Top 10 baby names in SC for 2023 unveiled by Social Security Administration. Take a look

Lyn Riddle
·2 min read

The U.S. Social Security Administration recently released its most-frequently chosen baby names for 2023, and in South Carolina they are Noah for boys and Olivia for girls.

The list is based on applications for Social Security cards.

The most popular names across the country for last year are Liam and Olivia — Noah is No. 2 as is Emma.

Olivia has been the most popular name in the country for the past five years, Liam for seven.

The most popular names are available on the Social Security website, which also includes searchable databases for popularity by year back to 1880, by decade, by state and trending names.

You could spend some serious time on the website if so inclined and come up with information like Betty was No. 2 seven times in the 1920s-1930s and never could dethrone Mary. Betty hasn’t been in the top 5 since 1940.

In 1900, which is the first year the website lists individual names, John was the most popular and held a top 10 spot until 1986. In 2023, John was No. 26.

The top girl’s name in 1880 was Mary. The website, which seems a bit glitchy when searching, did not come up with a timeline for Mary.

But the website does say Mary has been ranked No. 1 32 times and Michael 44 times. The name Mary dropped off the top 10 list in 1987 and hasn’t been seen since. Robert and James have also been popular through the years.

The most popular names in South Carolina for boys in 2023 are:

  • Noah

  • William

  • Liam

  • James

  • John

  • Elijah

  • Oliver

  • Henry

  • Hudson

  • Lucas

And for girls:

  • Olivia

  • Charlotte

  • Amelia

  • Emma

  • Ava

  • Elizabeth

  • Sophia

  • Harper

  • Nova

  • Evelyn

In the United States, the most popular names for boys are:

  • Liam

  • Noah

  • Oliver

  • James

  • Elijah

  • Mateo

  • Theodore

  • Henry

  • Lucas

  • William

And for girls:

  • Olivia

  • Emma

  • Charlotte

  • Amelia

  • Sophia

  • Mia

  • Isabella

  • Ava

  • Evelyn

  • Luna

The top trending name in the U.S. in 2023 is Izael for boys and Kaeli for girls.

Social Security cards are not required by law, but many government services are not available without one. The SSA says the easiest way to apply for a card is when the hospital in which a child is born registers a birth certificate.