500 for decades, never crowded and never forgotten.
- Origin: Irish, English
- Meaning: Power, strength, vigor, virtue
- Pronunciation: brij-it
- Variations: Bridgit, Briget, Brigid or Brigitte
- Namesakes: Bridget Hodson, an English actress best known for her role in The Mists of Avalon.
- Popularity: 385 U.S. girls were named Bridget in 2025, placing it #724; it ranked as high as #112 in 1973.
Brie
Brie is a region in France and the cheese that came from it, so the name arrives with a small joke attached. It is short, soft and easy on the ear, and it can stand alone or shorten Brianna, Brielle or Breeland. It has appeared in American data since the 1970s and has never been common. The actress Alison Brie and the drummer Brie Howard-Darling both carry the name into entertainment.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Region in France
- Pronunciation: bree
- Variations: Bree
- Namesakes: Brie Howard-Darling, an American drummer and entertainer. Alison Brie, an American actress best known for her role in the TV series Community.
- Popularity: #4,279 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #1,197 in 1980.
Brielle
Brielle means of God and traces back to Den Briel, the old seaport in the western Netherlands. It currently sits inside the top 150 for American girls, which makes it one of the more familiar names on this page. Bri, Elle and Ella are all available, a lot of flexibility for one name. It has climbed steadily since 2018 and now sits just outside the top 100.
- Origin: French, Dutch
- Meaning: Of God
- Pronunciation: bree-el
- Variations: Briella
- Namesakes: Brielle Biernmann, an American reality TV star best known for her role in the Real Housewives of Atlanta series.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #143 for U.S. girls (2,071 births), compared with #99 at its best in 2018.
Briony
Briony means to grow luxuriously, and it is a climbing plant before it is a name. It is the rarest name on this page that the federal data still records: five American girls received it in the most recent year, about one in 333,333 births. Bryony is the British spelling and the more common one there. The meaning suits a name given to someone with all her growing ahead of her.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: To grow luxuriously, climbing plant
- Pronunciation: bree-ah-nee
- Variations: Bryony
- Namesakes: Bryony Afferson, an American actress best known for her role in the TV series Totally Frank. Briony McRoberts, an English actress, known for her role in Eastenders.
- Popularity: Ranked #15,342 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 5 births; its best ranking was #5,958 in 1980.
Bristol
Bristol means the site of the bridge and entered American use as a place name long before it became a first name. It became widely known around 2008 through Bristol Palin. It sits inside the top 1,000 for American girls today, which is more staying power than most news-cycle names get. It is crisp, unfussy and unlikely to be misspelled.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: The site of the bridge
- Pronunciation: brist-al
- Namesakes: Bristol Palin, an American personality.
- Popularity: 382 U.S. girls were named Bristol in 2025, placing it #728; it ranked as high as #390 in 2019.
Britta
Britta means exalted one, and Scandinavian families have used it for generations. It is short, brisk and pronounced exactly as it looks. American use peaked in the 1980s and has thinned since, so it now reads as distinctive rather than dated. For anyone with Nordic or British roots, the meaning does double duty.
- Origin: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
- Meaning: Exalted one, from Britain
- Pronunciation: brit-uh
- Namesakes: Britta Steffen, a German Olympic swimmer.
- Popularity: #7,558 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #868 in 1986.
Britannia
Britannia is the poetic name for Great Britain, and giving it to a daughter is a grand gesture. It appeared in American birth data only in a narrow window and has not been listed for decades. Britt, Anna and Annie are all inside it, so the everyday version can be as plain as you like. It is a lot of name, and that is clearly the point.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: A poetic name for Great Britain
- Pronunciation: brih-tan-ee-uh
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 1994 at #13,734 (5 births); its best ranking was #11,517 in 1987.
Brittany
Brittany means from Britain, and for a stretch in the late 1980s it was the third most popular girls’ name in the United States. That is why nearly everyone knows one. It has dropped a long way since and now sits at the edge of the top 1,000, which is where names go just before their grandchildren pick them up again. Britney and Britany are the alternate spellings, both firmly attached to their own decade.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: From Britain
- Pronunciation: brit-uh-nee
- Variations: Britney, Britany
- Namesakes: Brittany Murphy, an American actress best known for her role in Uptown Girls. Britney Spears, an American singer, and musician.
- Popularity: Ranked #928 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 281 births; its best ranking was #3 in 1989.
Britton
Britton means an inhabitant of Brittany, the peninsula in western France. It works for a girl or a boy and has the tidy, surname-first sound a lot of modern parents want. American use has always been small. American use has stayed modest and steady rather than trending in either direction.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Inhabitant of Brittany
- Pronunciation: brit-un
- Namesakes: Britton Chance, an American biochemist.
- Popularity: #5,271 for U.S. girls in 2025 with 24 births, and #2,771 for boys with 46.
