25 Most Popular Baby Girl Names & Trends To Inspire Singaporeans Parents Welcoming A Newborn In 2023

Baby girl names in Singapore

A baby’s name is so important that deciding upon specific letters in the alphabet will determine what they’ll be referred to for the rest of their life. Hence, we scoured numerous name databases for statistics spanning 2009-2022 to compile a list of the most popular female names in Singapore, including age-old favourites as well as the more unique ones.

This includes 5 baby name trends for girls in 2023 for you to draw some inspo – from plant and colour-based names to derivatives of your favourite musicians and TV characters. If you’re welcoming a son instead, check out our list of baby boy names.

Table of Contents

Baby girl names in Singapore

– Unique female names –

Some traditionalists give new age names the side-eye as they deem them to be try-hard attempts to instil some uniqueness from birth. Judging by the sky-rocketing popularity of the following names in the past three years, millennial parents are veering away from the safe and conventional names of the boomer generation.

Adapted from Babyment and Singapore’s Child stats across recent years.

1. Leia

Image credit: Cheat Sheet

A more unique twist on the conventional Leah spelling. No doubt popularised by the Star Wars franchise, and often paired with Luke as a sibling set.

2. Averie

A delicate and feminine way of spelling Avery, which is more commonly used as a male name. Of French origins, the meaning is “wisdom” and “ruler of the elves”.

3. Chevelle

The Chevrolet, a.k.a. Chevy.
Image credit: Chevrolet Singapore

Chevy for short, this elegant name is a good excuse for car enthusiast parents to sneak some motor inspiration in there without naming their kid Porsche or Mercedes.

4. Kaylyn

You’ve probably heard of a few Jaylyns or Jaylenes in Singapore, and Kaylyn seems to be the more new-age variation. It’s also favoured by parents who intend to give their subsequent daughters a naming theme; think Haylyn, Raylyn, and so on.

5. Acacia

Image credit: Garden Knowhow

Pronounced a-KAY-see-uh, this name comes from a species of shrubs which bloom vibrant yellow flowers. More plant-inspired names later on in this article when we cover naming trends!

6. Adele

Who can deny the influence of the chart-topping crooner behind global smash hits like Rolling In The Deep, Someone Like You, and Hello? The name stems from the German word, Adel, meaning “noble”.

7. Verlyn

Following a trend where the first syllable of common names is chopped off, think of this as the hipster sister of “Averlyn” or “Beverlyn”. It’s also a feminine reincarnation of “Berlin”.

8. Aria

Image credit: Science ABC

Short and sweet yet beautiful-sounding and meaningful, Aria means “treasure” and “of high value” in the Albanian language. In the English language, it is also defined as “an opera performance by one”, if you want to give your daughter’s name musical meaning.

9. Xandria

A great ‘X’-starting name to pair with popular boy names such as Xander and Xavier. This regal Greek-originating name means “to help and defend”.

10. Madeline

Image credit: Kidstream

A dose of nostalgia for 90s kids who grew up on the children’s cartoon of the same name. It is a spin-off of the biblical names “Madelyn” or “Magdalene”, both of which represent a figure who healed those plagued by evil spirits as an associate of Christ.

– Classic female names –

Some names are so classic that they’ll stand the test of time regardless of fancy-schmancy naming trends popping up every year.

While names like “Barbara” and “Mary” which evoke more old-timey vibes have fallen off the popularity list, a standard bunch prove prevalent to the point where you probably know someone by that name, across generations from peer to teacher to grandmother.

Adapted from Top Names and Singapore’s Child stats across recent years.

1. Michelle

Image credit: News Reader Board

From local Mediacorp celebs to Mrs Obama herself, Michelle is an astonishingly popular choice for baby girls. Meaning “Who is like God?”, the name has biblical origins and is the feminine version of the French name Michel.

2. Nicole

A French-originating name first derived from the masculine Greek name Nicolas or Nicholas, Nicole translates to “victory of the people”. Its short forms are also cute and popular options made mainstream by the likes of Nicki Minaj and Nicky Nichols from Orange Is The New Black.

3. Rachel

Image credit: The Things

Timelessly girly and sweet, this name was borne from biblical origins before soaring above worldwide naming charts largely due to the success of the 90s sitcom, Friends. Also spelled Rachael, it simply means “ewe”, as in female sheep.

4. Sarah

Yet another Hebrew name stemming from the Bible, Sarah literally means “princess”. A fitting name for daughters who are going to be treated like royalty by their doting parents! Over the years, dropping the silent ‘H’ for a shorter and snappier Sara spelling has also proven popular.

5. Valerie

A name so universally beloved that a song was written about and famously covered by the late Amy Winehouse, Valerie is also a common name among Singaporean lasses. With French and Latin origins, the name means “strong and valiant”. The short form, Val, is also cute and catchy.

6. Ashley

Across both genders, new-age derivatives like Ashlyn, Asher, and Ashton have been on the rise lately, but none are close to dethroning the OG. A unisex name, Ashley is the combination of the Old English elements “æsc”, meaning ash trees, and “lēah”, which translates to woods and meadows.

