The Most Popular Baby Names of 2024

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For the sixth consecutive year, Liam and Olivia are the most popular names for newborn American boys and girls, the Social Security Administration (SSA) reported May 9.

In fact, 2024 marked the eighth straight year for Liam at number one. Liam, an Irish derivation of William, usurped Noah as the most popular name for U.S.-born boys in 2017. Olivia, based on

the Latin word for “olive tree,” joined Liam at the top in 2019, ending a five-year run for Emma.

Noah and Emma remain in second place, where they’ve been since they were knocked out of the top spots. Rounding out the top five in 2024 were Oliver, Theodore and James for boys and Amelia,

Charlotte and Mia for girls.

The only new name in the top 10 in either list was on the girls’ side, with Sofia displacing Luna at number 10.

“The new popularity stats show style moving in a distinctly Spanish direction, with top 20 names like Mateo, Sofia, Camila and Eliana,” says Laura Wattenberg, a names researcher and author

of The Baby Names Wizard.

“These names hold special appeal for Hispanic families, but they're also perfect fits for contemporary English name style,” she says. “The sound of the moment is light, lyrical and vowel

driven.”

The SSA’s list of most popular baby names, issued annually ahead of Mother’s Day, is drawn from applications for Social Security numbers for newborn children, of which the agency recorded

about 3.6 million in 2024.

The Social Security database has nomenclature information dating to 1880, when the most popular names were John and Mary (as they would remain well into the 20th century). As such, it’s a

key resource for tracking cultural change, reflecting not just the most popular names of the day but how much the pool of parents’ choices has deepened.

For example, 50 years ago, when Jennifer and Michael were in the middle of long runs as America’s most popular baby names, the 10 most common monikers were collectively bestowed upon 25.6

percent of baby boys and 16.5 percent of baby girls.