Bronte
Bronte means thunder in Greek, a surprise for a name most people associate with three quiet sisters in Yorkshire. Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë wrote the novels that made the surname famous, and any reader of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights will hear it immediately. It has slipped out of the American data in the last year and was never common before that. Bron and Bee both work if the full name is a lot for a small person.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Thunder
- Pronunciation: bron-tay
- Namesakes: Bronte Barratt, an Australian competitive swimmer.
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2024 at #7,660 (14 births); its best ranking was #1,295 in 1992.
Bronwyn
Bronwyn means white raven and is Welsh in shape even where it is not Welsh in use. It sounds polished without sounding precious, which is a narrow line to walk. It has never been common in the United States and turns up in the data at a low level year after year. The Australian poet Bronwyn Lea is among its more visible bearers.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: White raven
- Pronunciation: bron-win
- Namesakes: Bronwyn Lea, an Australian poet.
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #3,916 for U.S. girls (37 births), compared with #1,213 at its best in 1964.
Brooke
Brooke means small stream and is the tidiest of the water names. It peaked for American girls in the early 2000s and remains inside the top 350, so it is familiar without being everywhere. Brooke Shields is the bearer most adults picture first. One syllable, one spelling, no nickname required, which is exactly why it has lasted.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Water, small stream
- Pronunciation: brook
- Namesakes: Brooke Shields, an American actress, best known for her role in The Blue Lagoon.
- Popularity: Ranked #313 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 972 births; its best ranking was #43 in 2003.
Brunella
Brunella means brown-haired, and the Latin ending gives it a warmth the shorter B names lack. It has been out of American records for years and was never widely used before that. Bruna, Nella and Ella are all inside it, so there is an everyday name for every mood. It suits a baby who arrives with dark hair and a family that likes a bit of ceremony.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Brown-skinned, brown-haired
- Pronunciation: broo-nel-uh
- Popularity: Last listed for U.S. girls in 2018 at #14,108 (6 births); its best ranking was #3,983 in 1953.
Brylee
Brylee means briar clearing and belongs to the wave of modern American spellings that arrived in the 1990s. It sits right at the edge of the top 1,000 for girls, familiar without being common. Briley and Brileigh are both in use if you want a different shape. It peaked in 2012 and has held near the edge of the top 1,000 ever since.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Briar clearing
- Pronunciation: brie-lee
- Variations: Briley, Brileigh
- Namesakes: Brylee Smith, an American actress best known for her role in Resident Evil.
- Popularity: #992 among U.S. girls in 2025, against a best ranking of #408 in 2012.
Brynlee
Brynlee means burned clearing and is the most polished of the Bryn family. It climbed quickly through the 2010s and now sits inside the top 250 for American girls. The various spellings, Brinley and Brynnlee among them, make it easy to match with a twin’s name. It has climbed steadily since 2019 and now sits comfortably inside the top 250.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Burned clearing
- Pronunciation: brin-lee
- Variations: Brinley, Brynnlee
- Popularity: In 2025 it ranked #243 for U.S. girls (1,282 births), compared with #187 at its best in 2019.
Brynne
Brynne means hill or drop of water depending on which root you follow, and it manages to sound modern and old at the same time. It is rare in American data without ever disappearing from it, so the numbers are there if you go looking. The double N and the silent E give it a finish that plain Bryn lacks. It is a good middle name for a longer first name, and a good first name for a family that likes short ones.
- Origin: English, Welsh, Gaelic
- Meaning: Hill, drop of water, black-haired
- Pronunciation: brin
- Variations: Brinne
- Namesakes: Brynne Edelston, an American TV personality best known for her appearance on Dancing with the Stars.
- Popularity: Ranked #3,472 for U.S. girls in 2025, with 44 births; its best ranking was #1,644 in 2003.
Bunmi
Bunmi means to be my gift, about as direct as a welcome gets. The name is used in both Japanese and African naming traditions, and the meanings line up more closely than the distance between them suggests. American birth data has never listed it, so it comes with no ranking attached. The Nigerian footballer Bunmi Kayode carries the name into international sport.
- Origin: Japanese, African
- Meaning: Beautiful art, to be my gift
- Pronunciation: buun-mee
- Namesakes: Bunmi Kayode, a Nigerian women’s international footballer.
Busu
Busu means kiss in Swahili, which is hard to beat for sheer affection. It is a common surname in Swahili-speaking countries and has never been published in American birth data as a given name. Two soft syllables, easy for a small child to say, and a meaning that will be repeated back to her for life.
- Origin: Swahili
- Meaning: Kiss
- Pronunciation: boo-soo
- Namesakes: Ahmad Busu, a Malaysian actor, best known for his role in the film Inigram.
Buya
Buya means beautiful, and it says so in four letters with no ornament at all. In several African communities it functions more often as a family surname than as a given first name. It is more familiar in African countries than in the United States, where the federal data has never listed it. For a last entry on a long list, it is a reminder that the simplest names are often the ones that last.
- Origin: African
- Meaning: Beautiful
- Pronunciation: boo-yuh
