America’s Most Popular Baby Names by State (And There Are Some Surprising New Stars)

Expectant parents spend months searching for the perfect baby name.

And a new report could help by giving them insight into which names are most popular in their state.

Data collected by the Social Security Administration (SSA) showed that Olivia was the most popular girl’s name in the US after topping the charts in 18 states, including Alabama, California and Idaho.

Liam emerged as the top boy’s name, ranking first in 22 states, including Colorado, Georgia and New Jersey.

This is the fifth year in a row that Olivia and Liam have been the most popular baby names in the US.

However, according to the report, popular media have also clearly started to influence the name choice.

The fastest rising girl’s name, Kaeli, went viral in 2023, rising a whopping 1,692 places. 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 more than 3 million followers, the report said.

The fastest rising girls’ names also included Alitzel, Emryn, Adhara and Azari. Izael, Eiden, Cassian and Kyren were among the fastest rising boys’ names.

But their popularity varied from state to state.

The SSA began compiling and now publishing the Baby Names List in 1997, with names dating back to 1880 a list of the top 1,000 most popular baby names each year in May.

Olivia topped the charts in 18 states in 2023 and was most popular among girls, especially on the West Coast and Southeast.

But this was down from last year, when Olivia ranked first in a whopping 30 states.

Although Olivia reigned supreme as the country’s most popular girl’s name, it was Charlotte that took the country by storm.

This girl’s name came out on top in 21 states, up from 12 in 2022.

This suggested it would have raised its rank again in 2024 – and perhaps even dethroned Olivia for the first time in years.

Isla was the only new girl’s name added to the chart this year and was the most popular in Hawaii. This is an appropriate choice for baby girls born in this state as ‘Isla’ means ‘island’.

Some once popular girl names have disappeared from the map this year.

Harper, Aurora and Sophia were not the 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 previously most popular girl’s name in the US – Emma – has almost been wiped off the map.

This name ranked first in 2008 and then again from 2015 to 2018. But in 2023, it only ranked first in Texas and New York.

Meanwhile, some girls’ names appear to be gaining popularity in more states this year.

Ava and Amelia were the most popular in more states than in 2022.

Ava came out on top in South Dakota and Mississippi, and Amelia reigned supreme in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Vermont and West Virginia.

As for baby boys, Liam was most popular in 22 states and dominated the Midwest and Southeast in 2023.

This is a slight increase from the previous year, when the name was ranked number one in just 20 states, and reflects Liam’s national rise as its usage increased by about 1.7 percent in the US last year.

Oliver ranked first in the second largest number of states (13), up from 16 in 2022. This name was especially popular in the northern US, but ranked third nationally.

Noah ranked second, but was only the most popular in nine states, although that list includes some particularly populous states such as California, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

That said, Oliver’s widespread prevalence suggests it could slip to second place in 2024.

A number of new boys’ names have appeared on the menu this year. John rejoined after a hiatus and was most popular in Mississippi, where the name is often used as the first half of a hyphenated first name.

And Elijah was added to the card for the very first time, taking first place in Hawaii.

Mateo was the only new name added to the Top 10 lists in 2023 and ranked sixth among the most popular names for boys in the US.

The SSA will release its report for the most popular baby names of 2024 in May 2025.