Parents-to-be spend months searching for the perfect baby name.
And a new report could help with the task by giving them insight into what names are most popular in their state.
Data collected by the Social Security Administration (SSA) found that Olivia was the most popular girl name in the US, after it topped the charts in 18 states including Alabama, California and Idaho.
Liam came out on top as the most popular boy name, ranking first in 22 states including Colorado, Georgia and New Jersey.
This marks the fifth consecutive year that Olivia and Liam have reigned as the most popular baby names in the US.
However, popular media has also clearly started to influence name choice, according to the report.
Olivia and Liam were the most popular baby names in the US for 2023, marking the fifth consecutive year that these names have been on top
The fastest rising girl’s name, Kaeli, went viral in 2023, rising a whopping 1,692 spots. Presumably, this follows the similar rise of YouTube and TikTok star Kaeli McEwen, also known as Kaeli Mae.
For boys, Eiden was the third fastest rising name. This may have something to do with TikTok creator Wyatt Eiden’s 1.6 billion views and over 3 million followers, the report states.
The fastest rising girl names also included Alitzel, Emryn, Adhara, and Azari. Izael, Eiden, Cassian, and Kyren were among the fastest rising boys’ names.
But their popularity varied state by state.
The SSA began compiling the baby names list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880, and now releases a list of the top 1,000 most popular baby names in May each year.
Olivia topped 18 states’ lists in 2023, ranking most popular for girls especially on the West Coast and in the Southeast.
But this was down from the previous year, when Olivia ranked first in a whopping 30 states.
Although Olivia reigned supreme as the nation’s top girl name, it was Charlotte that swept the country.
This baby girl name came out on top in 21 states, up from 12 in 2022.
This suggested that it may have increased its rank again in 2024 – and perhaps even dethrone Olivia for the first time in years.
Isla was the only new girl name added to the map this year, ranking most popular in Hawaii. This is a fitting choice for baby girls born in this state, as ‘Isla’ means ‘island.’
Some once-popular girl names fell off the map this year.
Harper, Aurora and Sophia didn’t rank most popular in any state in 2023, despite being on the map in 2022. That year, Aurora ranked first in Alaska, Harper in Kentucky, and Sophia in Delaware and New Mexico.
And the previous most popular girl name in the US – Emma – has almost been wiped off the map.
This name held the top spot in 2008 and then again from 2015 to 2018. But in 2023, it only ranked first in Texas and New York.
Meanwhile, some girl names appear to be graining traction in more states this year.
Although Olivia reigned supreme as the nation’s top girl name, it was Charlotte that swept the country
Ava and Amelia ranked most popular in more states than they did in 2022.
Ava came out on top in South Dakota and Mississippi, and Amelia reigned in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Vermont, and West Virginia.
As for baby boys, Liam was most popular in 22 states, dominating the Midwest and Southeast in 2023.
This is a slight increase from the previous year when the name ranked first in only 20 states, and reflects Liam’s national rise as it increased in use by about 1.7 percent throughout the US last year.
Oliver ranked first in the second-most number of states – 13 – down from 16 in 2022. This name was particularly popular across the northern US, but ranked third nationally.
Noah held the number two spot, but ranked most popular in only nine states – though that list includes some particularly populous ones such as California, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
That said, Oliver’s widespread prevalence suggests it could slide into second place in 2024.
There were some new boy names that joined the map this year. John rejoined after a hiatus, ranking most popular in Mississippi – where it is often used as the front half of a hyphenated first name.
For baby boys, Liam was most popular in 22 states, dominating the Midwest and Southeast in 2023
And Elijah was added to the map for the very first time, raking first in Hawaii.
Mateo was the only new name added to the Top 10 lists in 2023, ranking sixth among the most popular names for boys in the US.
The SSA will release their report for the most popular baby names of 2024 in May 2025.
