Effortlessly Cool Girl Names
COOL GIRL SURNAMES: Last names as first names. The great thing about surnames is that it’s a way to be unique without inventing a new name. Most surnames are familiar; they’re easy to spell and pronounce, but unexpected when used as a first name. Surnames often feel preppy, polished, and could be used for either gender, though some, like Harper and Quinn, currently have a more feminine feel and some, like Brooks and Miles, lean more masculine. Names with softer sounds like Ellis, Sloane and Lennon are names girl-parents naturally gravitate towards.
Harper
Parker
Sutton
Ellis
Quinn
Sloane
Lennon
Tatum
Emerson
Sawyer
Emery
Collins
Greer
Campbell
Merritt
Miller
Monroe
Blair
Marlowe
Arden
Riley
Palmer
Clark
GIRLY COOL NAMES
What gives a feminine name a ‘cool factor’? Nicknames as given names like Coco and Liv, consonant-heavy names like Margot and Simone, Old Hollywood type names like Daphne, and shorter names like Elle and Kit all feel incredibly stylish and memorable!
Margot
Simone
Vienna
Celine
Daphne
Maeve
Freya
Maren
Piper
Halle
Sienna
Elle
Serena
Liv
Coco
Zoe
Mae
Gigi
Gwen
Tess
Lana
Capri
Vada
Demi
Esme
Ines
Kaia
Kit
Zuri
WHIMSY-COOL NAMES
Whimsical names with a cool factor feel carefree, independent, and artistic. You don’t have to be a surfer girl in Hawaii to pull these off (though it doesn’t hurt).
Lowen
Nori
Ivy
Dove
Cleo
Iris
Sage
Eden
Sunny
Navy
Jovie
Rue
Gaia
Juno
Cove
Haven
Indie
Luna
Sol
Rio
Wren
Poe
UNISEX COOL GIRL NAMES
One of the biggest trends of this decade is unisex names and even using traditional boy names for a girl. While it is a style we’re seeing more, there is still an unexpectedness to hearing a boy name for a girl, which gives it the cool factor. Unisex names feel confident, distinctive, and often, unique.
Dylan
Joey
Logan
Chase
Elliott
Evan
Noah
Perry
Spencer
Teddy
James
Andie
Drew
Charlie
Colbie
Billie
Frankie
Stevie
Rowan
Rory
Scottie
Leni
Remi
Blake
Reese
ALTERNATIVES & MY REASONING
With any trend, people want to know how to pick a name that is more timeless than trendy, that everyone else isn’t simultaneously picking.
Two of the ultimate cool girl names of the past year are Margot and Scottie (totally different styles, yet many are drawn to both of these names!). Looking at the data, Margot jumped from 743 to 102 in 11 years and Scottie jumped from 925 to 126 in 4 years! That being said, name trends can be completely regional; I know several baby Margots but have not yet met a Scottie IRL! So if you love either of these names, you should absolutely use it. But, if popularity has you looking elsewhere, here are some other ideas with similar vibes!
If you love Margot, but want a effortlessly col, feminine name that is less popular, I’d consider Poppy, Marlowe, Colette, Maren, Elodie, Blaire, Tess, Matilda, Kit, Celeste and Gemma.
If you love Scottie, but want a unisex cool girl name that’s less popular, I’d consider Sloane, Summer, Andi, Drew, Logan, Billie, Perrie, Martie, Darby, Frankie, Georgie, or Elliott.
Ultimately, you love what you love even if it doesn’t meet the criteria you set out with! But it’s always nice to have all the information before you make a decision. As many moms of the 90s tell me, they thought they were so unique naming their daughter Jessica.
SIBLING-SET PAIRINGS
When it comes to sibling names, how do you decide which names go together? Can you use Dylan for a girl if your first daughter’s name is more feminine like Gwen? Listen, you can do whatever you want, but if sibling set cohesion is a priority, Dylan would pair better with something like Reese or Blake, while Gwen would pair better with names like Greer, Kit, or Mae.
If you’re wondering how to pair boy names, classic names and surnames are usually pretty versatile. If you’re using a more whimsical name for a girl, like Eden or Dove, try to envision whether that matches the energy of your son’s name. It would feel a little unexpected if your son’s name is uber traditional like Peter, but works well with more modern classics like Ezra or softer boy names like Milo or Arlo.
Here are 10 sibling set examples incorporating cool girl names from the lists above:
Maren, Blaire & Hayes
Kit, Tess & Jude
Wren, Cove & August
Elliott, Evan & Emery (girls)
Collins, Merritt & Townes
Margot, Daphne, Sebastian & Julian
Harper, Quinn, Liam & Callahan
Ellis, Joey & Clarke
Dove & Drew
Sage, Remi, Liv & Van
What middle names work with one syllable names like Quinn and Reese?
Quinn, Reese and Sloane are names I get asked about all the time. ‘We love Reese but cannot figure out a middle name that works!’ The cadence people are most used to hearing is a 2-3 syllable first name with a one syllable middle name (Harper Lynn, Andi Rose, Eden Mae). So when you have a one-syllable first name, sometimes it just takes getting used to a new name rhythm or flow. Using a middle name that is more than one syllable complements a one syllable first name nicely, that being said, I have had people go with a one syllable middle like Quinn Grace or Blake Mae because the name had meaning, and I can get on board with how chic those sound!
With Quinn, people always feel like it ends up sounding like ‘Queen ______’ and I think that’s something you just have to get past. Queenie also makes for an adorable nickname. Quinn Kathryn, Quinn Matilda, Quinn Elise, and Quinn Harper are all great combinations.
Let’s take Reese as another example. I’d avoid middle names that begin or end in ‘s’, as it can be a little bit of a tongue twister (Reese Louise, Reese Simone). Some examples of names that flow well are Reese Caroline, Reese Noelle, Reese Penelope, Reese Piper, Reese Parker, and Reese Delaney, to name a few!
Above all, I wouldn’t let a middle name challenge keep you from using the first name you love. The first name is the one you say day in and day out. If you are set on using a family name that doesn’t work with your favorite first name, don’t be afraid to get creative. Let’s take Reese Louise as an example. You could do Reese Elouise; adding an extra syllable in the middle name helps it sound less repetitive. Or, shorten it to Reese Lou, which is adorable. Reese Lorelai to honor the letter L, or Reese Louelle as a different iteration of the family name. What’s Grandma Louise’s last name? Maybe it was Meyer – Reese Meyer has such a cool, crisp vibe. If the name you’re trying to make work just isn’t working, brainstorm ways to honor the name in a different way!
How do you avoid a trendy name?
The million dollar question! Trendy names are not inherently bad. What I think people mean when they ask this question is: how do I avoid a name that will be timestamped. One that says ‘oh, you must have been born in 2026’. One that is shared by multiple other students in her class.
While none of us have a crystal ball, the national name data from the Social Security Administration is a good place to start. There you can look at a name’s popularity over time. There you can see that the name Harper was never even used as a first name in America until 2004 when it came onto the scene, ranking 887. Becoming a top 10 name just 11 years later is a monumental achievement in the name world. This is the definition of a trendy name. The question becomes: will Harper go out of style just as quickly, or become a more established name for the foreseeable future? I see Harper as this generation’s Madison. I think it has solid roots, and will stick around for a while, but will be somewhat definitive of this generation!
On the contrary, if you look at a name like Logan, while it is on trend, it’s ranked steadily in the 300-400 range since about 1990. If you are worried about name popularity, something like this is a ‘safer’ bet. At the end of the day, though, you love what you love!
Overall, names that have risen rapidly in popularity without having an established history have a greater risk of becoming a passing trend.
How do you pick sister names that go together? If you pick a unisex name for your first daughter, do you need to do the same thing for another daughter?
Some people believe firmly in ‘name equality’. If one sister has a unisex name like Blake, the other sister’s name should follow suit. Personally, I disagree. I don’t think names need to belong in the same style category to be compatible, and I don’t believe you’re pigeon-holed into one style or one letter just because of the name you picked for your first child. Though stylistically different, names like Blair and Violet, Quinn and Audrey, Rowan and Clare, or Eden and Josie all feel like perfect sister duos.
Still Stuck on the Perfect Name?
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About Colleen
Colleen Slagen is a professional baby name consultant, founder of Naming Bebe, and author of Naming Bebe: An Interactive Guide to Choosing a Baby Name You Love. She has had a lifelong obsession with baby names and helps families move beyond.