Welcome to the final instalment of this A-Z guide to the Most Popular Names on Nameberry, featuring names with rare initials, literary inspired options, and those boosted up the charts by famous associations. From Unique to Tracey, Yarrow to Xavian, the latter end of the alphabet is an eclectic set.
Before we get into the names, however, this is a reminder that the Nameberry Newsletter is changing. As Pam Redmond explained in the first part of this series, from August there will still be a free version of the newsletter, plus an extended version with exclusive research and analysis for subscribers only.
* This data is current for July 2026, but the popularity of a name on Nameberry is liable to change and update.
T names are an mixed bunch, featuring popular or classic options like Theodore, Thea, Thomas, Theo, Talia, Tessa, and Tobias, however, there are several notable outliers such as…
Timaël: a modern French choice, likely blending Timeo and Maël giving it meanings such as “to honor the chief” or “honored lord”. The name has been sporadically appearing in the French Top 500 in 2013, and in a recent year, it was one of the fastest rising options in its native country. But why does it feature so highly on Nameberry? Possibly because it was a recently added option that appeared in this newsletter, of new names to watch out for.
Tracey: A hugely popular choice in the 60s and 70s, Tracey — and its variants Tracy, Tracee, Traci, and Tracie — have been out of style since the 90s. It may now be back in the (Nameberry) stats thanks to artist Tracey Emin, who is currently exhibiting at the Tate Modern gallery.
Tova: a multicultural choice with its roots in Hebrew and Swedish, Tova may have catching attention thanks to the book and subsequent movie adaption, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. One of the central characters is called Tova, played by Sally Fields in the film. The similar Tove is also popular, brought into the spotlight in 2025 which actress Lily Collins chose it for her daughter.
Let’s get Unique out of the way. Yes, it is used as a name, however, its overwhelming popularity on Nameberry doesn’t reflect how often it’s actually given. 73 girls and 46 boys received the name in 2025 in the US, but the number of views it gets is most likely the result of people searching for “unique name” and stumbling across the page for Unique.
U is a rare initial, with 32 names for girls and 50 names for boys featuring in the stats. Of these, only Uriah and Uriel rank in the Top 1000, while Una charts in England and Wales, Iceland, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
While Ulysses doesn’t make the Top 1000 in the “real world”, it is one of the more popular options, given to 169 boys. Alternative spelling Ulisses, was given to 213 boys in the same year. It is likely the Ulysses spelling remains Nameberry Popular, however, thanks to James Joyce’s book Ulysses, connected as it is to Homer’s Odyssey, to the president Ulysses S. Grant, and to the character in Sarah Winman’s popular novel, Still Life. It even ranked in the US Top 1000 until the 2000s!
Pop culture has likely had an influence on the most viewed names: Ursula (author Ursula K. Le Guin and the villain of The Little Mermaid), Uma (actress Uma Thurman), Ubah (model and TV personality Ubah Hassan), Urban (Keith Urban), Uriah (Uriah Heep, the name of a band and a Charles Dickens character).
V names are Vivian heavy with Viviana and Vivienne being Spanish, Italian, and French variants. Vietta is is also considered a diminutive of Vivienne (or of Violetta and Vita), though unlike the other three, it doesn’t rank in the US Top 500. Sharp, succinct, and versatile, traditionally unisex, and connected to fashion and literature, Vivian and co. share the sounds of even more popular choices, like Victoria, Olivia, and Evelyn.
V names are full of life, vigor, and confidence. This may sound odd, but Vivian and its variants mean “life”, Valentina and Valerie mean “strength, health”, Victor and Vincent mean “conquering, victorious”, and Vera means “faith”. As such, they come under the category of “strong names”, which matches well with their zippy, sharp sounds.
In the real world, Vera is an internationally popular choice, charting in the US, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Italy, while Victor is popular in France, Spain Denmark, and Belgium. Vincent is popular in the US, UK, Australia, and Sweden, while Valentina is a favorite in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and beyond.
In fact, only Vietta doesn’t appear in the US charts, so where did it come from? It may have gained attention when it appeared briefly the US stats in 2023 for the first time since the 1960s.
Wil- names continue to reign, which isn’t a surprise, given that William has never left the US Top 20. Appearing in the Top 10 more often that not, it recently featured at #9. Popular as William is in most English speaking countries and across Europe too, the appearance of Wilbur may reflect parents seeking less popular alternatives.
Willa is a feminine form, notably borne by writer Willa Cather, actress Willa Fitzgerald and actress Willa Holland. A vintage revival, it reappeared in the charts in the 2010s, perhaps follows Holland’s appearance in Gossip Girl. Its current popularity may reflect the ongoing love for vintage gems, although it might have gained more clicks following the announcement that actress Willa Dunn will be featuring in the second series of Netflix’s Little House On the Prairie.
Willow began to climb the charts in the 2000s, after Will and Jada Smith selected it for their daughter, though it began to climb more rapidly in the 2010s, following the start of Willow’s music career and by singer Pink choosing it for her daughter. A Top 20 name in England and Wales, Willow is a nice blend of vintage sounds and nature connections — and for some, the Taylor Swift song link my help too.
Cool Grandpa names: Winston, Walter, and Wilbur are a interesting mix of gentle, tough, cosy, and cool. YouTuber Wilbur Soot, Lord of the Flies (BBC) star Winston Sawyers, and Netflix series My Life with the Walter Boys may have had an influence.
All of the names appear in the US Top 1000, excepting Wynn, though Elowyn, Wynter, and Rowyn do. Moreover, actress Wynn Everett, luxury hospitality company Wynn Resorts, and parents searching for alternatives to Brynn, Wren, Elowyn, and Lynn may have helped acttract attention to this one.
There are only five X-names in the US Top 1000 and four of them appear on this list, those being Xavier, Xander, Xiomara, and Ximena. Only Xyla (which ranked at #763) is absent.
Greek, golden and floral, Xanthe has been appearing consistently in the England and Wales Top 1000 since 2004, and may well appeal to those looking for alternatives to Thea, Alexandra, Athena, and Phoebe.
X Names come from Ancient Greek: Xander (via Alexander), Xanthe (from mythology), Xenia (a 5th-century saint), and Xerxes (a Greek form of a Persian name borne by a 5th-century BC king).
Respellings and reinventions: Xion likely comes from Zion, Xander from Alexander, Xiomara from Guiomar, Ximena is possibly from Simon, Xavian is from Xavier.
Nahuatl name Xochitl (SO-chee/SO-cheetl) is an option on the rise, ranking at #1101 in 2025, but projected to enter the Top 1000 in the US in the future. A favorite on Nameberry since the 2017, its recent popularity may have been inspired by Marvel actress Xochitl Gomez.
Of the Top Y names, Yves, Yvette, and Yvonne are all relatives: French names ultimately from the Germanic element iwa, meaning “yew”.
Yvette and Yvonne were at their peak in the 50s and 60s, but have been out of style since the early 2000s. They could offer the clunky-retro vibe of Barbara, Beverly, Cynthia, and Deborah, though viewers may be searching them up because they’re family names, or because they’re looking for names with subtle nature meanings.
Yves (pronounced as EEV) is notably associated with fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and artist Yves Klein which likely keeps it at the top of the charts. There’s also South Korean singer, Ha Soo-young, who performs as Yves. Originally part of the group Loona, she may be another reason people are searching the name.
Many of the Y names on this list are rarities: Ysella is a modern Cornish name meaning “modest” but may have been discovered by those searching for alternatives to Isabella, while Ymir is a Norse name meaning “twin”, which may have been discovered by those looking for either mythological names or names for twins.
Yancy may be associated with the Christian praise singer, along with content creator, Yancy Wong, while Yuna may feature owing to South Korean singer, actress and dancer, Shin Yu-na (known as Yuna) and influencer Yunabugs (known for her daschunds).
Only two names — Yara and Yuna — appear in the US charts, alongside Yasmin, Yael, Yareli, Yahya, Yusuf, and Yadiel.
Of these Z names, seven appear in the US Top 1000 — those being Zachary, Zoe, Zoey, Zara, Zion, Zane, and Zora.
While they remain of interest to Nameberry viewers, in the “real world”, Zachary, Zane, Zoe, Zoey, and Zora dropped down the charts. The majority only fell 10-20 ranks, but Zora dropped by 54 places. Only Zara and Zion made small gains, the latter recovering slightly from its drop the year prior.
Ziggy is a favorite in England and Wales, ranking in the Top 400, perhaps owing to the fashion for nicknames-as-given-names and in honor of David Bowie.
Zohran is an Indian and Pakistani name, ultimately from Arabic with a shining or floral meaning. It’s almost certainly on this list owing to New York politician and mayor, Zohran Mamdani. It made its debut into the US stats in 2025, when 30 boys were giving the name.
Zephyr is a Nameberry gem, loved for its approachable sounds (a little like Zephaniah and Zander) and its mythological connection, Zephyrus being the Greek god of the west wind.
Thank you for reading this A-Z series of Popular Names on Nameberry. I hope you liked discovering what people have been searching — and some of the reasons why. Before you go, a few questions as ever:
Did any of these names surprise you? Were there any you’d never heard before?
What are you personal favorite names, starting T-Z?
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