Australian Top 100 Girl Names for 2016

There's been a lot of excitement recently about the release of the top names in America for 2016. But a couple of weeks before that the top 100 Australian names for 2016 were also revealed.  While our Aussie top 10 names closely resembles the U.S. top 10, the rest of the top 100 tends to have its' own Australian flair. Here are the girl names, with a post on the boy names to follow soon.

	Position	Name	Change		Position	Name	Change
	1	Charlotte	(-)		51	Maya	(+1)
	2	Olivia	(-)		52	Poppy	(+11)
	3	Mia	(+2)		53	Phoebe	(+2)
	4	Ava	(-)		54	Penelope	(+8)
	5	Amelia	(-2)		55	Frankie	(+13)
	6	Isla	(+8)		56	Sarah	(-6)
	7	Sophia/Sofia	(-1)		57	Eleanor	(+14)
	8	Chloe	(-1)		58	Hazel	(+25)
	9	Grace	(+1)		59	Summer	(-14)
	10	Emily	(-2)		60	Emilia	(+30)
	11	Evie	(+5)		61	Chelsea	(+3)
	12	Sophie	(-3)		62	Addison	(-2)
	13	Lily/Lilly	(-2)		63	Anna	(-5)
	14	Ella	(-2)		64	Harriet	(+11)
	15	Isabella	(-)		65	Claire	(+1)
	16	Zoe	(+1)		66	Indiana	(-10)
	17	Ruby	(-4)		67	Billie	(+15)
	18	Harper	(+1)		68	Eloise	(+5)
	19	Evelyn	(+5)		69	Ayla	(+1)
	20	Ivy	(-)		70	Bella	(+7)
	21	Matilda	(-3)		71	Paige	(-10)
	22	Scarlett	(-1)		72	Lola	(-13)
	23	Lucy	(+3)		73	Elsie	(+1)
	24	Sienna	(-1)		74	Eliza	(+6)
	25	Isabelle/Isabel	(-)		75	Jessica	(-21)
	26	Maddison/Madison	(-4)		76	Rose	(-)
	27	Willow	(+3)		77	Aurora	(+1)
	28	Georgia	(-)		78	Eden	(-9)
	29	Aria	(+5)		79	Daisy	(+9)
	30	Emma	(-3)		80	Ariana	(-13)
	31	Zara	(-)		81	Olive	(+8)
	32	Hannah	(-3)		82	Bonnie	new!
	33	Eva	(-1)		83	Alyssa	(-18)
	34	Mila/Milla	(+2)		84	Hayley	(+10)
	35	Layla	(-)		85	Thea	new!
	36	Abigail	(-3)		86	Victoria	(-5)
	37	Audrey	(+3)		87	Holly	(-30)
	38	Violet	(+1)		88	Aaliyah	(+5)
	39	Alice	(-2)		89	Charlie	(-17)
	40	Piper	(+9)		90	Quinn	new!
	41	Savannah	(+6)		91	Molly	(-12)
	42	Ellie	(+1)		92	Heidi	(-)
	43	Annabelle	(-2)		93	Eve	(-6)
	44	Stella	(+4)		94	Aisha	(-3)
	45	Imogen	(-7)		95	Lara	(-10)
	46	Jasmine	(-4)		96	Peyton	(-1)
	47	Mackenzie	(-1)		97	Florence	new!
	48	Madeleine/Madeline	(+5)		98	Alexandra	(-14)
	49	Elizabeth	(+2)		99	Brooklyn	new!
	50	Alexis	(-6)		100	Sadie	(-1)

New Entrants to the Top 100

Bonnie, Thea, Quinn, Florence and Brooklyn

Fastest Rising Names

Emilia, Hazel, Bonnie, Thea, Billie, Eleanor, Frankie, Harriet, Poppy and Quinn

Fastest Falling Names

Holly, Jessica, Alyssa, Charlie, Lillian, Summer, Alexandra, Lola, Ariana and Molly

Gone from the Top 100

Lillian, Leah, Gabriella, Maryam and Maggie

Townsend

Photo Courtesy of Natalie Harris Photography

I sometimes feel like I could write a book on great preppy surname names, especially for boys. There’s just something I find so attractive about them. Todays name is no different – heard on a young contestant on a kid’s cooking show J

Townsend is a pretty straightforward name, meaning – and you probably guessed this – 'from the end of the town'. It’s much more popular as a last name, but quite rare as a given name. It sits well outside the US top 1,000, given to just 18 boys in 2015.

