These were the most popular baby names last year in the U.S. and Missouri
If you had a baby last year and named them either Liam or Olivia, congratulations, those were the top baby names in 2023 in the U.S., says the U.S. Social Security Administration.
In fact, those two names are so popular that they have held the top spot for the last five years.
The Social Security Administration made the announcement ahead of Mother's Day. Top names by state were released Thursday.
Missouri did buck some of the 2023 nationwide name trends. The top baby names in Missouri last year were Oliver and Charlotte. It is not clear if the top names in the U.S. and Missouri were in some way inspired by celebrities Liam Hemsworth, Olivia Rodrigo or Queen Charlotte from the popular Netflix series "Bridgerton." Many of top 10 Missouri baby names do match those in the top 10 for the U.S., but do not necessarily match in the rankings.
"It’s clear that social media stars had a major influence on new parents in 2023," the Social Security administration said in the news release.
Names that vastly grew in popularity last year can be linked to YouTube and TikTok personalities, the agency noted.
"Parents must have really smashed the ‘like’ button for YouTube and TikTok star Kaeli McEwen (also known as Kaeli Mae), who routinely promotes a clean, tidy, and neutral-aesthetic lifestyle," the Social Security Administration said. "On the boy’s side, trending in third place as the boy’s fastest riser, is Eiden – perhaps it was TikTok creator Wyatt Eiden’s 1.6 billion views and over 3 million followers that prompted this name’s meteoric rise."
Other names that grew in popularity in the U.S. were Emryn and Chozen, the latter possibly because of the character Chozen from the Netflix series "Cobra Kai," the Social Security Administrtation said.
The Social Security Administration is considered the top source for baby name data due new parent applications for social security cards. The agency started compiling baby names lists in 1997, though names date back to 1880. The list each year helps show the effects of pop culture on naming trends, the agency said.
Top 10 names for boys and girls in the U.S. in 2023
Boys: Liam, Noah, Oliver, James, Elijah, Mateo, Theodore, Henry, Lucas, William
Girls: Olivia, Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Ava, Evelyn, Luna
Top 10 names for boys and girls in Missouri in 2023
Boys: Oliver, Henry, Liam, Noah, Theodore, William, Hudson, James, Elijah, Owen
Girls: Charlotte, Olivia, Amelia, Eleanor, Harper, Emma, Evelyn, Sophia, Ava, Hazel
Top 5 names for boys and girls growing in popularity in the U.S. in 2023
Boys: Izael, Chozen, Eiden, Cassian, Kyren,
Girls: Kaeli, Alitzel, Emryn, Adhara, Azari
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: These were the most popular 2023 baby names in Missouri, the U.S.
