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2000s Baby Names

83 2000s names with meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.

2000s baby names are the names that rose to popularity in the United States roughly between 2000 and 2009 — a decade defined by inventive spellings, blended sounds, and a strong pull toward individuality. Parents of that era wanted names that felt familiar yet distinctly their own, which is why so many 2000s favorites are variations on classic sounds rather than the classics themselves.

What makes a name feel “2000s”?

The decade’s signature move was creative respelling — taking a well-loved name and giving it a fresh look, as with Mckenzy and Mekenzie, or Kassidee and Cadee. Endings like -ayla, -ayden and -leigh multiplied into dozens of variants during these years.

2000s girl names

Girl names of the decade leaned soft and phonetic, from Hayli and Catelyn to Briannah and Destyni. Pop culture left its mark too — Beyonce is a clear product of the era’s celebrity-inspired naming.

2000s boy names

Boy names followed the same instinct for a fresh spin, with Aadyn, Trayton and Domanic all putting a modern stamp on familiar sounds.

Every name below links to its own page with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, famous bearers, and a clear audio pronunciation — so you can hear it before you choose.

2000s Girl Names

Bethzy#8976 in the U.S.Bethzy is a modern Latin-American girl's name usually understood as a short, stylized form in t▶Arriana#9048 in the U.S.Arriana is a double-r respelling of Ariana, the Italianate form of Greek Ariadne, 'most holy' (▶Brissia#9680 in the U.S.Brissia is a modern Latin-American girl's name usually understood as a short form in the Brisei▶Jadin#9847 in the U.S.Jadin is a spelling of Jaden or Jayden, a modern name that surged in the 1990s and 2000s. It is▶Mikalah#9955 in the U.S.Mikalah is an -ah spelling of Michaela, the feminine of Michael, from Hebrew mikha'el, 'who is ▶Shakayla#10959 in the U.S.Shakayla is a coined name that fuses the popular Sha- prefix with Kayla. It reads as a made, me▶Halynn#11019 in the U.S.Halynn is a contemporary American blend, pairing a Hay- or Ha- opening with the very popular -l▶Shyanna#11040 in the U.S.Shyanna reshapes Cheyenne — the name of the Great Plains nation, from a Dakota word for the peo▶Lashanti#11532 in the U.S.Lashanti is a modern American coinage built from the popular La- prefix and a -shanti ending. T▶Hayle#11556 in the U.S.Hayle is a trimmed spelling of Hailey or Haley, from the Old English hēg + lēah, 'hay meadow or▶Kassidee#11704 in the U.S.Kassidee is a K-spelled, -ee-ended form of Cassidy, from the Irish surname Ó Caiside, 'descenda▶Cadee#12379 in the U.S.Cadee is a respelling of Cady (an English surname, itself a form of Cade) and a short form of C▶Denasia#12454 in the U.S.Denasia is a coined American name that joins the De- prefix to the fashionable -asia ending see▶Hayli#12609 in the U.S.Hayli is a streamlined -i respelling of Hayley, an English surname and place name from Old Engl▶Jossalyn#12741 in the U.S.Jossalyn is a respelling of Jocelyn, a name that came to English through Old French from a Germ▶Jamyia#12778 in the U.S.Jamyia is a coined American name built on the -maya and -miya sound of Amaya and Jamaya, opened▶Laisa#12855 in the U.S.Laisa is a variant of Lisa (and the Latin American Laísa), a short form of Elizabeth. Elizabeth▶Heavin#13592 in the U.S.Heavin is a respelling of Heaven, an English word used as a girl's name. Heaven comes from the ▶Asusena#13673 in the U.S.Asusena is a phonetic s-spelling of the Spanish Azucena, the name of the white Madonna lily. Th▶Trenyce#13733 in the U.S.Trenyce is a modern coinage with a -nyce/-nice ending that echoes Denise and Janice; it has no ▶Dontasia#13755 in the U.S.Dontasia is a modern American coinage, joining a Don- opening with Tasia, a short form of Anast▶Beyonce#13861 in the U.S.Beyonce comes from Beyoncé, taken from the Creole family surname Beyincé — the maiden name of t▶Shamyra#13885 in the U.S.Shamyra is an African-American coined name joining the popular Sha- prefix with a -myra element▶Mykeria#14124 in the U.S.Mykeria is an invented name of the 1990s and 2000s, built for sound rather than from a single r▶Keionna#14278 in the U.S.Keionna is an African-American coined name joining the Kei- prefix with a -onna ending, closely▶Khilee#14400 in the U.S.Khilee is a creative phonetic respelling of Kylie or Kiley; Kylie is often said to derive from ▶Keeli#14450 in the U.S.Keeli is a modern -i respelling of Keeley or Kelly, names from Irish surnames — Keeley from Ó C▶Natavia#14637 in the U.S.Natavia is an African-American coined name that reworks Octavia, the