Many parents are looking for baby names that are not too popular but not too unusual, not too trendy but also not too weird.
In search of names that strike this golden mean, we looked through the middle of the U.S. popularity lists, from Number 400 through 700 for both girls and boys.
What we found there was a trove of great names that are neither too hot nor too cold.
Here, our picks of the best names from the middle of the pack, with their 2012 standing included.
girls
[column1]
Helen — 402
Rosalie – 406
Cynthia — 419
Daphne — 420
Cassandra – 423
Holly — 424
Carolina – 430
June — 435
Camilla – 437
Lana — 442
Serena – 443
Sasha — 451
Bridget – 453
Rowan — 455
Celeste – 470
Sloane — 480
Francesca – 486
Ada – 487
Priscilla — 489
Vera – 500
Dylan — 512
Dahlia – 521
Gloria — 522
[/column1]
[column2]
Sylvia — 526
Selah – 534
Zara – 556
Eve – 558
Helena – 560
Samara – 570
Virginia – 579
Claudia – 596
Rosemary – 603
Rosa — 614
Brenna – 623
Nova — 625
Raquel — 626
Dana – 627
Clarissa – 632
Greta – 643
Marina – 644
Felicity – 653
Simone – 656
Matilda – 658
Colette – 659
Meredith – 668
Beatrice – 691
Cara – 695
[/column2]
boys
[column1]
Albert – 401
Darius – 403
Archer – 404
Philip – 409
Walker – 411
Saul – 414
Rocco – 415
Davis – 416
Enzo – 417
Russell – 426
Porter – 430
Hugo – 436
Solomon – 441
Curtis – 442
Alec – 448
Lawrence – 443
Ronan – 456
Mitchell – 463
Malcolm – 466
Cyrus – 471
Jonas – 474
Rhys – 476
Dane — 477
Pierce – 479
Rory — 481
Sullivan – 490
Rhett – 508
[/column1]
[column2]
Tobias – 516
Justice – 519
Nash – 521
Nico – 525
Lawson – 531
Frederick – 536
Byron – 540
Moses – 546
Cullen – 551
Clark – 554
Kieran – 556
Jagger – 557
Dorian 558
Asa – 562
Lucian – 586
Morgan – 587
Brett – 598
Wilson – 599
Jefferson – 615
Winston – 616
Bowen – 619
Soren – 622
Raphael – 626
Rex – 627
Quincy – 633
Deacon – 679
Flynn – 692
[/column2]
We’ve made it easier to scroll through the popularity lists yourself. For the full U.S. Top 1000, go here.