The most common female name in the US is Mary: about 1,715,483 people alive today have it, by How Many of Mee’s estimate from Social Security records. Among babies, the most common girl name is Olivia, given to 13,544 girls in 2025 and #1 every year since 2019. This guide lists the 50 most common female names with their meanings, the most common names of each generation, the girl names parents choose now, and uncommon girl names.
What Is the Most Common Girl Name?
It depends on what you count. By people alive, it is Mary. By babies born now, it is Olivia. By every girl born since 1880, it is Mary: 4,141,481 girls. Names that were popular long ago have fewer people alive, so the order changes:
| Name | Girls born since 1880 | People alive | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary | 4,141,481 | 1,715,483 | 1921 |
| Elizabeth | 1,688,757 | 1,143,984 | 1990 |
| Patricia | 1,573,623 | 1,032,641 | 1951 |
| Jennifer | 1,471,703 | 1,394,097 | 1972 |
| Linda | 1,455,143 | 1,078,513 | 1947 |
| Barbara | 1,436,695 | 823,900 | 1947 |
| Margaret | 1,264,774 | 483,860 | 1921 |
| Susan | 1,123,481 | 874,942 | 1955 |
| Dorothy | 1,112,231 | 252,968 | 1924 |
| Sarah | 1,098,498 | 889,399 | 1982 |
What Are the 50 Most Common Female Names?
These are the 50 female names with the most people alive in the US. A name counts as female here when more than 80% of the people who have it are female. Average age is the average age of everyone alive with the name. Meanings are from Behind the Name where it gives one. The 100 most common girl names continue the list.
| Name | Meaning | People alive | Average age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mary | form of Maria | 1,715,483 | 65.3 |
| 2. Jennifer | – | 1,394,097 | 45.3 |
| 3. Elizabeth | my God is an oath | 1,143,984 | 43.7 |
| 4. Linda | soft, tender | 1,078,513 | 69.3 |
| 5. Patricia | form of Patrick | 1,032,641 | 67.7 |
| 6. Jessica | – | 1,019,821 | 36.9 |
| 7. Sarah | lady, princess, noblewoman | 889,399 | 37.8 |
| 8. Lisa | my God is an oath | 876,494 | 55.2 |
| 9. Susan | form of Susanna | 874,942 | 65.2 |
| 10. Ashley | ash tree clearing | 853,118 | 32.4 |
| 11. Barbara | foreign | 823,900 | 71.1 |
| 12. Emily | form of Emil | 814,621 | 27.9 |
| 13. Karen | form of Katherine | 803,345 | 62.1 |
| 14. Kimberly | city of Kimberley | 791,535 | 47.1 |
| 15. Michelle | form of Michel | 763,711 | 47.0 |
| 16. Amanda | lovable, worthy of love | 747,666 | 38.4 |
| 17. Melissa | bee | 718,152 | 44.7 |
| 18. Stephanie | crown | 699,935 | 42.4 |
| 19. Sandra | form of Alessandra | 659,067 | 65.5 |
| 20. Rebecca | join, tie, snare | 648,685 | 47.4 |
| 21. Nancy | form of Annis | 643,624 | 67.2 |
| 22. Amy | beloved | 640,514 | 46.1 |
| 23. Deborah | bee | 609,725 | 65.0 |
| 24. Laura | laurel | 608,610 | 50.5 |
| 25. Angela | form of Angel | 607,826 | 48.0 |
| 26. Cynthia | woman from Kynthos | 594,713 | 59.5 |
| 27. Donna | lady | 594,446 | 66.7 |
| 28. Samantha | flower | 580,489 | 29.0 |
| 29. Nicole | form of Nicholas | 575,662 | 37.9 |
| 30. Emma | whole or universal | 570,127 | 19.6 |
| 31. Sharon | plain | 544,809 | 66.7 |
| 32. Olivia | – | 543,307 | 17.4 |
| 33. Carol | – | 525,256 | 71.1 |
| 34. Kelly | – | 509,685 | 47.3 |
| 35. Kathleen | form of Caitlín | 509,167 | 63.2 |
| 36. Rachel | ewe | 507,807 | 37.3 |
| 37. Heather | heather | 502,462 | 43.6 |
| 38. Brenda | sword | 496,332 | 61.8 |
| 39. Pamela | – | 493,324 | 63.0 |
| 40. Margaret | pearl | 483,860 | 60.6 |
| 41. Katherine | – | 481,377 | 41.9 |
| 42. Victoria | victory | 466,134 | 33.4 |
| 43. Maria | – | 465,883 | 44.0 |
| 44. Lauren | from Laurentum | 465,238 | 32.4 |
| 45. Christine | form of Christina | 461,413 | 56.0 |
| 46. Debra | bee | 460,090 | 65.0 |
| 47. Julie | form of Julia | 452,251 | 53.6 |
| 48. Christina | a Christian | 443,197 | 43.2 |
| 49. Hannah | favor or grace | 441,086 | 23.7 |
| 50. Anna | form of Hannah | 438,513 | 38.6 |
Of the 50, 23 peaked between 1940 and 1969, and 5 have an average age under 30: Emily, Samantha, Emma, Olivia and Hannah.
What Are the Most Common Female Names by Generation?
Each column ranks the female names by the people alive in that age group in 2025. Under 30 means born 1996 to 2025; 30 to 59 means born 1966 to 1995; 60 and over means born in 1965 or earlier.
| Under 30 | 30 to 59 | 60 and over |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Emma (494,761) | 1. Jennifer (1,167,285) | 1. Mary (1,256,754) |
| 2. Emily (478,535) | 2. Jessica (819,136) | 2. Linda (941,139) |
| 3. Olivia (472,617) | 3. Amanda (627,615) | 3. Patricia (811,686) |
| 4. Isabella (399,014) | 4. Ashley (587,878) | 4. Barbara (708,117) |
| 5. Sophia (388,508) | 5. Melissa (586,403) | 5. Susan (665,935) |
| 6. Madison (387,228) | 6. Michelle (561,558) | 6. Karen (549,679) |
| 7. Abigail (345,396) | 7. Sarah (534,805) | 7. Nancy (508,175) |
| 8. Elizabeth (328,860) | 8. Kimberly (529,360) | 8. Sandra (486,279) |
| 9. Hannah (325,780) | 9. Lisa (521,703) | 9. Deborah (484,612) |
| 10. Ava (324,407) | 10. Stephanie (520,530) | 10. Donna (475,268) |
| 11. Alexis (297,890) | 11. Amy (497,861) | 11. Carol (458,455) |
| 12. Mia (288,480) | 12. Elizabeth (494,082) | 12. Sharon (424,924) |
| 13. Samantha (283,258) | 13. Heather (455,283) | 13. Debra (377,965) |
| 14. Sarah (266,390) | 14. Nicole (448,314) | 14. Cynthia (370,027) |
| 15. Ashley (263,048) | 15. Angela (428,621) | 15. Kathleen (355,617) |
No name is in both the youngest and the oldest list: the most common female names changed completely from one generation to the next.
What Are the Most Popular Girl Names Now?
These are the 25 names given to the most baby girls in 2025, with their rank ten years earlier. Of the top 10, only Olivia and Emma are also among the 50 most common female names alive. The full top 100 is on the page for the most popular names of 2025.
| Name | Meaning | Girls in 2025 | Rank in 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Olivia | – | 13,544 | #2 |
| 2. Charlotte | man | 13,400 | #9 |
| 3. Emma | whole or universal | 12,754 | #1 |
| 4. Amelia | work | 12,699 | #12 |
| 5. Sophia | wisdom | 12,561 | #3 |
| 6. Mia | form of Maria | 11,078 | #6 |
| 7. Isabella | form of Isabel | 10,666 | #5 |
| 8. Evelyn | from a surname | 9,123 | #15 |
| 9. Sofia | form of Sophia | 8,252 | #14 |
| 10. Eliana | – | 8,191 | #102 |
| 11. Ava | – | 7,732 | #4 |
| 12. Eleanor | – | 7,649 | #60 |
| 13. Violet | violet | 7,546 | #50 |
| 14. Ailany | – | 7,136 | #3841 |
| 15. Aurora | dawn | 7,065 | #78 |
| 16. Harper | – | 6,792 | #10 |
| 17. Elizabeth | my God is an oath | 6,760 | #13 |
| 18. Lily | flower | 6,673 | #25 |
| 19. Camila | form of Camilla | 6,591 | #43 |
| 20. Nora | honor | 6,380 | #41 |
| 21. Hazel | hazel | 6,318 | #63 |
| 22. Penelope | – | 6,225 | #34 |
| 23. Chloe | green shoot | 6,203 | #17 |
| 24. Ellie | form of Eleanor | 6,176 | #48 |
| 25. Lucy | form of Lucia | 6,176 | #55 |
What Are Some Uncommon Girl Names?
These girl names are still chosen, ranked #201 to #600 among girls born in 2025, but fewer than 100,000 people alive in the US have any of them. 191 names fit; these 30 are picked from across the alphabet among those Behind the Name gives a meaning for:
| Name | Meaning | People alive | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelyn | form of Adeline | 23,098 | #355 |
| Alanna | form of Alan | 26,409 | #280 |
| Amaia | the end | 5,467 | #555 |
| Anya | form of Anna | 20,300 | #375 |
| Aurelia | golden, gilded | 12,758 | #290 |
| Camilla | form of Camillus | 25,186 | #361 |
| Chaya | life | 15,393 | #588 |
| Danna | God is my judge | 23,861 | #394 |
| Emely | form of Emily | 23,602 | #503 |
| Evie | form of Eve | 17,458 | #270 |
| Florence | prosperous, flourishing | 44,731 | #391 |
| Hadassah | myrtle tree | 9,162 | #570 |
| Hope | hope | 85,216 | #352 |
| Joanna | form of John | 98,542 | #306 |
| Kamila | form of Camilla | 19,955 | #357 |
| Kyla | narrows, channel, strait | 42,991 | #580 |
| Liana | form of Juliana | 20,192 | #386 |
| London | capital city of the United Kingdom | 53,972 | #431 |
| Lucille | form of Lucilla | 56,872 | #239 |
| Maggie | pearl | 67,009 | #294 |
| Maren | form of Marina | 12,562 | #472 |
| Marley | from a surname | 37,852 | #322 |
| Mckenzie | son of Coinneach | 66,165 | #576 |
| Nalani | the heavens | 7,870 | #414 |
| Octavia | eighth | 20,175 | #308 |
| Raven | bird | 47,359 | #404 |
| Rosie | form of Rose | 36,140 | #283 |
| Seraphina | fiery ones | 4,062 | #600 |
| Thea | form of Dorothea | 18,572 | #353 |
| Wynter | form of Winter | 10,888 | #457 |
For names fewer than 10,000 people have, see the rare girl names.
Are Female Names More Varied Than Male Names?
Yes. In 2025, the 10 most popular names went to 8.0% of baby boys and 7.0% of baby girls, and the records list 17,292 different names for girls against 13,925 for boys. Both lists have spread out over time: in 1950, the top 10 went to 33.8% of boys and 24.1% of girls.
See the most common male names for the other list.
Look Up Any Name
- Type a name in the search box on the home page to see how many people alive in the US have it, its rank, its meaning and its rarity tier.
- The chart on the name page shows the babies given the name in every year since 1880.
- For how the top names changed across generations, see the most popular names by decade.