The 100 best movies, restaurants, novels, jobs, apps – the world is full of lists cataloging the premiere picks of all kinds of things. So why not, we thought, baby names?

　　The question we asked ourselves: If an expectant parent today were limited to only 100 choices from which to name their child, what should those names be? Which names offer the best balance of appeal and distinctiveness, of authenticity and creativity, at this moment in time? Which names sound both adorable for a 2016 baby and seem most likely to serve her or him well into the 22nd century?

　　Are there other wonderful baby names out there? Of course, thousands of them. But if we can only have 100, these are our picks for the very best, and why they made the cut:

　　Abel – Biblical boy name with a capable sound

　　Adelina – The next Isabella

　　Agnes – Vintage A name set for a major comeback

　　Alice – Storybook heroine back in the Top 100

　　Amias – Undiscovered masculine name whose meaning we love

　　Apollo – A Greek god at home in the modern world

　　Arden – Shakespeare’s forest makes this a literary nature name

　　Arlo – Upbeat Arlo is a folk singer – and an animated dinosaur

　　Athena – As smart as Sophia and a lot more surprising

　　Atlas – Mythological name that holds its own

　　August – The Oscar of 2016

　　Aurora – Ancient name seeing a new dawn

　　Beckett – Literary name and Hollywood favorite

　　Benedict – Ben name glamourized by leading man Cumberbatch

　　Blaise – Saint’s name with a fiery image

　　Bodhi – Surprising spiritual name entering the mainstream

　　Brooks – Brooke is fading for girls, but Brooks is white-hot for boys

　　Cait and Cate – New ways to spin classic Kate, inspired by Jenner and Blanchett

　　Cassian – Roman rarity poised for 21st century discovery

　　Charlie – Modern parents increasingly prefer Charlie to Charles

　　Charlotte – A Nameberry favorite turned royal baby name

　　Clementine – Edible appellation back in the US Top 1000

　　Cora – The Downton Abbey name most likely to succeed

　　Cordelia – Lear’s loyal daughter, and a recent returnee to the US Top 1000

　　Crosby – Irish surname name that’s part-crooner, part-NHL

　　Cy and Si – Claire Danes picked Cyrus, the Timberlakes Silas, and Zoe Saldana simply Cy

　　Declan – Ryan and Liam’s little brother, coming into his own

　　Delilah – Biblical bad girl rehabilitated

　　Delta – Southern belle baby name chosen by Dax Shepherd and Kristen Bell

　　Dinah – Undiscovered Biblical girls’ name

　　Dorothea – Distinctive classic rich with great nicknames

　　Edith – 2016’s Abigail, and Cate Blanchett’s youngest

　　Eloise – Childhood literary heroine ready for the real world

　　Elsie – Rising nickname-name chosen by Zooey Deschanel

　　Emmeline – Alternative to popular Emma and Emily, and Meryl Streep’s Suffragette character

　　Emmett – An Em name for a boy, boosted by Twilight and The LEGO Movie

　　Everest – Nature name with a hint of danger, featured on the big screen last year

　　Ezra – As Biblical as Noah, plus with the zippy ‘z’

　　Fable – Modern spin on Mabel just right for a writer’s child

　　Fay or Faye – A more inventive – and vintage – middle than May or Ray

　　Flannery – As literary as Harper, but far more distinctive

　　Flora – Halfway between Nora and Daisy, yet all the way more unusual

　　Flynn – Dashing Flynn, part-Tangled, part-Finn.

　　Ford – The chicest of the car names

　　Fox – An animal name as snappy as Max, as modern as Bear

　　Frances – A classic that’s thrown off its dowdy image to feel fresh and wearable

　　Freya – A Norse goddess name long popular in the UK, and newly discovered in the US

　　Grey – Color name possibility for boys, rising thanks to – or despite – Fifty Shades

　　Hank – Casual Jack-like name chosen by Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker

　　Harold – Former grandpa name now following Henry into wider use

　　Harvey – A name that’s been out for so long in the U.S. that it’s suddenly very in

　　Hawk – Fierce nature name worn by Jeremy Renner in The Avengers

　　Hazel – Once an out-there starbaby choice, now a vintage favorite

　　Holiday – Cooler than Holly or Noel, more approachable than Christmas or Easter

　　Huck – This year’s Finn or Sawyer

　　Imogen – UK – and Nameberry — favorite slowly catching on in the US

　　Inigo – Rare saint’s name that deserves wider use

　　James – The most enduring of boys’ names, now also a possibility for a daughter

　　Jane – Quirky television series Jane the Virgin makes classic Jane a cultural-crossing possibility

　　John – Top name for CEOs appropriate for an upwardly-mobile child

　　Juniper – Jennifer’s daughter, and an energetic nature name on the rise

　　Justus – Ancient Roman name meets modern word name

　　Leilani – A Hawaiian name feeling more at home on the mainland

　　Leonora – Leonine girls’ name that’s familiar yet rare

　　Linus – Finally out from under the blanket

　　Louisa – Lovely, literary, and back in the Top 1000

　　Luca – Handsome, Italian spin on Lucas and Luke

　　Lucia – A favorite with parents looking to bridge cultures

　　Luna – Spacey Harry Potter name that has stuck

　　Maeve – Authentically Irish, without the spelling and pronunciation challenges of some imports

　　Magnolia – The hottest new-old floral name

　　Maisie – Sweetly vintage nickname name

　　Malala – Nobel Peace Prize-winner that deserves wider use

　　Margot or Margo – Sophisticated o-ending spin on classic Margaret

　　Marigold – A golden-hued Downton Abbey-inspired option

　　Marlowe – Harper, Harlow, and now Marlowe are last names succeeding in first place for girls

　　Matilda – Roald Dahl’s girl power heroine for a new generation

　　Nathaniel – Biblical favorite that never feels overused

　　Nova – New – literally! – and celestial

　　Ocean – Water-inspired nature names are hot, from River to Ocean

　　Olive – Starbaby favorite with ties to the natural world and a peaceful image

　　Ophelia – Once-tragic Shakespearean name, now an alternative to Olivia

　　Orson – An ends-with-son name that isn’t overused

　　Paris – The City of Lights shines on, classic for boys or modern for girls

　　Poe – Poetic surname name boosted by new Star Wars hero

　　Poppy – Flower power pick big in the UK, finally catching on in the US

　　Rafferty – Cool and confident surname name for boys

　　Robin – Back on the boys’ side

　　Romy – Former one-person name ready for wider use

　　Royal – A name that rules, with ties to the World Series champs

　　Rufus – Neglected boy name that feels fresh and fashionable

　　Saint – A celebrity baby name sure to find wider use

　　Saoirse – Irish import boosted by rising actress Saoirse Ronan

　　Sophia and Sofia – The name heard ‘round the world

　　Stellan – One of the best n-ending names for boys

　　Susannah – Classic spin on Susan currently given to fewer than 100 girls

　　Titan – Powerful mythological name now in the US Top 1000

　　Xanthe – Mythological but modern, with the X factor

　　Zephyr – Breezy nature name with stylish –r ending

　　If you’ve been counting, you know that’s only 99.  We thought we’d open up the choice of the 100th best baby name right now up to you.  Suggestions?

　　— Abby Sandel, Pamela Satran, and Linda Rosenkrantz