These Are the Most Popular Baby Names in the U.S.

Lauren Phillips
In the United States, the Social Security Administration is the definitive source for finding out which baby names were most popular in previous years. Counting up all those births and baby names can take a lot of time. The popular baby names of 2018 are here now—we’ll have to wait a bit to see what babies born in 2019 were named most often.

The Social Security Administration’s list for the most popular baby names of 2018 is here.

Baby names: Even people who aren’t soon-to-be parents think about them, and with good reason. Picking a baby name is no small decision—and while going with creative baby names or unique literary baby names might seem like a good idea in the moment, children don’t always appreciate the names they’re given. Going with the most popular baby names of the day isn’t always the best idea, either, though—no kid wants to be the sixth Megan in class. Still, the most popular baby names of every year end up at the top of the list for a reason: Parents just can’t stop using them.

In the United States, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is the definitive source for finding out which baby names were most popular in previous years. The SSA does track all births, after all, and the data it shares is based on exact tallies of how many new babies were given certain names in prior years. Counting up all those births and baby names can take a lot of time, which explains why the SSA isn’t able to share the most popular baby names of the year until late in the following year, when counts are completed. The most popular baby names of 2018 are here now—we’ll have to wait a bit to see what the most popular baby names in 2019 were.

Baby Boy Names 2018

  1. Liam

  2. Noah

  3. William

  4. James

  5. Oliver

  6. Benjamin

  7. Elijah

  8. Lucas

  9. Mason

  10. Logan

Baby Girl Names 2018

  1. Emma

  2. Olivia

  3. Ava

  4. Isabella

  5. Sophia

  6. Charlotte

  7. Mia

  8. Amelia

  9. Harper

  10. Evelyn

2018 saw few changes from 2017—the top ten most popular baby names stayed roughly the same, with a little rearranging and just a few swaps. For baby boy names, Liam held the top spot from 2017 to 2018: Noah had been the most popular name for boys since 2013 and remained in the second-place spot for the second year in a row. (Liam has been in the top ten since 2012.) Oliver and Logan remained in the top ten after breaking in from spots 12 and 18, respectively, in 2017.

Girl names didn’t have much of a shake up, either. Emma remains the most popular name, where it’s been since 2014. Harper regained its spot in the top ten after being knocked out in 2017 and there were two other small swaps, but for the most part, the most popular girl names held steady.

The top ten most popular baby names don’t change too much, but predictions for up-and-coming popular baby names in 2019 offer some unexpected inspiration for anyone looking for a less common name. Should these fail, preppy baby names are pretty fun, too.