Special Report

America's Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 2020

Archive Photos / Moviepix via Getty Images

Names, like fashion, change with the times, which explains why ever-shifting social trends and popular culture greatly influence the monikers parents give their children. So it’s not surprising that names favored just five years ago may be deemed too old fashioned for today’s parents. 

So what do popular female names in 2020 tell us about current preferences for the naming of girl babies? Although it’s difficult to pinpoint any one reason for such a personal decision, the trend appears to be a return to more conventional names for girls. (What were parents naming their kids a century ago? See the most popular names in America since 1880.)

2020 was the height of the pandemic, a time when many people experienced the loss of loved ones and job security. So perhaps it was natural for parents to choose traditional names during a time of great upheaval. The top five names on this list are all classically beautiful female names that have been popular for decades, even centuries. Perhaps parents wanted the comfort of knowing their child would have a name that is both lovely and not too unusual.

Popular culture may have also played a role. Did the popularity of Charlotte grow after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge named their only daughter Charlotte? Is the emergence of Aria due to the name of the well-liked heroic female character in “Games of Thrones?” (Missed “Games of Thrones the first time? These are the most binge-worthy series you can stream right now.)

Not all the girl names are of the traditional variety, however. A few like Avery, Addison, and Riley are non-gender specific and could be tagged for boys or girls. And there are some newbies on the list: Nova and Paisley fall into that category.

What girl names will rise to the top in 2021? Check back to see if parents choose time-honored ones — or look to break with tradition with a new batch of names.

Click here to see America’s most popular baby girl names in 2020

To identify the most popular baby girl names in 2020, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the total number of births for each name with five or more occurrences in 2020 from the Social Security Administration. Names with less than five occurrences are not tracked by the SSA in order to protect anonymity. Total births for 2010 and 2000, along with each year in between, also come from the SSA.

mmpile / Getty Images

50. Paisley
> Birth count 2020: 4,333

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Courtesy of Miramax

49. Lucy
> Birth count 2020: 4,339
> Pictured: Lucy Liu, Actor

Andrew Toth / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

48. Willow
> Birth count 2020: 4,345
> Pictured: Willow Smith, Musician

Amy Sussman / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

47. Addison
> Birth count 2020: 4,467
> Pictured: Addison Rae, TikTok Star

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46. Lillian
> Birth count 2020: 4,468
> Pictured: Lillian Gish, Actor

Rich Fury / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

45. Leah
> Birth count 2020: 4,482
> Pictured: Leah Remini, Actor

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Pool / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

44. Isla
> Birth count 2020: 4,538
> Pictured: Isla Fisher, Actor

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

43. Everly
> Birth count 2020: 4,590
> Pictured: Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan (Everly is their daughter)

Trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

42. Stella
> Birth count 2020: 4,624
> Pictured: Stella Adler, Dance Teacher

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Original image: Sgt. Michael Connors - 302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachmentderivative work: MyCanon., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

41. Zoe
> Birth count 2020: 4,725
> Pictured: Zoe Salldana, Actor

Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

40. Emilia
> Birth count 2020: 4,750
> Pictured: Emilia Clarke, Actor

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Joe Scarnici / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

39. Hannah
> Birth count 2020: 4,910
> Pictured: Hannah Simone, Actor

Vendela Hyde, photographer, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

38. Nova
> Birth count 2020: 4,940
> Pictured: Nova Miller, Musician

Courtesy of Violet Farebrother

37. Violet
> Birth count 2020: 5,075
> Pictured: Violet Farebrother, Actor

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Nicholas Hunt / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

36. Aurora
> Birth count 2020: 5,184
> Pictured: Aurora Aksnes, Musician

Rubenstein, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

35. Lily
> Birth count 2020: 5,195
> Pictured: Lily Rabe, Actor

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Anthony Harvey / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