Latin name meaning 'eighth▶Mckenzy#14653 in the U.S.Mckenzy is an -y respelling of Mackenzie, from the Scottish surname Mac Coinnich, 'son of Coinn▶Mekenzie#14967 in the U.S.Mekenzie is a phonetic respelling of Mackenzie, a Scottish clan surname from Gaelic MacCoinnich▶Ajanee#15020 in the U.S.Ajanee is an invented name of the 1990s and 2000s, formed by pairing an A- opening with a -jane▶Yocelin#15164 in the U.S.Yocelin is a Spanish-influenced respelling of Jocelyn, which descends from a medieval Germanic ▶Abbigayle#15306 in the U.S.Abbigayle is a decorative respelling of Abigail, from the Hebrew Avigayil, 'my father is joy' o▶Adysen#15343 in the U.S.Adysen is a 2000s respelling of Addison, an English surname turned girls' name that means 'son ▶Dayanira#15445 in the U.S.Dayanira is the Spanish spelling of Deianira, in Greek myth the wife of Heracles. The Greek nam▶Keshanti#15492 in the U.S.Keshanti appears to be a coined American name pairing the popular Ke- naming prefix with an end▶Daeja#15656 in the U.S.Daeja is a respelling of Déjà, taken from French déjà, 'already,' familiar from the phrase déjà▶Catelyn#15692 in the U.S.Catelyn is a respelling of Caitlin or Katelyn, the Irish form of Katherine, which reached Engli▶Briannah#15703 in the U.S.Briannah is an -ah-extended spelling of Brianna, the feminine of the Irish Brian, usually read ▶Daziya#15887 in the U.S.Daziya is an invented name of the 2000s, built from the Da- prefix and a -ziya sound in the fam▶Destyni#15912 in the U.S.Destyni is a stylized spelling of Destiny, a word-and-virtue name from the Latin destinare, 'to▶Dannica#16110 in the U.S.Dannica is a doubled-n spelling of Danica, a Slavic name meaning 'morning star' — the planet Ve▶Rhiana#16121 in the U.S.Rhiana is a streamlined variant linked to the Welsh Rhiannon, from an old Celtic form Rigantona▶Iyona#16124 in the U.S.Iyona is an expanded spelling of Iona, the name of the small, historically Christian island off▶Hailley#16170 in the U.S.Hailley is an ornate spelling of Hailey, from the Old English hēg ('hay') and lēah ('wood, clea▶Syriana#16212 in the U.S.Syriana is a modern coinage whose flowing shape recalls Ariana and Siena. Its very short Americ▶Jakia#16223 in the U.S.Jakia is a coined American name built on the Ja- prefix with a -kia ending, close in sound to T▶Janyia#16243 in the U.S.Janyia is a modern American coinage built from the Ja- opening and a flowing -nyia/-niya ending▶Kadance#16275 in the U.S.Kadance is a K-spelled respelling of Cadence, the English word name from Latin cadentia, 'a fal▶Jaydi#16327 in the U.S.Jaydi is a modern American coinage, joining the popular Jay- opening with a bright -di ending, ▶Kearra#16371 in the U.S.Kearra is a modern respelling in the Kiara/Ciara family; Ciara is an Irish name from ciar, 'dar▶Kierstin#16440 in the U.S.Kierstin is a spelling of Kirsten, the Scandinavian form of Christine -- from Greek 'christiano▶Keaira#16454 in the U.S.Keaira is an elaborated spelling of Kiara or Ciara. Ciara is the Irish feminine of Ciar, 'dark,▶Kilee#16483 in the U.S.Kilee is a respelling of Kylie or Kiley. Kylie was popularized by Australian singer Kylie Minog▶Latavia#16563 in the U.S.Latavia is a coined American name pairing the La- prefix with the -tavia of Octavia (Latin, 'ei▶Lezly#16675 in the U.S.Lezly is a phonetic z-spelling of Leslie, a Scottish place name and surname, often explained as▶Lizzet#16698 in the U.S.Lizzet is a spelling of Lisette/Lizette, a French diminutive of Elizabeth. Elizabeth comes from▶Ashunti#16750 in the U.S.Ashunti is a phonetic respelling of Ashanti, the great Akan kingdom and people of central Ghana▶Millennium#17084 in the U.S.Millennium is the ordinary English word for a period of one thousand years, from the Latin mill▶Makalah#17202 in the U.S.Makalah is a phonetic respelling of Makayla, itself a modern form of Michaela, the feminine of ▶Kyllie#17268 in the U.S.Kyllie is a respelling of Kylie, an Australian name often linked to an Aboriginal word for a ty▶Tanyah#17495 in the U.S.Tanyah is an elaborated spelling of Tanya, the Russian pet form of Tatiana. Tatiana derives fro▶Yadhira#17641 in the U.S.Yadhira is a Latin-American girl's name, a spelling of Yadira whose ultimate origin is debated ▶Timya#17745 in the U.S.Timya is a spelling of Timia, an African-American coined name built from a Ti- opening and the ▶Jahnaya#17918 in the U.S.Jahnaya is an invented name of the 2000s, formed by pairing the fashionable Jah- opening with a▶Kaytlen#18210 in the U.S.Kaytlen is a modern respelling of Caitlin, the Irish form of Catherine. Catherine traces to Gre▶Naidelin#18453 in the U.S.Naidelin is a modern name popular in Hispanic American communities, most plausibly a coinage bl▶

