These are the ones to watch—50 names that are not in the top 50 yet but are gaining in popularity. Where possible, we quote the name's current ranking on the top 1000 list compared to where it shot up from in the last 14 years. Makayla, for instance, is one of the more statistically explosive names, climbing from #848 in 1990 to #51 in 2003. Others didn't even hit the top 1000 until 2003, but their presence seems worth noting: Maddox entered the list smack in the middle, at #586. The names that stand alone without a ranking are not on the list yet, but we hear them around the playground—or in celebrity birth announcements—enough to guess that they are on their way up.

Boys Aiden (73 from 949 in 1995) Aldo (576 from 708 in 1990) Ari (671 from 882 in 1990) Asa (672 from 830 in 1990) Atticus Axel (333 from 764 in 1990) Braxton (305 from 757 in 1990) Cade (221 from 936 in 1990) Caden (114 from 910 in 1992) Carson (90 from 472 in 1990) Cruz (598 from 701 in 1991) Cullen (682 from 820 in 1990) Cyrus (491 from 854 in 1990) Dashiell Diego (76 from 243 in 1990) Declan (425 from 746 in 1998) Drake (276 from 570 in 1990) Ezra (402 from 783 in 1990) Finn (659 from 819 in 2000) Gideon (688 from 981 in 1995) Griffin (227 from 629 in 1990) Gulliver Jackson (52 from 326 in 1990) Jacoby (765 from 964 in 1990) Jamison (590 from 735 in 1996) Jett (621 from 809 in 1999) Jonah (165 from 711 in 1992) Josiah (152 from 372 in 1990) Jude (446 from 956 in 1996) Kobe (268 from 567 in 1997) Lane (277 from 587 in 1990) Leo (288 from 483 in 1990) Lincoln (553 from 893 in 1990) Luca (444 from 617 in 2000) Maddox (new at 586 in 2003) Malachi (195 from 991 in 1990) Mathias (948 in 2003) Matteo (731 from 940 in 1998) Mekhi (386 from 952 in 1998) Nolan (177 from 317 in 1990) Octavio (532 from 784 in 1998) Orion (572 from 919 in 1994) Owen (72 from 482 in 1992) Phoenix (574 from 989 in 1995) Ronan (785 from 861 in 2001) Rowan (626 up from 998 in 1999) Sawyer (452 from 1003 in 1991) Tate (406 up from 985 in 1991) Titus (618 from 923 in 1990) Xander (237 from 931 in 1999)

Girls Aaliyah (91 from 211 in 1994) Addison (192 from 831 in 1994) Aisling Amaya (184 from 405 in 1999) Anahi (414 from 611 in 1997) Annabelle (292 from 984 in 1995) Annika (284 from 990 in 1995) Ansley (688 from 989 in 1996) Apple Arely (604 from 919 in 2000) Aurora (372 from 666 in 1990) Ava (41 from 1001 in 1990) Beatrix Bella (327 from 781 in 2000) Brooklyn (119 from 972 in 1990) Cadence (478 from 965 in 2002) Chaya (786 from 820 in 1990 also in the top 10 in New York City.) Delaney (179 from 934 in 1991) Delilah (618 from 919 in 1997) Eulalie Frida (659 from 925 in 2001) Harmony (592 from 949 in 1997) Iona Jazlyn (593 from 972 in 1996) Lola (623 from 758 in 2002) Lucy (221 from 449 in 1990) Mable Maeve (658 from 967 in 1997) Makayla (51 from 848 in 1990) Malia (429 from 997 in 1994) Maya (85 from 396 in 1990) Miracle (493 from 889 in 1995) Nevaeh (150 from 268 in 2001) Nyla (477 from 876 in 2001) Penelope (709 from 930 in 2001) Piper (343 from 709 in 1999) Sadie (195 from 478 in 1990) Saniya (new at 972 in 2003) Sarai (464 from 774 in 1990) Scout Serenity (235 from 871 in 1998) Stella (379 from 978 in 1997) Talia (357 from 623 in 1990) Tallulah Tess (567 from 656 in 2001) Willow (530 from 882 in 1998) Yadira (601 from 775 in 1999) Yanira Yareli (899 from 1002 in 2002) Zelda

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