These are the Most Popular Baby Names by State & This One Name Reigns Supreme
The most popular baby names by state has been dropped — and we’re seeing one major overlap. Per the Social Security Administration, Olivia is the overwhelming top choice for girls, spanning everywhere from Montana to Utah to South Carolina. In fact, it was the number one most popular girl name in 35 states last year.
Charlotte also received significant traction, with multiple states honing in on the name last year, including Virginia, Michigan, and Iowa. Honorable mentions go out to Amelia and Ava as popular choices as well.
More from SheKnows
When it came to boy names, Liam was the clear winner, nabbing first choice in states that included (deep breath here) Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, Florida, and New Jersey. Runner-ups were Oliver and William.
Olivia has been in the top 100 of baby names since the 1990’s, VeryWellFamily reported, and “skyrocketed” after ABC’s Scandal premiered in 2012, which featured a main character named Olivia Pope. It’s not unusual for parents to pull inspiration from pop culture when it comes to their babies — and it’s not just in the U.S.
Click here to read the full article.
“Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in our favorite show or trending celebrities,” Sian Bradford from England’s Office for National Statistics told The Guardian last year. “Maeve and Otis, characters from the popular program Sex Education, have seen a surge in popularity in 2020.”
Check out the full list of popular baby names by state below.
Top Five Female Names for Births in 2021
State | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 | Rank 4 | Rank 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Olivia | Ava | Amelia | Charlotte | Emma |
Alaska | Amelia | Hazel | Olivia | Ava | Charlotte |
Arizona | Olivia | Emma | Sophia | Camila | Isabella |
Arkansas | Olivia | Emma | Amelia | Ava | Charlotte |
California | Olivia | Emma | Camila | Mia | Sophia |
Colorado | Olivia | Emma | Charlotte | Evelyn | Amelia |
Connecticut | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Amelia | Sophia |
Delaware | Charlotte | Olivia | Amelia | Emma | Sophia |
Dist. of Columbia | Charlotte | Ava | Maya | Sophia | Emma |
Florida | Olivia | Emma | Isabella | Mia | Sophia |
Georgia | Olivia | Ava | Amelia | Emma | Charlotte |
Hawaii | Olivia | Amelia | Luna | Ava | Isla |
Idaho | Olivia | Amelia | Emma | Evelyn | Harper |
Illinois | Olivia | Emma | Sophia | Charlotte | Amelia |
Indiana | Charlotte | Amelia | Emma | Olivia | Ava |
Iowa | Charlotte | Olivia | Amelia | Ava | Emma |
Kansas | Olivia | Charlotte | Amelia | Emma | Evelyn |
Kentucky | Emma | Olivia | Amelia | Ava | Charlotte |
Louisiana | Olivia | Ava | Amelia | Charlotte | Emma |
Maine | Charlotte | Olivia | Amelia | Emma | Harper |
Maryland | Olivia | Charlotte | Ava | Emma | Sophia |
Massachusetts | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Sophia | Amelia |
Michigan | Charlotte | Olivia | Amelia | Ava | Evelyn |
Minnesota | Charlotte | Olivia | Evelyn | Emma | Nora |
Mississippi | Ava | Olivia | Amelia | Paisley | Emma |
Missouri | Olivia | Charlotte | Amelia | Ava | Emma |
Montana | Olivia | Evelyn | Ava | Charlotte | Harper |
Nebraska | Olivia | Charlotte | Evelyn | Amelia | Eleanor |
Nevada | Olivia | Isabella | Emma | Mia | Camila |
New Hampshire | Olivia | Charlotte | Evelyn | Emma | Amelia |
New Jersey | Olivia | Emma | Mia | Ava | Sophia |
New Mexico | Mia | Sophia | Emma | Isabella | Amelia |
New York | Olivia | Emma | Sophia | Mia | Amelia |
North Carolina | Olivia | Ava | Emma | Charlotte | Amelia |
North Dakota | Olivia | Harper | Emma | Evelyn | Amelia |
Ohio | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Amelia | Ava |
Oklahoma | Olivia | Amelia | Harper | Charlotte | Ava |
Oregon | Evelyn | Olivia | Charlotte | Amelia | Sophia |
Pennsylvania | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Ava | Sophia |
Rhode Island | Olivia | Sophia | Amelia | Charlotte | Emma |
South Carolina | Olivia | Ava | Charlotte | Emma | Amelia |