34. Victoria
> Birth count 2020: 5,249
> Pictured: Victoria Beckham, Former Member of Spice Girls, Fashion Designer

Rich Fury / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

33. Riley
> Birth count 2020: 5,309
> Pictured: Riley Keough, Actor

Exchange, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service / Wikipedia / Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

32. Zoey
> Birth count 2020: 5,331
> Pictured: Zoey Deutch, Actor

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Keystone / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

31. Hazel
> Birth count 2020: 5,457
> Pictured: Hazel Court, Actor

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

30. Nora
> Birth count 2020: 5,550
> Pictured: Nora Jones, Musician

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Christopher Polk / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

29. Ellie
> Birth count 2020: 5,562
> Pictured: Ellie Kemper, Comedian

Archive Photos / Moviepix via Getty Images

28. Grace
> Birth count 2020: 5,569
> Pictured: Grace Kelly, Actor

Andrew Toth / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

27. Chloe
> Birth count 2020: 6,093
> Pictured: Chloe Grace Moretz, Actor

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Courtesy of Aria Aber

26. Aria
> Birth count 2020: 6,093
> Pictured: Aria Aber, Poet

Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images

25. Penelope
> Birth count 2020: 6,099
> Pictured: Penelope Cruz, Actor

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Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

24. Layla
> Birth count 2020: 6,174
> Pictured: Laila Ali, Boxer

Presley Ann / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

23. Madison
> Birth count 2020: 6,196
> Pictured: Madison Beer, Musician

Keystone / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

22. Eleanor
> Birth count 2020: 6,335
> Pictured: Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady

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Jemal Countess / Getty Images

21. Scarlett
> Birth count 2020: 6,455
> Pictured: Scarlett Johansson, Actor

Gage Skidmore / Flickr

20. Mila
> Birth count 2020: 6,602
> Pictured: Mila Kunis, Actor

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Courtesy of Avery Christine

19. Avery
> Birth count 2020: 6,698
> Pictured: Avery Christine, YouTube Personality

18. Emily
> Birth count 2020: 6,856
> Pictured: Emily Mortimer, Actor

idominick / Flickr

17. Sofia
> Birth count 2020: 6,926
> Pictured: Sofia Vergara, Actor

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Charley Gallay / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

16. Elizabeth
> Birth count 2020: 7,216
> Pictured: Elizabeth Olsen, Actor

Ronald Dumont / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

15. Ella
> Birth count 2020: 7,303
> Pictured: Ella Fitzgerald, Musician

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Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

14. Luna
> Birth count 2020: 7,770
> Pictured: Luna, “Harry Potter” Character

Courtesy of Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)

13. Abigail
> Birth count 2020: 7,817
> Pictured: Abigail Adams, Actor

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

12. Gianna
> Birth count 2020: 7,826
> Pictured: Gianna D’Angelo, Singer

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Theo Wargo / Getty Images

11. Camila
> Birth count 2020: 8,096
> Pictured: Camila Cabello, Musician

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

10. Harper
> Birth count 2020: 8,778
> Pictured: Harper Lee, Author

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Steve Powell / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

9. Evelyn
> Birth count 2020: 9,445
> Pictured: Evelyn Ashford, Runner

Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

8. Mia
> Birth count 2020: 11,157
> Pictured: Mia Wasikowska, Actor

Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

7. Isabella
> Birth count 2020: 12,066
> Pictured: Isabella Rossellini, Actor

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Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images

6. Amelia
> Birth count 2020: 12,704
> Pictured: Amelia Earhart, Pilot

Express / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

5. Sophia
> Birth count 2020: 12,976
> Pictured: Sophia Loren, Actor

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4. Charlotte
> Birth count 2020: 13,003
> Pictured: Charlotte Brontë, Author

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

3. Ava
> Birth count 2020: 13,084
> Pictured: Ava Gardner, Actor

Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

2. Emma
> Birth count 2020: 15,581
> Pictured: Emma Thompson, Actor

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Theo Wargo / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

1. Olivia
> Birth count 2020: 17,535
> Pictured: Olivia Rodrigo, Musician

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