Most popular baby names of 2023

Noah and Olivia were the most popular baby names this year

From original names to unique surprises, this year resulted in a list of top baby names with some shocking placement switches. According to Baby Center, parents are no longer picking from the pioneer pool - the common names that once dominated the US directory - such as Michael or Abigail. Instead, they’re opting for the quintessential atypical monikers - like Luna or Asher - and knocking out long-time front-runners.

For boys, one go-to name for the past five years got the boot. This year, Noah claimed first place over Liam. However, per the Baby Center’s analysis and registration reports, Liam remained in the top three by claiming second place. Meanwhile, Oliver took third place for the second year in a row.

The top three names for girls weren’t much of a shock, as they were the same from last year: Olivia, Emma, and Amelia.

Beyond the big three, the top 10 for each category presented unforeseen popularity. Ezra and Luca ranked higher than usual, taking spots nine and 10, respectively. “Ezra’s upward trajectory is especially noteworthy, since it moved from number 12 last year to number nine, and it’s now in the top 10 for the first time ever,” the Baby Center stated.

Charlotte jumped from number nine to number five this year. Additionally, an unanticipated amount of “M” names climbed their way up the list. Miley, Mavis, Mallory, Milan, and Mckinley were the most desired, jumping over at least 200 spots to the top.

“Girl names ending in the letter ‘A’ are also winning with parents,” the Baby Center noted. Nine out of the top 10 girl names ended in “A”, including Sophia (fourth place), Isabella (seventh place), Luna (ninth place), and Mia (eighth place).

It’s interesting to see which names were the most popular for this generation of babies, but some of the most intriguing names fell below the top 20. For example, Nova and Kai ranked 21 - with Nova for girls and Kai for boys. Willow was 26 for female babies, and Ezekiel (like the healthy bread) ranked 46 for boys.

Expectant mothers of daughters must’ve been washed in a giant wave of tranquility after giving birth, because a majority of them chose to honour the feeling of peace by naming their daughters Serenity (60th place). Following a theme of protection and unity, parents loved the name Zion (60th place) for their sons.

Seasons were another inspiration for girl names this year, specifically Autumn (67th place) and Summer (68th place). Although Roman (71st place) was an overall attractive moniker for baby boys, parents thought why not just flip the “M” to a “W” for Rowan (72nd place) - similar, but different.

Several future male rockstars or pro skateboarders were born in 2023, with Axel (96th place) ranking in the top 100, while geography lovers exposed themselves by naming their son Atlas (86th place). Myles took spot 89, proving the letter “Y” is better than the typical “I”.

The charming Melody (91st place) was a trendy pick for baby girls, as was Daisy (99th place).

Finally, the number 100 spot on the boys list surprisingly went to a very uncomplicated pick: Max. However, the opposite was true for the girls list. For a fun twist, Neevah - “heaven” spelled backward - came in at number 100.