South Dakota | Evelyn | Emma | Charlotte | Amelia | Ava |
Tennessee | Olivia | Charlotte | Ava | Emma | Amelia |
Texas | Olivia | Emma | Camila | Isabella | Mia |
Utah | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Evelyn | Hazel |
Vermont | Charlotte | Emma | Nora | Isla | Olivia |
Virginia | Charlotte | Olivia | Emma | Ava | Sophia |
Washington | Olivia | Amelia | Emma | Charlotte | Sophia |
West Virginia | Amelia | Harper | Paisley | Willow | Emma |
Wisconsin | Charlotte | Olivia | Emma | Evelyn | Amelia |
Wyoming | Olivia | Amelia | Charlotte | Emma | Evelyn |
Top Five Male Names for Births in 2021
State | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 | Rank 4 | Rank 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | William | John | James | Noah | Elijah |
Alaska | Noah | Oliver | Liam | William | Wyatt |
Arizona | Liam | Noah | Mateo | Oliver | Sebastian |
Arkansas | Liam | Oliver | Elijah | Noah | Asher |
California | Noah | Liam | Mateo | Sebastian | Julian |
Colorado | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Henry | Theodore |
Connecticut | Noah | Liam | James | Lucas | Benjamin |
Delaware | Liam | Noah | Michael | Lucas | James |
Dist. of Columbia | Henry | William | James | Noah | Liam |
Florida | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Elijah | Oliver |
Georgia | Noah | Liam | William | Elijah | James |
Hawaii | Noah | Kai | Liam | Ezekiel | Oliver |
Idaho | Oliver | Liam | Henry | William | Jack |
Illinois | Noah | Liam | Oliver | Henry | Benjamin |
Indiana | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Elijah | Henry |
Iowa | Oliver | Liam | Henry | Noah | Asher |
Kansas | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Theodore | James |
Kentucky | Liam | James | Elijah | William | Noah |
Louisiana | Liam | Noah | Elijah | James | William |
Maine | Oliver | William | Owen | Henry | Jack |
Maryland | Liam | Noah | James | Lucas | Oliver |
Massachusetts | Noah | Liam | Henry | Jack | Benjamin |
Michigan | Noah | Oliver | Liam | Henry | Elijah |
Minnesota | Oliver | Henry | Theodore | Liam | Owen |
Mississippi | William | John | James | Elijah | Noah |
Missouri | Oliver | Henry | Liam | William | Elijah |
Montana | Oliver | Liam | James | Asher | Jackson |
Nebraska | Henry | Oliver | Liam | Theodore | William |
Nevada | Liam | Noah | Mateo | Oliver | Sebastian |
New Hampshire | Oliver | Henry | Liam | Jackson | Benjamin |
New Jersey | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Joseph | Michael |
New Mexico | Noah | Liam | Elijah | Ezekiel | Mateo |
New York | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Joseph | Jacob |
North Carolina | Liam | Noah | William | James | Oliver |
North Dakota | Oliver | Liam | Theodore | Asher | Brooks |
Ohio | Oliver | Liam | Noah | Henry | Lincoln |
Oklahoma | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Elijah | William |
Oregon | Oliver | Liam | Henry | Benjamin | Lucas |
Pennsylvania | Noah | Liam | Benjamin | Oliver | Owen |
Rhode Island | Liam | Noah | Julian | Henry | Oliver |
South Carolina | William | James | Liam | Noah | Elijah |
South Dakota | Henry | Oliver | Theodore | Hudson | Asher |
Tennessee | William | Liam | James | Noah | Elijah |
Texas | Liam | Noah | Elijah | Mateo | Sebastian |
Utah | Oliver | Liam | Jack | William | Henry |
Vermont | Henry | Oliver | Theodore | Noah | Owen |
Virginia | Liam | Noah | James | William | Oliver |
Washington | Liam | Noah | Oliver | Henry | Theodore |
West Virginia | Liam | Waylon | Elijah | Noah | Grayson |
Wisconsin | Oliver | Henry | Theodore | Liam | Levi |
Wyoming | Oliver | Liam | Henry | Lincoln | Owen |
See the meaning of our favorite royal baby names from around the world.
Launch Gallery: Thunder, Lux & More Unique Celebrity Baby Names
Best of SheKnows
This Year's Best Sunscreens for Kids & Babies Will Keep Them Safe on the Sunniest Days
Our Favorite Kids' Books by AAPI Authors, for Toddlers to Teens
Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter.
For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