2000s Boy Names

Dahntay#4308 in the U.S.Dahntay is a phonetic respelling of Dante, a shortened form of the Italian Durante, from the La▶Kentravion#6992 in the U.S.Kentravion is a modern American coinage combining the Ken- prefix, common in many built-up name▶Aadyn#7287 in the U.S.Aadyn is a contemporary respelling of Aiden, which comes from the Irish Aodhan, a diminutive of▶Ladainian#7927 in the U.S.Ladainian is a modern American coinage built from the La- prefix and a flowing -dainian ending;▶Breylon#9887 in the U.S.Breylon is a spelling of Braylon, a modern American coined name built from a Bray- opening and ▶Dequavion#9892 in the U.S.Dequavion is a modern American coinage, built from the popular De- prefix and a Quavion element▶Cauy#10026 in the U.S.Cauy is a modern American respelling that sounds like 'KY,' a rural and Western reworking in th▶Logun#10323 in the U.S.Logun is a phonetic spelling of Logan, a Scottish surname and place name from the Gaelic lag, '▶Tavien#10620 in the U.S.Tavien is an African-American coined name related to Davion and to the -tavian sound of Octavia▶Treyvin#10638 in the U.S.Treyvin is a modern American coinage, joining Trey, a name and word for 'three,' with a -vin en▶Braidan#12534 in the U.S.Braidan is a variant spelling of Braden or Brayden, an anglicized form of the Irish surname O B▶Domanic#12835 in the U.S.Domanic is a spelling variant of Dominic, from the Latin Dominicus, 'belonging to the Lord' or ▶Jemarion#12998 in the U.S.Jemarion is a modern American blend, joining the popular Je- prefix with Marion. Marion began a▶Keyshon#13134 in the U.S.Keyshon is an African-American coined name joining the Key- prefix with Shon, a spelling of the▶Keishaun#13354 in the U.S.Keishaun is an African-American coined name joining the Kei- prefix with Shaun, the phonetic sp▶Trayton#13999 in the U.S.Trayton is a modern American coinage that joins Trey or Tray — itself from a word for 'three,' ▶

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Frequently Asked

What are 2000s baby names?

2000s baby names are names that rose to popularity in the United States roughly between 2000 and 2009, a decade known for creative respellings of classic names and celebrity-inspired choices.

What’s the trend behind so many 2000s spellings?

Parents in the 2000s favored giving familiar names a fresh, individualized look, which produced many phonetic and blended variations of a single popular sound.

What are popular 2000s girl names?

Hayli, Catelyn, Briannah, Destyni and Beyonce are typical of the decade’s soft, phonetic style and celebrity influence.

What are popular 2000s boy names?

Aadyn, Trayton and Domanic reflect the decade’s taste for putting a modern spin on traditional-sounding names.

How many 2000s baby names are on More4Kids?

More4Kids lists 83 2000s baby names, each with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, and an audio pronunciation.