Hey, check this out – BabyCenter.com just dropped their latest report on baby names, and there’s some pretty cool stuff in there!
So, no surprise here, Olivia is still rocking the charts as the most popular name for girls. I mean, it’s been the reigning champ since 2021, and it’s been hanging out in the Top 10 for a whopping 20 years! And guess who’s nipping at Olivia’s heels? Emma! She’s holding it down at #2 this year.
On the boys’ side, we’ve got a little shake-up. Noah swooped in and stole the crown from Liam, ending Liam’s four-year reign as #1. But hey, no hard feelings – Liam’s just one spot down at #2 now. They’ve both been in the game for a while, though, with Noah chilling in the Top Five for a solid decade.
Here’s a quirky trend for you – names are getting shorter! Like, nicknames are taking over. Ellie’s taking the lead over Elizabeth and Eleanor, Josie’s edging out Josephine, and Theo and Leo are the cool kids, leaving Theodore and Leonardo in the dust.
Now, onto the wild world of pop culture names – “Barbie” managed to outshine “Oppenheimer” not just at the box office but also in the baby name game. Barbie’s full name, Barbara, is making a comeback, up 994%, but it’s still hanging out at #1,336. Meanwhile, Ken’s taking a bit of a hit, down 846 spots to #2,612.
And speaking of Oppenheimer, if you throw in “Robert,” it’s down 29 spots to #178. Katherine (Oppenheimer) also took a dip, down 18 spots to #471. Looks like the Oppenheimer crew is experiencing a bit of a name rollercoaster.
Oh, and the trend of boys’ names ending in “en” is on the decline. Jayden, Raiden, and Kayden are all slowly making their exit, but they’re still holding onto spots in the Top 500. On the flip side, names ending in “ya” are on the rise for girls – think Siya, Haya, Inaya, Aadhya, and Ariyah. They’re all climbing up the charts and making a name for themselves in the Top 500.
Pretty wild, right? Baby names are a whole adventure!
(You can find the Top 100 names for both boys and girls, here.)
(And you can find the “baby name trends” of 2023, here.)
