Every year, the US Social Security Administration releases its list of the most popular baby names from the previous year, providing an interesting insight into the naming trends that have captured parents – and maybe even what the most popular TV show is at the time (know a baby Khaleesi, anyone?). So what came top in 2023?
If you’re familiar with previous years’ lists, or have been to a child’s birthday party recently, you’ll be unsurprised to find out that the top names are Olivia and Liam.
Olivia has reigned supreme since 2019, and even before then, had been gradually creeping up the list since 2008, spending 5 years in second place before eventually clinching the top spot.
Similarly, Liam has ranked the highest for boys’ names for a whopping 7 years – though that’s nothing compared to Michael, which has taken the top spot 44 times in the last 100 years.
In fact, the entirety of the top 5 names for both newborn girls and boys didn’t change at all between 2022 and 2023. What’s on the rest of the list?
The top 5 girl names in 2023 were:
- Olivia
- Emma
- Charlotte
- Amelia
- Sophia
And the top 5 boy names in 2023 were:
- Liam
- Noah
- Oliver
- James
- Elijah
Though the top 5 remain unchanged, there were some names that massively shot up in popularity. The biggest changes in girls’ names belonged to Kaeli, Alitzel, and Emryn, which improved their rank by 1692, 1512, and 1287 places respectively.
For the boys, the big changes were slightly less dramatic, with Izael, Chozen, and Eiden rising up by 860, 666, and 590 places respectively.
Beyond the changes between most recent years, there’s a list which shows the most popular baby names over the last 100 years. Though names have changed a fair bit over that time, there are some that were pretty persistent.
Mary was in the top spot 32 times between 1924 and 2023, and remained within the top 5 for 44 years until getting kicked out in 1967. Michael stood its ground until relatively recently, staying in the top 5 all the way from 1950 through to 2010.
If you’re interested in how your own name has changed in popularity over time, there’s a handy tool to do so. Let us know what you find!
Source Link: What Were The Most Popular Baby Names In 2023?