The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
The most popular baby names – and the ones that have dropped in popularity
Emma and Olivia are still at the top of the list for most popular baby girl names in the US
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The most popular baby names have officially been revealed, with the list also revealing the names that dropped or rose in popularity over the last year.
On 10 May, the Social Security Association announced the most popular baby names of 2023 in the United States, with Liam ranking as the most popular male name for the seventh year in a row. Olivia ranked as the most popular female name of 2023, surpassing the name Emma, which has been the most popular female name for the last five years.
After Liam, the following most popular names for boys, from two to 10 on the ranking, are Noah, Olivia, James, Elijah, Mateo, Theodore, Henry, Lucas, and William.
For females, the next most popular names on the list – after Olivia – are Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Ava, Evelyn, and Luna.
The data also shows the change in popularity of baby names throughout the last year. For example, some female names are much lower in the ranking, with Addilyn listed as number 1,315 on the baby name ranking for 2023, after being ranked 941 in 2022. The name Chanel for girls also saw a similar decrease in popularity, as it went from being ranked 935 in 2022 to 1,171 in 2023.
For boy names, Davian was less popular in 2023, as it was ranked 1,174 on the list, after being ranked 968 in 2022. The name Braden also isn’t as common for baby boys as before, as it went from being ranked number 935 in 2022 on the list to 1,121 in 2023.
Meanwhile, various unique baby names were used more often in 2023 than 2022. For girls, the name Kaeli is ranked the 678th most popular name in 2023, after being ranked 2,370 in 2022. That popularity increase could have been influenced by social media, as there is a TikTok star named Kaeili McEwen, who has more than 14.7m followers.
Americans are also loving the name Alitzel for their baby girls, as it went from being 2,383 on the ranking in 2022 to 871 in 2023.
For boys, Izael is becoming more popular, with its ranking on the list going from 1,666 to 806 in 2023. Chozen is also being used more often for baby boys, as it ranked 813th on the list in 2023, after being listed as 1,479 in 2022.
The rising interest in the name Chozen could be due to the hit show Cobra Kai, which featured a protagonist named Chozen. In 2022, the Netflix series aired its fifth season, which included Chozen, played by Yuji Okumotomade.
The Social Security Administration’s latest data also shows that 3.58 million babies were born in the US in 2023. That’s a slight decrease from last year’s 3.66 million babies, representing an overall decline in the American birth rate.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments