🇺🇸 Most Popular Baby Names in the USA (2025)
The American list comes from the Social Security Administration, which compiles it from applications for Social Security cards and has published it back to 1880. To protect privacy, the SSA only releases names given to at least five children of the same sex in a year. The ranking shows the top 50 per sex for the whole country.
Data source: Social Security Administration (SSA) · Year: 2025 · 50 girl names, 50 boy names
Before you settle on a name, it helps to know what the register will accept. Baby naming rules in the United States: the legal basis, the deadline and what a registrar may refuse.
Names Used Only in the United States
The United States has 23 names in its 2025 ranking that appear in none of the other twelve countries on this site. Accents are ignored in that comparison, so Léo and Leo count as one name, but different spellings such as Sofia and Sophia count as two.
Girls: 12 names
AilanyCamilaLucyLaineyScarlettGiannaAveryMadisonNaomiRileyEloiseSadie
Boys: 11 names
MichaelJohnCooperAsherJosephMatthewLukeWyattBennettCarterAnthony
2024 to 2025: What Moved
Compared with 2024, in the girls' ranking, 42 of the 50 names changed position, 3 are new and 5 kept exactly the same place; in the boys' ranking, 38 of the 50 names changed position, 4 are new and 8 kept exactly the same place.
Girls
Biggest climbers: Valentina (#47 → #35, +12), Lucy (#34 → #24, +10), Eliana (#18 → #10, +8), Lainey (#38 → #30, +8), Isla (#35 → #28, +7)
Biggest drops: Luna (#13 → #27, -14), Gianna (#23 → #33, -10), Mila (#33 → #43, -10), Emily (#25 → #34, -9), Abigail (#32 → #41, -9)
New in the ranking: Ailany, Eloise, Sadie
Dropped out: Victoria, Stella, Delilah
Boys
Biggest climbers: Cooper (#50 → #27, +23), Elias (#25 → #13, +12), Luca (#23 → #14, +9), Gabriel (#43 → #37, +6), Hudson (#22 → #17, +5)
Biggest drops: Dylan (#28 → #41, -13), Maverick (#36 → #49, -13), Asher (#20 → #28, -8), Ezra (#13 → #20, -7), Miles (#37 → #44, -7)
New in the ranking: Bennett, Roman, Charles, Thiago
Dropped out: Logan, Aiden, Grayson, Caleb
Steady Through 2021–2025
Olivia tops the girls' ranking in the United States, and has done so 5 years running.
43 girls' names appear in every year from 2021–2025 without a gap. The 30 highest placed:
OliviaCharlotteEmmaAmeliaSophiaMiaIsabellaEvelynSofiaElianaAvaEleanorVioletAuroraHarperElizabethLilyCamilaNoraHazelPenelopeChloeLucyEllieAriaLunaIslaEllaZoeScarlett
Liam tops the boys' ranking in the United States, and has done so 5 years running.
43 boys' names appear in every year from 2021–2025 without a gap. The 30 highest placed:
LiamNoahOliverTheodoreHenryJamesElijahMateoWilliamLucasBenjaminLeviEliasLucaJackSebastianHudsonSamuelLeoEzraMichaelDanielJohnEthanJulianAsherJosephAlexanderOwenMatthew
Five Years at the Top
How today's ten most common names ranked in each year since 2021. A blank cell means the name was not in that year's list.
Girls
Eight of today's top ten girls' names were already in the top ten in 2021.
| Name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olivia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Charlotte | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Emma | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Amelia | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Sophia | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Mia | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Isabella | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Evelyn | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Sofia | 18 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Eliana | 47 | 42 | 34 | 18 | 10 |
Boys
Nine of today's top ten boys' names were already in the top ten in 2021.
| Name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liam | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Noah | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Oliver | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Theodore | 10 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| Henry | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| James | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Elijah | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Mateo | 15 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| William | 6 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Lucas | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
The United States Among the Thirteen Countries
Where the most common names of the United States stand in the other twelve countries on this site, each in its most recent year. Accents are ignored; different spellings count as different names.
Girls
Five of the top ten girls' names rank in at least six other countries.
| Name | Rank here | Other countries where it ranks | Highest elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivia | 1 | 11 | #1 in Canada |
| Charlotte | 2 | 4 | #2 in Canada |
| Emma | 3 | 10 | #1 in Austria |
| Amelia | 4 | 5 | #3 in England and Wales |
| Sophia | 5 | 6 | #1 in Germany |
| Mia | 6 | 10 | #3 in Switzerland |
| Isabella | 7 | 4 | #10 in England and Wales |
| Evelyn | 8 | 2 | #12 in England and Wales |
| Sofia | 9 | 11 | #1 in Switzerland |
| Eliana | 10 | 1 | #44 in Canada |
Boys
Four of the top ten boys' names rank in at least six other countries.
| Name | Rank here | Other countries where it ranks | Highest elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liam | 1 | 10 | #2 in Canada |
| Noah | 2 | 12 | #1 in Austria |
| Oliver | 3 | 9 | #5 in Norway |
| Theodore | 4 | 2 | #5 in Canada |
| Henry | 5 | 5 | #10 in Germany |
| James | 6 | 3 | #6 in Canada |
| Elijah | 7 | 2 | #23 in England and Wales |
| Mateo | 8 | 4 | #1 in Spain |
| William | 9 | 5 | #3 in Norway |
| Lucas | 10 | 8 | #6 in Spain |
Which countries name most alike
Of its 100 names, the United States shares the most with Canada (61), England and Wales (42) and Switzerland (32), and the fewest with Italy (17). Germany is left out of this comparison, because its list has only ten names per sex.
Where the Names of the United States Come From
The most frequent origin among the 100 names of 2025 is Hebrew, with 33. The largest change since 2021 is in English names: 18 then, 15 now. A name with two origins, such as Lucas with Greek and Latin, counts for both. More on the groups in the guide to name origins.
| Origin | Names in 2021 | Names in 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | 33 | 33 |
| Latin | 23 | 24 |
| English | 18 | 15 |
| Greek | 12 | 13 |
| Germanic | 10 | 12 |
| Italian | 4 | 4 |
| Irish | 4 | 3 |
| French | 3 | 3 |
| Spanish | 1 | 3 |
👧 Most Popular Girl Names in the United States (2025)
#1OliviaLatin
Meaning: Olive tree
Olivia is linked to the Latin oliva, olive. Shakespeare gave it to the countess in Twelfth Night, and the play made it familiar in English.
#2CharlotteGermanicFrench
Meaning: Free woman
Charlotte is the French feminine form of Charles, from the Germanic karl, meaning free man. Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, and the novelist Charlotte Brontë bore it.
#3EmmaGermanic
Meaning: Whole, universal
Emma began as a short form of Germanic names built on ermen or irmin, meaning whole or universal. Emma of Normandy was queen of England twice in the eleventh century, married first to Æthelred and then to Cnut.
#4AmeliaGermanic
Meaning: Work, industrious
Amelia blends the Germanic Amalia, from amal, meaning work, with the Latin Aemilia. Henry Fielding gave the name to the heroine of his 1751 novel Amelia.
#5SophiaGreek
Meaning: Wisdom
Sophia is the Greek word for wisdom. It was borne by early Christian saints and by Byzantine empresses.
#6MiaHebrewScandinavian
Meaning: Mine; wished-for child
Mia began as a short form of Maria in Scandinavian and German usage. In Italian and Spanish the same word means mine.
#7IsabellaHebrewItalian
Meaning: My God is an oath
#8EvelynHebrewFrench
Meaning: Wished-for child
#9SofiaGreek
Meaning: Wisdom
Sofia is the spelling of Sophia used in Italian, Spanish, the Scandinavian languages and the Slavic languages. It goes back to the Greek sophia, wisdom.
#10ElianaHebrew
Meaning: My God has answered
Eliana is read in Hebrew as joining el meaning God with a root meaning to answer. A separate Latin Aeliana, from the Roman family name Aelius, shares the spelling.
