Top 100 Alternates, Ladies First
June 4, 2009
Times have changed. The top 100 baby names in the United States at the moment are very heartening. When we see lovelies such as Emma, Isabella, Sophia, and Olivia in the top 10, it’s momentous. Taste has evolved for the better.
Yet I still lament that many parents chose these beautiful names unwitting that they were so very very popular. If you would like your child to be the only one in his or her class, try these alternates on for size. I’ve tried to maintain similarity between history, style, and/or meaning. Most will surprise your friends, but I’ll wager that many will garner more attention over the years. Better to be ahead of the pack I say.
Anyone else have some ideas we could tap into for great substitutes?
- Emma –> Rose
- Isabella –> Araminta
- Emily –> Cecily
- Madison –> Emerson
- Ava –> Wren
- Olivia –> Louisa
- Sophia –> Thalia
- Abigail –> Susannah
- Elizabeth –> Beatrice
- Chloe –> Thisbe
- Samantha –> Matilda
- Addison –> Auden
- Natalie –> Elodie
- Mia –> Pia
- Alexis –> Tamsin
- Alyssa –> Calista
- Hannah –> Keturah
- Ashley –> Holly
- Ella –> Isla
- Sarah –> Ruth
- Grace –> Jane
- Taylor –> Landry
- Brianna –> Chiara
- Lily –> Iris
- Hailey –> Harper
- Anna –> Laura
- Victoria –> Eleanor
- Kayla –> Kyra
- Lillian –> Laurel
- Lauren –> Devon
- Kaylee –> Paisley
- Allison –> Imogen
- Savannah –> Marietta
- Nevaeh –> Kalila
- Gabriella –> Francesca
- Sofia –> Rosa
- Makayla –> Nicola
- Avery –> Waverly
- Riley –> Rowan
- Julia –> Delia
- Leah –> Willa
- Aubrey –> Ellery
- Jasmine –> Sorrel
- Audrey –> Penelope
- Katherine –> Genevieve
- Morgan –> Rhiannon
- Brooklyn –> Astoria
- Destiny –> Verity
- Sydney –> Bristol
- Alexa –> Alethia
- Kylie –> Esme
- Brooke –> Greer
- Kaitlyn –> Maireed
- Evelyn –> Violet
- Layla –> Lelia
- Madeline –> Jacqueline
- Kimberly –> Bellamy
- Zoe –> Xanthe
- Jessica –> Yessenia
- Peyton –> Arden
- Alexandra –> Helena
- Claire –> Alice
- Madelyn –> Marianne
- Maria –> Marina
- Mackenzie –> Connolly
- Arianna –> Renata
- Jocelyn –> Bronwyn
- Amelia –> Cecilia
- Angelina –> Celestina
- Trinity –> Haven
- Angela –> Irena
- Maya –> Mina
- Valeria –> Valentina
- Sophie –> Noemie
- Rachel –> Esther
- Vanessa –> Valencia
- Aaliyah –> Eliana
- Mariah –> Mireya
- Gabrielle –> Giselle
- Katelyn –> Gillian
- Ariana –> Alessia
- Bailey –> Bronte
- Camila –> Paloma
- Jennifer –> Juniper
- Melanie –> Coralie
- Gianna –> Giulia
- Charlotte –> Josephine
- Paige –> Sage
- Autumn –> September
- Payton –> Larkin
- Faith –> Blythe
- Sara –> Lucy
- Isabelle –> Juliette
- Caroline –> Vivian
- Genesis –> Evangeline
- Isabel –> Mirabel
- Mary –> Susan
- Zoey –> Pax
- Gracie –> Sadie
- Megan –> Teagan
You make a good point that a lot of parents choose ‘classic’ names not realising how popular they are.
Matilda is actually really popular in Australia, so it’s funny to me to see it mentioned as an alternative to a popular name.
I LOVE this post. What a great idea and your choices are so inspired. I can’t imagine how long it took you to write this! Instead of Grace, use Jane. Instead of Alyssa, use Calista. Instead of Gabriella, use Francesca. Perfect suggestions of realistic, usable names and quite brilliantly done if you ask me.
Great post and great suggestions! Many of the “alternate” names were on my list (and still are for a potential DD#2).
What a terrific, thoughtful post! You captured the essense of these popular names perfectly…thanks!
Wow, I love these ideas. I want to go through the list again and look more in-depth at meanings, etc. I can’t wait to hear the boys’ names, too! Thanks for all your work on this!
Please! Don’t give away so many good ones. I saw one of mine on there that I haven’t seen anywhere before.
What was it? All of the above I’ve seen mentioned by name fanatics.
I don’t want to say for fear of bringing more attention to it. Mind you, it was pretty far down on the list.
great list! good job!
Wonderful list! You’ve got my Juniper listed as an alternative for Jennifer, and now I have the Donovan song stuck in my head
Many names you listed as alternatives I really love, a few I really detest—wow! Still, an intriguing list.
A serious contender if my next one is a girl is listed (Kalila), but as an alternative to Neaveh–kind of scary. Some of your other alternatives are on my long list. You are never dull with your name choices–part of the reason I follow your blog!
I *really* like Phoebe and thought it might be among the alternate names, but it’s not… I think Phoebe might work as a substitute for Chloe. What do you think?
And how about Sylvie as a substitute for Sophie? (I love them separately and together.)
Phoebe definitely occurred to me as a substitute for Chloe! It was a near miss. It’s not on the list in part because I DO love the name, and don’t want it to get overexposed. I’ve talked about Phoebe in other posts. She made the Sweet Spot list– http://youcantcallitit.com/2009/04/30/the-sweet-spot/
Sylvie is also the perfect alternate for Sophie. Well done!
Lovely post!
I’ve always thought Cora and Clara would make great Emma-substitutes. They’ve got the two-syllable A-ender thing going, and they feel like they belong to a similar era. I think Elsa works, too. Slightly different feel (not quite as “homey”), but very similar sound.
I was intrigued to see what you would recommend as a Nevaeh-alternative. I think Kelila works well! It’s Christian, it’s very unfamiliar and “new” sounding, and it has a modern multicultural sort of appeal (the way names like Maya, Leila, and Nevaeh do). Good job!
I love your girls list just as much as the boys
Araminta, Beatrice, Keturah, Iris, Rowan, Genevieve, Esme, Alice, Lucy & Evangeline caught my eye and made me smile. Pity hubby will only consider Rowan on a boy.
I keep coming back and reading your posts today! What a great alternate list. You have some of my faves on here, like Rowan, Harper and Cecily. Also, Wren is really growing on me. How adorable!
Some lovely alternatives there – especially Helena and Esther – but then I’m biased!
You picked my name!!! It is an awesome name. Until you’re 10 and you find one definition of it “Milky White Breasts”. And then you live with that forever.
This is brilliant, Elisabeth. My favorite: Marietta for Savannah.