Every year the US Social Security Administration reports on the top names registered during the year. The 2021 lists are out now, with new entries on the top 20 lists for both boys names and girls names.
These lists can be helpful for parents-to-be looking for inspiration, or looking to avoid the most popular names. Is your child’s name on the list?
Top Baby Names 2021 in the USA
According to the US Social Security Administration, the top baby name for girls last year (2021) was Olivia while Liam was the top for boys.
As far as girls names go, the top 2 have stayed the same (Olivia and Emma) with Charlotte and Ava staying in the top 5 but Amelia coming up. While for boys names, 4 of the top 5 names stayed the same (Liam, Noah, Oliver, Elijah) while William dropped down and James popped up to 5th spot.
Further down the girls list, Camila is a new entry to the top 20 girls names, and I was interested to see Elizabeth staying in the girls’ top 20 as that’s my eldest daughter’s middle name and she was named after two great aunts of mine.
For boys, classic names like Henry, Theodore and Michael still remain popular.
Top 20 Girls Names
- Olivia
- Emma
- Charlotte
- Amelia
- Ava
- Sophia
- Isabella
- Mia
- Evelyn
- Harper
- Luna
- Camila
- Gianna
- Elizabeth
- Eleanor
- Ella
- Abigail
- Sofia
- Avery
- Scarlett
Top 20 Boys Names
- Liam
- Noah
- Oliver
- Elijah
- James
- William
- Benjamin
- Lucas
- Henry
- Theodore
- Jack
- Levi
- Alexander
- Jackson
- Mateo
- Daniel
- Michael
- Mason
- Sebastian
- Ethan
And if you are curious what the most popular names of the 2010s were, here are the top 10 lists for each gender:
Popular baby names of the period 2010s
Girl Names
- Emma
- Olivia
- Sophia
- Isabella
- Ava
- Mia
- Abigail
- Emily
- Charlotte
- Madison
Boy Names
- Noah
- Liam
- Jacob
- William
- Mason
- Ethan
- Michael
- Alexander
- James
- Elijah
About the Author: Jill Holtz