Whereas I often like preppy surname names because they feel somewhat polished, I find that the main appeal for me in Townsend is that it feels a little less upper crust. I can picture a sheepish little Townsend coming home dirty at the end of a day spent in rough and tumble play with his friends, almost like a slightly more reserved version of Tom Sawyer. Maybe it’s because the “town” is at the start of the name, rather than at the end like so many other surnames that end in “ton”.

Besides the romantic vision in my head, there are plenty of places to find Townsend inspiration. Perhaps it is a name that runs in the family, or perhaps you grew up in one of the many places named Townsend. Or maybe you are inspired by the achievements of one of the many people with the surname Townsend.   

If you like the feel of a preppy surname but sometimes find them a little too stiff and stuffy – or overused and clichéd – then Townsend is a stylish option. 

Ocea

I've been a regular lurker on the Baby Centre Australia forums since I was pregnant. Of course one of my favourite groups on their site is baby names because it can be a great source of inspiration. When I recently saw this little name being considered I was intrigued. I had never seen it before, and it seemed the reaction to it online was mainly positive (Plus I seem to have an interest in finding great girl's names starting with "O" that aren't super popular Olivia. Don't get me wrong, I love Olivia - it's my own middle name. I just like people to know there are other options). Barely a week later I saw another person mention it, so I mentally filed it away as a likely blog post for later.

And then on Christmas Day my sister gave birth to her second child - a daughter - and lo and behold, they name her Ocea!

Ocea feels like a fantastic fit for their family. We already knew that my sister and her husband were adventurous namers when they named their first daughter Jett, a name usually seen on boys. They live in Queensland and are both surfers, so the water inspired Ocea is a lovely nod to their shared love of the beach. I kind of feel like the sibset of sisters named Jett and Ocea are quite reminiscent of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Livelys' daughters James and Ines. But that's getting a little off topic.

If you're a little confused about how to pronounce this rarity you are not alone. My first instinct was that it is Oh-SEE-ah, but it's actually Oh-Shah, like Ocean but without the N. Which makes sense when you consider that as a name it is thought to be derived from Oceana, a Greek name meaning Ocean or Oceanus, another Greek name meaning 'god of the sea'. In light of this it probably comes as no surprise that the name Ocea means 'Ocean'.

Ocea may seem a little incomplete to some people, but it definitely has its' charms. For one, if you want an uncommon name Ocea fits the bill perfectly. It doesn't appear to be popular in any part of the world. Ocea could be an alternative to those also interested in Asha, but concerned about the popularity of sound-alike boys name Asher. Or concerned about the popularity of Asha itself, or just the proliferation of Ash names in general.

For those worried that their rare name is merely a modern invention, Ocea continues to delight. Although rare she has been in use for a long time - she just managed to crack the US charts (was given to at least 5 girls) in 1895, and again in 1911, 1918 and 1921. So there is history there.

I also personally love the vibe you get from Ocea. It's pretty looking and has a laid back peaceful feel that you often get when you think of the ocean and the beach. The sound of it even brings to mind the rhythm of the waves lapping gently at the shore. She's a good choice for the water lover, surfer, or even just the nature name fan. And she doesn't seem too "girlish" - it's easy to imagine a stylish older woman wearing the name Ocea just as easily as a sweet little girl or precocious teenager.

And as I said, it feels like a great fit for my new little niece, who I'm sure will make it her own in no time. Welcome to the world little Ocea!