According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular baby names haven’t changed much from the past few years, with old-fashioned and biblical being common themes.
Emma is still the top baby name for girls. That’s the third year in a row. (And it’s placed in the top 5 since 2002.) Next come Olivia, Ava, Sophia, Isabella, and Mia. All very old-school European and feminine with that final “a.”
The next four of the top 10, Charlotte (inspired by the young English princess, no doubt), Abigail, and Emily are also old-fashioned and feminine. Harper at number 10 is the only modern or androgynous name.
For boys, Noah tops the list, where it has stood for the past four years. The dignified Liam and William [Irish and English versions of the same name] follow — they’ve ranked in the top 5 for the past five years plus. Like Charlotte, William‘s popularity may also have been influenced by the English royal family’s increased visibility since the wedding.
As with the girls, the majority of the top names for boys are old-fashioned, but unlike the Latin- and Greek-derived feminine names, the boys are largely biblical: Noah, James, Benjamin, Jacob, Michael, Elijah, and Ethan. Mason (number 4) is the only top 10 not found in the good book. Like Harper, it is a given name taken from an occupation-based surname.
See the full list, searchable by name, year, and change in popularity, at SSA.gov.
