May 6, 2022

Most Popular Baby Names

     Social Security has released its list of most popular baby names for 2021:

Boys

Girls

1.     Liam 1.  Olivia
2.     Noah 2.  Emma
3.     Oliver 3.  Charlotte
4.     Elijah 4.  Amelia
5.     James 5.  Ava
6.     William 6.  Sophia
7.     Benjamin 7.  Isabella
8.     Lucas 8.  Mia
9.     Henry 9. Evelyn
10.  Theodore 10. Harper 

    And here's the list of the fastest rising names for girls and boys in 2021:

BoysGirls
1.     Amiri 1.  Raya
2.     Eliam 2.  Wrenley
3.     Colter 3.  Angelique
4.     Ozzy 4.  Vida
5.     Loyal5.  Emberlynn

     I'm generally in the "What's in a name?" camp when it comes to names but all I can say after looking at the fastest rising list is "Yuck!"

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Would love to see the decrease in the names "Brandon" over the last year and "Karen" over the last few years.

Anonymous said...

Year Rank Popularity of male name Brandon
2021 181
2020 166
2019 141
2018 124
2017 114
2016 99
2015 83
2014 71
2013 70
2012 56
2011 47
2010 44
2009 38
2008 33
2007 31
2006 27
2005 27
2004 22
2003 21
2002 20
2001 18
2000 12

Year Rank Popularity of female name Karen
2020 828
2019 661
2018 637
2017 557
2016 508
2015 505
2014 494
2013 416
2012 354
2011 287
2010 248
2009 230
2008 187
2007 165
2006 173
2005 164
2004 155
2003 141
2002 150
2001 148
2000 153

Anonymous said...

Didn't know any Brandons in school in the 60s and 70s but knew quite a few Karens and all of them were very nice and thoughtful people.

Anonymous said...

If you go to the SSA website you can plot the popularity of all names that were ever on the top 1000 list, popularity by state, and by decade. It is fascinating to see the style changes. Karen is officially off the top 1000 list as of 2021.

Anonymous said...

The funny thing is that by the time these babies are adults, neither of those name will carry the connotations they have in 2022.

Anyone have the stats on Donald?

Anonymous said...


Amiri - Arabic
Eliam - Hebrew (Jewish)
Raya - Arabic

Yes, names like Ozzy and Loyal seem a bit of a fad, but not all Charles Approved Names® are going to be found in the English bible.

John said...

Adarlene, Adelaide, Adolph, Alaistair, Albina, Alvin, Ammond, Anola, Arcada, Wilma, Gilbert, Delilah, Jehu, Junius, Lemual, Woodrow, Nolie, Saledie, Wilmer, Werdebaugh, Vesta, Uriah

I have plenty more "yuck" given names on birth or church records before 1920 of mine or my wife's ancestors. Part of me goes "Yuck" at many of them but they lived their lives with these names and mainly were solid people. So a name isn''t your style, so what?

Anonymous said...

To 1:30

Donald in the top ten until from 1923 to 42 then stayed in top 100 until 1991 and been dropping like a lead balloon since As of 2020 is 610 with a slight uptick in 2021 to 592.

Compared to Adolph which was in the 200-400range then dipped into the 600's during the war and not in the top 1000 (As far as the list goes) since 1970.

Frankly, this list and the site to play at are my favorite things on Social Security's web site.

https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi