Liam and Olivia have reigned supreme as the most popular baby names for newborn boys and girls in the United States for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Social Security Administration’s annual data release. A notable newcomer, Mateo, has made its debut in the top 10 list of names for baby boys born in 2023.
The federal agency meticulously tracks the names bestowed upon infants in each state, drawing data from Social Security card applications.
This exhaustive compilation, spanning records dating back to 1880, offers insights into cultural and demographic trends that influence the fluctuating popularity of certain monikers over time.
While Liam has maintained its dominance atop the boys’ list for seven consecutive years, Olivia has held the top spot for girls for half a decade, displacing Emma after its five-year reign.
Following Liam, the most commonly chosen names for baby boys are Noah, Oliver, James, Elijah, Mateo, Theodore, Henry, Lucas, and William. For newborn girls, the top names after Olivia are Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Ava, Evelyn, and Luna.
The latest data from the Social Security Administration reveals that 3.58 million babies were born in the United States in 2023, representing a slight decline from the previous year’s 3.66 million births, mirroring the overall downward trend in the American birthrate.
Interestingly, social media influencers and popular television shows appear to be exerting an influence on the rising popularity of certain names. Chozen, the name of a protagonist in the recent season of the Netflix series Cobra Kai, skyrocketed to the 813th spot on the boys’ list.
For girls, the name Kaeli saw a remarkable ascent, climbing 1,692 places in the rankings.
The Social Security Administration speculated that this surge may be attributed to the widespread popularity of YouTube and TikTok star Kaeli McEwen, who goes by the moniker as Kaeli Mae.