Girl · #6,563 in 2026

Girl

A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term girl has other meanings, including young woman, daughter or girlfriend regardless of age, the first meaning is the most common one.

Current Rank
#6,563
Peak Rank
#3,569 (2021)
Total Babies
631
5-Yr Trend
-21%
1985
First Year
2026
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#3569
Peak Rank
631
Total Count
39
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Girl

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term girl has other meanings, including young woman, daughter or girlfriend regardless of age, the first meaning is the most common one.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The English word girl first appeared during the Middle Ages between 1250 and 1300 CE and came from the Anglo-Saxon word gerle (also spelled girle or gurle ). The Anglo-Saxon word gerela meaning dress or clothing item also seems to have been used as a metonym in some sense. Until the late 1400s, the word meant a child of either sex; it has meant 'female child' since about the late 15th century CE.
Origin & history
The status of girls throughout world history is closely related to the status of women in any culture. Where women enjoy a more equal status with men, girls benefit from greater attention to their needs.

The Story of Girl

Girl first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1985, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 35 Girls were born — ranking #4,088 that year. As of 2026, Girl ranks #6,563 for baby girls with 17 births, falling sharply (-21%). In total, more than 631 Girls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Girl

Phonetically similar names — useful when Girl is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Girl

What does the name Girl mean?
A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term girl has other meanings, including young woman, daughter or girlfriend regardless of age, the first meaning is the most common one.
How popular is Girl in 2026?
In 2026, Girl ranks #6,563 among girls' names in the U.S., with 17 babies given the name that year.
When was Girl most popular?
Girl reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #3,569 that year with 35 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Girl most popular?
Girl has historically been most popular in North Dakota, Minnesota, Washington. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Girl.
Is Girl a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Girl is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Girl?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Girl include Alura, Cana, Krupa. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Alura
Peak #3569
👧
Cana
Peak #3569
👧
Krupa
Peak #3569
👧
Quiara
Peak #3569
👧
Greeta
Peak #3568
👧
Burton
Peak #3568
👧
Moyra
Peak #3568
👧
Prentice
Peak #3568

About the name Girl

Girl is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1985 and has accumulated 631 births in the dataset. Girl's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #3,569. Use the chart and map above to compare Girl's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.