Every year the SSA releases the previous year's name data. Hidden in that data is information about momentum — which names are actively climbing right now, not which names are currently popular. A name at #192 that was at #241 last year is more interesting than a name that's been at #192 for a decade.
Here are the fastest-climbing names between 2023 and 2024, in SSA data.
Girls: Fastest Climbers 2023→2024
Celeste — up 77 spots (#275 → #198)
Celeste moved from #275 to #198 — the fastest rise of any name in the top 250 for girls. Celeste (Latin, "heavenly") fits the current celestial naming trend perfectly: it has the sky/cosmos meaning of Nova and Aurora, a softer sound, and three syllables that flow easily. The Spirited Away character Yubaba's Celeste-adjacent aesthetic and Celeste (the video game protagonist) have kept the name visible in different communities.
Daphne — up 49 spots (#241 → #192)
Daphne moved from #241 to #192. Bridgerton (Netflix, 2020–present) features Daphne Bridgerton as one of its main characters — and the show's continued popularity has been driving this name steadily upward. See mythological names for the full context.
Vivienne — up 51 spots (#235 → #184)
Vivienne — Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter (born 2008) had an early effect, but Vivienne has been a slow, steady climber rather than a one-moment spike. The vintage quality of the name (Vivienne Westwood; the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legend) gives it staying power.
Mabel — up 56 spots (#278 → #222)
Mabel — vintage revival name, climbing through the same wave as Hazel and Opal. Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls (2012–2016) is now old enough that children who watched it are becoming parents themselves. The name peaked in the 1890s and is in its first serious comeback.
Celine — up 73 spots (#300 → #227)
Celine — French form of Celine (from Selene/Céline); also the French pronunciation of the name Céline Dion has made familiar. Celine Dion's continued public presence (she came back from a long illness) has likely driven renewed interest in the name, though the name was already climbing independently through the French-name trend.
Francesca — up 60 spots (#374 → #314)
Francesca — Italian form of Frances. Francesca has been climbing since around 2020. It's the elaborate, Italian-feminine name that appeals to the same parents choosing Arabella, Valentina, and Seraphina.
Rosie — up 81 spots (#392 → #311)
Rosie — diminutive of Rose. Rosie has been climbing as parents choose the warm, informal version over the more formal Rose. It's British-informal in feel (the UK has used Rosie as a standalone name for decades), and now crossing to American mainstream use.
Sylvie — up 65 spots (#425 → #360)
Sylvie — French/Swiss form of Sylvia (Latin silva, forest). Sylvie is one of the fastest-rising French-feel names in US data. The Loki character Sylvie (Marvel, 2021) probably gave it a visibility boost, but the vintage and French-name trends were already pulling it up.
Hallie — up 46 spots (#194 → #148)
Hallie — English diminutive of Harriet or Halcyon. Hallie is inside the top 150 and still rising. It has a peppy, informal quality that places it alongside Sadie, Ellie, and Molly.
Boys: Fastest Climbers 2023→2024
Ares — up 119 spots (#414 → #295)
Ares moved from #414 to #295 in a single year — the biggest boys' jump in the top 300. Ares is the Greek god of war (the Roman equivalent is Mars). The name has been climbing since around 2015 and appears to be accelerating. It's shorter than Apollo (#414) and more distinctive than Ajax or Achilles — two syllables, strong consonants. The mythology wave is driving it.
Shepherd — up 93 spots (#404 → #311)
Shepherd is the occupational name that's making its move. Shepherd has a strong New Testament association (the Shepherd as a metaphor for Jesus) and an obvious occupational meaning. At three syllables with a clear short form (Shep), it has the same profile as Fletcher and Cooper — an Old English trade name that sounds contemporary. Still climbing fast.
Harvey — up 82 spots (#326 → #244)
Harvey is the British vintage revival name crossing the Atlantic. Harvey has been in the British top 10 for several years; American parents are catching up. It has the same warm, slightly informal quality as Archie and Monty — British nickname-names that feel friendly without being cutesy.
Callum — up 63 spots (#222 → #159)
Callum — Scottish Gaelic (from Columba, dove). Callum has been climbing in the US since around 2015. See Scottish names. It's now inside the top 160 for boys and still moving.
Colter — up 104 spots (#322 → #218)
Colter — English occupational surname (a colt-keeper) or a place name. Colter Wall (Canadian country/folk singer, born 1995) has introduced the name to a younger generation of music fans. It has a Western American quality — Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park is named for John Colter, early mountain man.
Baker — up 84 spots (#397 → #313)
Baker — occupational name for bread-making. Baker is following the path of other trade names (Cooper, Mason, Parker) but earlier in its rise. See occupational names.
Augustus — up 78 spots (#487 → #409)
Augustus — the first Roman Emperor's title-name (from augere, to increase). Augustus has the longest path into mainstream use of any name on this list — it was essentially unused in the US before 2010. The The Fault in Our Stars character Augustus Waters (2012) gave it a significant push; now it's inside the top 410 and still climbing.
Jett — up 46 spots (#207 → #161)
Jett — the gemstone; the speed; the rock quality. John Travolta named his son Jett in 1992 (Jett Travolta died in 2009). Brody Jenner's son is Jett. The name has the short, punchy quality of other one-syllable names climbing in this cycle: Fox, Nash, Beau.
Orion — up 48 spots (#373 → #325)
Orion — the hunter constellation. Orion has been climbing steadily with the broader mythology and celestial naming trend. See mythological names.
What the fast-risers tell us about 2024
The mythology wave is accelerating for boys. Ares moved up 119 spots in one year. Orion is up 48. Apollo is holding at #414. This is faster than any comparable movement in recent years for mythology names.
Vintage revival is still active for both sexes. Mabel, Rosie, Sylvie for girls; Harvey for boys — the vintage wave that brought back Hazel, Evelyn, and Archie is still producing new entrants.
Scottish and Celtic names continue crossing over. Callum up 63 spots, Shepherd up 93 (which has a Scottish/pastoral quality), Colter with its mountain-man Western feel. The Celtic naming tradition is having a sustained moment.
Bridgerton is real. Daphne up 49 is the clearest evidence, but the general appetite for Regency-era English names fits Bridgerton's aesthetic: Penelope, Anthony, Eloise, Colin, Benedict — all characters in the show, all names that are climbing.
Explore the names: Celeste · Daphne · Ares · Shepherd · Harvey · Callum
Data: SSA 2023 and 2024 US releases. Rank changes represent positions moved within the same-sex ranking.