Hallie

Hallie walks in with the easy confidence of a Main Street morning. Originally a nickname for Harriet or Henrietta, feminine forms of Henry, it has also been read as a variant of the Hebrew-rooted Hallel meaning praise, and in recent decades it has stepped out on its own. Disney's The Parent Trap gave it a spike of recognition, and it now sits at 148 on the American girls chart. Two syllables bundled into a bright swing, HAL-ee, the open A and the long E ending on a lift. Friendly, wholesome, a little bit retro in the loveliest way. A name that laughs easily and means it.