#11AvaGermanicHebrew
Meaning: Life, bird-like
#12EleanorGreekFrench
Meaning: Bright, shining
Eleanor comes from the Old French Aliénor, a name of uncertain origin. Eleanor of Aquitaine brought it to England in the twelfth century as the queen of Henry II.
#13VioletLatin
Meaning: Violet flower
#14Ailany
#15AuroraLatin
Meaning: Dawn
Aurora is the Latin word for dawn and the name of the Roman goddess of the dawn. In Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty the princess is called Aurora.
#16HarperEnglish
Meaning: Harp player
#17ElizabethHebrew
Meaning: My God is an oath
#18LilyLatin
Meaning: Lily flower
#19CamilaLatin
Meaning: Helper of the priest
#20NoraLatinIrish
Meaning: Honour
Nora began as a short form of Honora and Eleanor. Henrik Ibsen gave it to the heroine of his 1879 play A Doll's House.
#21HazelEnglish
Meaning: Hazelnut tree
Hazel is the English name of the hazel tree and was first used as a given name in the nineteenth century.
#22PenelopeGreek
Meaning: Weaver
Penelope is the wife of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, who waits twenty years for his return. The Greek name is often linked to pene, thread, and read as weaver.
#23ChloeGreek
Meaning: Blooming, verdant
#24LucyLatin
Meaning: Light
Lucy is the English form of Lucia, from the Latin lux meaning light. It has been in continuous English use since the Middle Ages.
#25EllieGreek
Meaning: Bright, shining
#26AriaItalian
Meaning: Air, song
#27LunaLatin
Meaning: Moon
Luna is the Latin word for moon and the name of the Roman goddess of the moon.
#28IslaScottish Gaelic
Meaning: From the river Isla
Isla is taken from the Scottish river Isla and the island of Islay. It became a common given name in Britain only in the last thirty years.
#29EllaGermanic
Meaning: All, completely
Ella was a Norman name of Germanic origin and is also used as a short form of Eleanor and Ellen.
#30LaineyGreek
Meaning: Torch, bright
Lainey is an English pet form of Elaine, which came through Old French from Helen, generally connected with the Greek word for torch.
#31ZoeGreek
Meaning: Life
#32ScarlettEnglish
Meaning: Scarlet, bright red
Scarlett comes from an English surname given to dyers or sellers of scarlet cloth. Scarlett O'Hara in Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind made it a first name.
#33GiannaHebrewItalian
Meaning: God is gracious
#34EmilyLatin
Meaning: Rival, industrious
#35ValentinaLatin
Meaning: Strong, healthy
Valentina is the feminine form of Valentinus, a Roman name formed from valens, meaning strong or healthy. Saint Valentine bore the masculine form.
#36LaylaArabic
Meaning: Night
#37AveryGermanic
Meaning: Elf ruler
#38GraceLatin
Meaning: Grace, God's favour
#39IvyEnglish
Meaning: Ivy
Ivy is the English plant name, from the Old English ifig. It joined the Victorian fashion for flower and plant names.
#40MadisonEnglish
Meaning: Son of Maud
Madison is an English surname meaning son of Maud. It became a girls' first name in the United States after the 1984 film Splash.
#41AbigailHebrew
Meaning: My father is joy
Abigail appears in the Books of Samuel as the wife of Nabal and later of David. The Hebrew joins av meaning father with a root meaning joy.
#42ElenaGreek
Meaning: Bright, shining
#43MilaSlavic
Meaning: Gracious, dear
Mila comes from the Slavic element mil, meaning gracious or dear, and began as a short form of names such as Ludmila and Milena.
#44WillowEnglish
Meaning: Willow tree
#45EmiliaLatin
Meaning: Rival, industrious
Emilia comes from Aemilia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Aemilius, which is usually linked to the Latin aemulus, meaning rival.
