Names can be powerful personal expressions of the self, as well as carry tradition and meaning. While there are thousands of names to choose from, some monikers are simply more popular than others.
MooseRoots, a genealogy data site, found the 100 most popular girl names of the last century using 2016 data from the Social Security Administration. Popularity is determined by the total number of occurrences for baby names from 1916-2015 in the U.S.
Also included is the year in which the name was the most popular as well as the ranking of the name in that year. It should be noted that some names reached their popularity peak outside of the last century, but have stood the test of time and still appear on this list.
These names act like a roadmap through female history, paying tribute to icons of the past and giving nods to influential women of the present. Some of most popular names have been given to notable women, including: civil and women's rights activist Dorothy Height, supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, iconic actress Marilyn Monroe and contemporary comedian Amy Schumer.
Note: Each name is accompanied by an image of a notable female of the same name.