7. Felicia

Image credit: @iamfeliciachin via Instagram

Folks growing up on local TV dramas might have been inspired to name their baby girl after Felicia Chin, one of the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp. Of Spanish and Latin origin, the name holds a highly auspicious meaning of being “lucky” and “happy”. It also makes for a short and impactful short form: Fel.

8. Charmaine

Not just a fun way to inject Pokemon references and nickname them Charmaine-der, this has remained a top choice whether it’s spelled with ‘C’ or ‘S’ variations, or with tweaks from Char- to Sher-. Charmaine is the original in terms of spelling and ranks highest among the variations, with a meaning of “bountiful orchard and song”.

9. Chloe

Image credit: @ninon_ryr via Instagram

A familiar name if you played with Bratz dolls, Chloe is Greek name denoting “blooming” or “fertility”. It’s now a popular name associated with various forms of media and pop culture, from A-list celebs like Chloe Grace Moretz to the iconic ribboned perfume bottle from the mononymous French luxury fashion brand.

10. Isabella

A hit among those who prefer names of a higher syllable count, Isabella is an Italian name meaning “pledged to God” or “God is my oath”. As far as nickname and short form options go, you can break down each of the components to call your little one Izz, Izzy, Belle, or Bella. Options aplenty!

– Female baby name trends –

The following are name trends we’ve spotted for Singaporean baby girls based on the top chart findings across a variety of databases. From short and snappy mono-syllable names to nouns derived from gemstones, colours, and locations, they just might get the ball rolling for you to brainstorm the perfect, trend-fitting yet non-cringey name for your child.

Adapted from Baby Center, Baby Gaga, Childhood & Mom Junction stats across recent years.

21. Disney princesses across different eras

Image adapted from: Entertainment Tonight, Cinema Blend

In recent years, Disney princesses have been through quite the resurgence. Whether it’s new animated films or even live action reboots of age-old classics, it seems that we get to look forward to a new Disney princess movie once every few years.

It’s hardly surprising then, that names like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and Tiana from The Princess and the Frog are climbing up the naming charts. And although they aren’t officially Disney princesses, Elsa and Anna from Frozen have inspired many a baby name in Singapore.

22. Inspired by plants, colours & gemstones

Image credit: Etsy

These naming themes are great for parents who want matchy-matchy names between siblings.

Plant-based names include the classic ones which have been around for decades on end, such as Lily, Rose, and Jasmine. The more unique and exotic tree and flower breeds that have been adopted as girls’ names include Amaryllis, Leilani, and Azalea.

In terms of colours, Violet, Indigo, Ebony, Hazel, Sienna, and Saffron have proven to be on the rise of popularity.

Last but not least, inspiration derived from gemstones means your daughters will have regal names such as Amber, Jade, Ruby, Crystal, Jewel, Sapphire, and Emerald.

23. Mish-mashes of traditional names

Many parents want a unique name for their child, such that the chances of them sharing the same name with a classmate or co-worker are kept as slim as possible. What better way to ensure this than to mash up 2 existing names!

This also gives names more syllables, and longer names are favoured for sounding grander and more elegant. Examples include:

Emmalina: Emma + Lina
Jayniella: Jane, Janie, Ella
Lucianna: Lucy + Anna
Viviana: Vivian + Anna

24. Single-syllable names

While there are parents who strive for longer baby names, there are also some who want the shortest single-syllable names possible. This yields a bunch of advantages, from being easier to remember and pronounce to spending less time filling their name up in forms.

Liv, Rae, Skye, Dawn, and Lynn are examples of names that are short yet pretty and graceful.

Other examples which have been popularised by mainstream media are:

Shae or Shay: influenced by Shay Mitchell of Pretty Little Liars fame
Quinn: cheerleader in the highschool TV series, Glee
Maeve: lead character of the Netflix series, Sex Education

25. Locations including continents, countries & cities

Image credit: Anywhr

If you binged Money Heist, you’d probably find location-based aliases the likes of Tokyo, Rio, Denver, and Nairobi pretty darn cool. Even before the hit series was introduced, names spun from continents, countries and cities have been favoured – especially if it brings about a sentimental meaning. The place in which you conceived your child, perhaps?

Popular examples are Arizona, Adelaide, Chicago – Kim Kardashian’s baby whom she affectionately calls Chi, Paris, Saharah, Savannah, Sydney, Valencia, and Verona.

Trending female names in Singapore to consider for your baby

We hope this list gives you some insight on the female names in Singapore that are booming in popularity, and the ones that have stood the test of time to remain classic and favoured across generations.

Sifting through endless options to decide on that one name for your precious baby girl may be a big decision to make, but it’s no doubt an exciting journey which leads to the greatest moment of all time: the birth of your child.

Congratulations and happy name-picking!

Check out our other parenting guides:

Cover image adapted from: Kidstream, @iamfeliciachin via Instagram, Cheat Sheet
Article originally published on 9th Jan 2021. Last updated on 15th June 2023.