Social Security Data Reveals Liam and Olivia Still Dominate U.S. Baby Names
According to the annual rankings from the Social Security Administration, the most favored baby names in the U.S. are Liam and Olivia. Since 2017, Liam has held the title of the most popular boys' name, taking over from Noah, who was the leading name from 2013 to 2016 and now ranks second. Olivia has been the top choice for girls since 2019, surpassing Emma, who remains consistently popular. Liam, derived from Uilliam, is often used without a longer version, like Jack, Max, and Theo. The name Olivia, meaning olive in Latin, is among several names that end with an open "a" sound. Notably, Charlotte entered the top five following Princess Charlotte's birth in May 2015. Trends show a rise in nature-inspired names, vintage revivals, short boys' names, and unisex options.
Key facts
- Liam has been the most popular boys' name in the U.S. since 2017, when it displaced Noah at number one.
- Olivia has led the Social Security Administration's girls' list since 2019, when it passed Emma.
- The SSA builds its annual rankings from the first name on every Social Security card application filed for a child born in the U.S. that year.
- Noah held the number one boys' spot from 2013 through 2016 before Liam took over.
- Luna reached the top 10 for girls, part of a growing category of nature-derived names.
- Levi now sits inside the top 20 on the boys' list, a level it never reached in the 20th century.
- Charlotte had already reached the top 10 before Princess Charlotte was born in May 2015.
- Henry holds a place in or near the top 10 for boys, and Theodore has made one of the steepest climbs of the past 15 years.
Entities
Artists
- William Shakespeare
- Jane Austen
- Charles Dickens
- Charlotte Brontë
- E.B. White
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Levi Strauss
- Queen Charlotte
- King George III
- Fionn mac Cumhaill
- Jacob
Institutions
- Social Security Administration
- Quartz
Locations
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- Ireland
- England
- Wales
- New Zealand
- France
- Spain
- Germany
- Sweden
- Charlotte
- North Carolina
Sources
- Quartz —