Most Popular Baby Names 2026

The 100 most-given names in the United States for 2026, ranked by Social Security Administration data. Boys and girls combined, sorted by popularity. Click any name for meanings, origin, state-by-state rankings, and how it's trended over the past decade.

100 names — data from the U.S. Social Security Administration

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#1

Liam

Boy

strong-willed warrior

Irish
#1

Olivia

Girl

olive tree

English
#2

Emma

Girl

whole, universal

English
#2

Noah

Boy

rest, comfort

Hebrew
#3

Amelia

Girl

rival, striving

English
#3

Oliver

Boy

olive tree

English
#4

Charlotte

Girl

free woman

French
#4

Theodore

Boy

gift of God

English
#5

James

Boy

may God protect

English
#5

Mia

Girl

mine, beloved

Italian
#6

Henry

Boy

ruler of the homeland

English
#6

Sophia

Girl

wisdom

Greek
#7

Isabella

Girl

God is my oath

Italian
#7

Mateo

Boy

gift of Yahweh

Spanish
#8

Elijah

Boy

the Lord is my God

Hebrew
#8

Evelyn

Girl

wished-for child, life

English
#9

Ava

Girl

like a bird, birdlike

English
#9

Lucas

Boy

from Lucania

English
#10

Sofia

Girl

skill, cleverness

Spanish
#10

William

Boy

determined helmet-wearer, warrior protector

English
#11

Benjamin

Boy

son of the south

Hebrew
#11

Camila

Girl

acolyte, one who serves

Spanish
#12

Harper

Girl

harp player, harper

English
#12

Levi

Boy

associated with, united

Hebrew
#13

Ezra

Boy

strong, powerful

Jewish
#13

Luna

Girl

moon

Latin
#14

Eleanor

Girl

other, foreign

English
#14

Sebastian

Boy

from Sebastia

English
#15

Jack

Boy

supplanter

English
#15

Violet

Girl

violet color, purple

English
#16

Aurora

Girl

the dawn goddess

English
#16

Daniel

Boy

divine judge

English
#17

Elizabeth

Girl

consecrated to God

English
#17

Samuel

Boy

name of God

English
#18

Eliana

Girl

God is my salvation

Jewish
#18

Michael

Boy

who resembles God

English
#19

Ethan

Boy

permanent, long-lived

English
#19

Hazel

Girl

wisdom, inspiration

English
#20

Asher

Boy

fortunate, prosperous

Jewish
#20

Chloe

Girl

epithet of Demeter, goddess of grain

English
#21

Ellie

Girl

my God is gracious

English
#21

John

Boy

Yahweh is gracious

English
#22

Hudson

Boy

son of the hood/hooded man

American
#22

Nora

Girl

light

Irish
#23

Gianna

Girl

God is gracious

Italian
#23

Luca

Boy

light

Italian
#24

Leo

Boy

lion-hearted, brave

English
#24

Lily

Girl

symbol of purity and rebirth

English
#25

Elias

Boy

the Lord is my God

Greek
#25

Emily

Girl

from the Aemilius family

English
#26

Aria

Girl

lion of God

Italian
#26

Owen

Boy

young warrior

Welsh
#27

Alexander

Boy

defender of men

Greek
#27

Scarlett

Girl

bright red color

English
#28

Dylan

Boy

great wave

Welsh
#28

Penelope

Girl

weaver, one who weaves

Greek
#29

Santiago

Boy

supplanter (via James/Jacob)

Spanish
#29

Zoe

Girl

alive, living

Greek
#30

Ella

Girl

goddess

English
#30

Julian

Boy

of the Julius family

Latin
#31

Avery

Girl

ruler of elves, elf counsel

English
#31

David

Boy

friend, darling

Hebrew
#32

Abigail

Girl

my father is joyful

Hebrew
#32

Joseph

Boy

God will increase, he will add

Hebrew
#33

Matthew

Boy

gift of Yahweh

Hebrew
#33

Mila

Girl

hardworking, industrious

Slavic
#34

Lucy

Girl

born at dawn or daylight

English
#34

Luke

Boy

light, bright one

Greek
#35

Isla

Girl

island

Scottish
#35

Jackson

Boy

son of Jack

English
#36

Ivy

Girl

ivy plant

English
#36

Maverick

Boy

independent thinker, nonconformist

American
#37

Layla

Girl

night, dark beauty

Arabic
#37

Miles

Boy

soldier

English
#38

Lainey

Girl

torch, bright

English
#38

Wyatt

Boy

little warrior

English
#39

Nova

Girl

new

English
#39

Thomas

Boy

twin, double

English
#40

Grace

Girl

charm, elegance

English
#40

Isaac

Boy

he will laugh, he laughs

English
#41

Jacob

Boy

supplanter, one who supplants

English
#41

Willow

Girl

From Old English 'welig', the willow tree; a na...

English
#42

Mason

Boy

Stone worker; one who builds with stone

English
#42

Riley

Girl

descendant of Raghallach

Irish
#43

Emilia

Girl

From the Roman family name Aemilius; variant of...

Italian
#43

Gabriel

Boy

From Hebrew 'Gavriel'; the archangel Gabriel ap...

English
#44

Anthony

Boy

priceless one, of inestimable worth

English
#44

Naomi

Girl

straight beauty

English
#45

Carter

Boy

cart driver, transporter of goods

English
#45

Elena

Girl

Variant of Helen from the Greek 'Helene'; widel...

Italian
#46

Logan

Boy

Little hollow; from the little hollow place

Scottish
#46

Madison

Girl

An English surname turned first name; populariz...

American
#47

Aiden

Boy

Little fire; born of fire

Irish
#47

Valentina

Girl

Feminine form of Valentine, from Latin 'Valenti...

Italian
#48

Grayson

Boy

son of Gray

English
#48

Victoria

Girl

Victory; triumph; conqueror

English
#49

Caleb

Boy

whole-hearted, faithful

English
#49

Stella

Girl

Star

Italian
#50

Cooper

Boy

From the Middle English 'couper' or Middle Low ...

English
#50

Delilah

Girl

seductive, alluring

English

More popular name lists

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular baby names in 2026?

Olivia and Liam hold the top spots for girls and boys based on SSA rankings. The full top 100 for both genders is listed above, sorted by overall rank.

How is the popularity ranking determined?

Rankings come from the U.S. Social Security Administration, which tracks baby name data from birth certificates filed each year. The SSA releases updated rankings annually, typically in May.

What's the difference between popular and trending baby names?

Popular means high total usage right now. Trending means gaining ground fast. A name like Luna is trending — it's climbing quickly from a lower base. Olivia is popular — it's already at the top and holding. Both are worth knowing.

Will my child share their name with classmates if I pick a popular name?

Probably not as often as you'd think. Even the #1 name represents under 1% of babies born that year. A top-10 name averages one classmate every few grades. Still, if uniqueness matters, check names ranked below 50.

Looking for something more specific?

Browse by origin, meaning, syllables, or decade. Or run a tournament and let head-to-head matchups find your favorite.

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