#46NovaLatin
Meaning: New
#47NaomiHebrew
Meaning: Pleasantness
Naomi is Ruth's mother-in-law in the Hebrew Bible. The root means pleasant, and in the story she asks to be called Mara, meaning bitter, after her losses.
#48RileyIrishEnglish
Meaning: Courageous; rye clearing
#49EloiseGermanic
Meaning: Disputed, healthy or famous in battle
Eloise is the English form of Héloïse, a medieval French name of Germanic origin. Its elements are disputed, and it is best known from the twelfth-century letters of Heloise and Abelard.
#50SadieHebrew
Meaning: Princess
Sadie began as an English pet form of Sarah, from the Hebrew sarah meaning princess.
👦 Most Popular Boy Names in the United States (2025)
#1LiamIrishGermanic
Meaning: Resolute protector
Liam began as the Irish short form of Uilliam, the Irish form of William, which comes from the Germanic wil, will, and helm, protection.
#2NoahHebrew
Meaning: Rest, comfort
Noah is the Hebrew Noach, meaning rest or comfort. In Genesis he builds the ark and survives the flood with his family.
#3OliverLatinNorse
Meaning: Olive tree
Oliver comes from Olivier, one of Charlemagne's paladins in the medieval Song of Roland. It is usually linked to the Latin oliva, olive, though a Germanic root has also been proposed.
#4TheodoreGreek
Meaning: Gift of God
Theodore comes from the Greek Theodoros, joining theos, god, with doron, gift. Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth president of the United States.
#5HenryGermanic
Meaning: Home ruler
Henry comes from the Germanic Heimirich, joining heim, home, with ric, ruler. Eight kings of England bore it.
#6JamesHebrew
Meaning: Supplanter
James is the English form of the Latin Iacomus, a variant of Iacobus, Jacob. It is the name of two apostles and of kings of Scotland and England.
#7ElijahHebrew
Meaning: My God is Yahweh
Elijah is the English form of the Hebrew Eliyahu, meaning my God is Yahweh. He is the prophet in the Books of Kings who is carried up to heaven in a chariot of fire.
#8MateoHebrewSpanish
Meaning: Gift of God
Mateo is the Spanish form of Matthew, from the Hebrew Mattityahu, meaning gift of God.
#9WilliamGermanic
Meaning: Resolute protector
William comes from the Germanic Willahelm, joining wil, will or desire, with helm, protection. William the Conqueror brought it to England in 1066.
#10LucasLatinGreek
Meaning: Bringer of light
Lucas is the Latin form of Loukas, Luke, the name of the author of the third gospel. The Greek name probably meant man from Lucania, though it is popularly linked to the Latin lux, light.
#11BenjaminHebrew
Meaning: Son of the right hand
Benjamin comes from the Hebrew Binyamin, meaning son of the right hand. In Genesis he is the youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob.
#12LeviHebrew
Meaning: Joined, attached
#13EliasHebrew
Meaning: My God is Yahweh
Elias is the Greek and Latin form of the Hebrew Eliyahu, Elijah, meaning my God is Yahweh. Elijah is the prophet of the Books of Kings who is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.
#14LucaLatinItalian
Meaning: Bringer of light
Luca is the Italian form of Luke, from the Greek Loukas, which is usually explained as man from Lucania and popularly linked to the Latin lux, light.
#15JackHebrewEnglish
Meaning: God is gracious
Jack began in medieval England as a pet form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning God is gracious, and has long been given as a name in its own right.
#16SebastianGreek
Meaning: From Sebastia; venerable
Sebastian comes from the Latin Sebastianus, a man from Sebaste, a town named from the Greek sebastos, venerable. Saint Sebastian was a Roman soldier martyred in the third century.
#17HudsonEnglish
Meaning: Son of Hudd
#18SamuelHebrew
Meaning: Name of God; God has heard
Samuel comes from the Hebrew Shemu'el, usually explained as name of God or God has heard. He is the prophet who anoints Saul and David in the Books of Samuel.
#19LeoLatin
Meaning: Lion
Leo is the Latin word for lion. Fourteen popes have taken it, from Leo the Great in the fifth century to Leo XIV, elected in 2025.
#20EzraHebrew
Meaning: Help
#21MichaelHebrew
Meaning: Who is like God?
#22DanielHebrew
Meaning: God is my judge
#23JohnHebrew
Meaning: God is gracious
#24EthanHebrew
Meaning: Firm, enduring
Ethan appears in the Hebrew Bible as a name for wise men, and the root means firm, solid or enduring. Its modern currency began in the United States.
#25JulianLatin
Meaning: Youthful
Julian comes from the Roman name Julianus, derived from Julius. The Roman emperor Julian and the English mystic Julian of Norwich bore it.
#26SantiagoSpanishHebrew
Meaning: Saint James
Santiago is a contraction of Sant Iago, meaning Saint James, the apostle whose shrine at Compostela drew medieval Europe across northern Spain.
#27CooperEnglish
Meaning: Barrel maker
Cooper is an English occupational surname for a maker of barrels and casks, from the Middle English couper. It moved into use as a first name in the United States.
#28AsherHebrew
Meaning: Happy, blessed
Asher is one of the twelve sons of Jacob in Genesis, and the Hebrew root means happy or fortunate. His mother names him with a word for good luck at his birth.
#29JosephHebrew
Meaning: He will add
Joseph is the son of Jacob sold into Egypt in Genesis, and in the New Testament the husband of Mary. The Hebrew yosef means he will add.
#30AlexanderGreek
Meaning: Defender of men
Alexander comes from the Greek Alexandros, joining alexein, to defend, with aner, man. Alexander the Great carried it from Macedonia across the ancient world.
#31OwenWelshLatin
Meaning: Young warrior; well-born
#32MatthewHebrew
Meaning: Gift of God
#33LukeLatin
Meaning: Bringer of light
#34ThomasAramaic
Meaning: Twin
#35DavidHebrew
Meaning: Beloved
David is a Hebrew name usually explained as beloved. In the Bible he is the second king of Israel, who defeats Goliath as a young man.
#36JacksonEnglish
Meaning: Son of Jack
#37GabrielHebrew
Meaning: God is my strength
Gabriel is a Hebrew name meaning God is my strength. In the Bible the archangel Gabriel announces the births of John the Baptist and of Jesus.
#38WyattEnglish
Meaning: Brave in battle
#39MasonEnglish
Meaning: Stone worker
#40BennettLatin
Meaning: Blessed
Bennett is the medieval English form of Benedict, from the Latin benedictus meaning blessed. It survived as a surname and returned to use as a first name in the United States.
#41DylanWelsh
Meaning: Son of the sea
#42RomanLatin
Meaning: From Rome
Roman comes from the Latin Romanus, meaning a Roman. It has been used in the Slavic countries and in France for centuries.
#43JacobHebrew
Meaning: Supplanter
Jacob is the third patriarch of Genesis, who takes his brother Esau's birthright. The Hebrew Yaakov is traditionally read from the word for heel, hence one who supplants.
#44MilesLatinGermanic
Meaning: Soldier; mild
#45CarterEnglish
Meaning: Cart driver
#46AnthonyLatin
Meaning: Of inestimable worth
#47IsaacHebrew
Meaning: He will laugh
#48CharlesGermanic
Meaning: Free man
Charles comes from the Germanic karl, meaning a free man as distinct from a serf. Charlemagne turned it into one of the standard names of European monarchy.
#49MaverickEnglish
Meaning: Independent, unbranded
Maverick comes from Samuel Maverick, a nineteenth-century Texas rancher who left his cattle unbranded. His surname became the word for an unbranded animal and then for an independent person.
#50ThiagoSpanishHebrew
Meaning: Saint James
Thiago is a Portuguese and Spanish form derived from Santiago, itself a contraction of Sant Iago, meaning Saint James.
Data: Social Security Administration (SSA). Figures for 2025. Retrieved automatically four times a year. Browse all countries →