Liam is the most popular baby name for boys in the United States, given to 20,818 babies, and Olivia leads for girls with 13,544. These are the most popular baby names in the latest national data, and Noah and Charlotte sit a close second, 460 births behind Liam and only 144 behind Olivia.
The figures here are from the Social Security Administration’s 2025 baby names data, a 100% sample of Social Security card applications on record as of March 2026. Each rank below is for one exact spelling, with the 2024 rank beside it so you can see who moved.
Top 10 Boys and Girls Names in the US by 2025 Births, All 10 Ranks
| # | Boy name | Births | Girl name | Births |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liam | 20,818 | Olivia | 13,544 |
| 2 | Noah | 20,358 | Charlotte | 13,400 |
| 3 | Oliver | 14,939 | Emma | 12,754 |
| 4 | Theodore | 13,355 | Amelia | 12,699 |
| 5 | Henry | 12,020 | Sophia | 12,561 |
| 6 | James | 11,945 | Mia | 11,078 |
| 7 | Elijah | 11,111 | Isabella | 10,666 |
| 8 | Mateo | 11,045 | Evelyn | 9,123 |
| 9 | William | 10,545 | Sofia | 8,252 |
| 10 | Lucas | 10,219 | Eliana | 8,191 |
Boys and girls are ranked separately, so rank 1 for boys and rank 1 for girls are two different names with different counts. The gap between the sexes is wide at the very top: Liam has 7,274 more births than Olivia, and the boys’ #10, Lucas, has 10,219 against 8,191 for the girls’ #10, Eliana.
Most Popular Baby Names, Ranked: Each Rank for Boys and Girls
Every entry pairs the boy and girl name at the same rank, gives both 2025 birth counts and the 2024 rank for each, and then covers the boy name and the girl name in turn. Birth counts are Social Security card applications for that spelling.
1. Liam and Olivia: Nine and Seven Years on Top
Liam births: 20,818 · Liam 2024 rank: 1 · Olivia births: 13,544 · Olivia 2024 rank: 1
Liam has been the boys’ #1 every year from 2017 to 2025, nine years in a row. Before that it was #2 from 2014 to 2016, #3 in 2013, #6 in 2012 and #15 in 2011. Its 20,818 births in 2025 are down 1,434, or 6.4 percent, from 22,252 in 2024.
Olivia has held the girls’ top spot for seven years, 2019 to 2025, after #2 from 2014 to 2018, #3 in 2013 and #4 in 2011 and 2012. Its 13,544 births are down 1,228, or 8.3 percent, from 14,772 in 2024, and the lead over Charlotte is just 144 births.
2. Noah and Charlotte: The Closest Chase
Noah births: 20,358 · Noah 2024 rank: 2 · Charlotte births: 13,400 · Charlotte 2024 rank: 4
Noah stayed at #2 with 20,358 births, down only 51 from 20,409. Because Liam fell by 1,434, the gap between them shrank from 1,843 births in 2024 to 460 in 2025, and Noah sits 5,419 ahead of #3 Oliver.
Charlotte jumped from #4 to #2, rising from 12,597 to 13,400 births, a gain of 803 or 6.4 percent. It passed both Emma and Amelia in one year and is the only top-five girls’ name besides Sophia to gain births.
3. Oliver and Emma: One Held, One Slipped
Oliver births: 14,939 · Oliver 2024 rank: 3 · Emma births: 12,754 · Emma 2024 rank: 2
Oliver stayed #3 with 14,939 births, down 457, or 3.0 percent, from 15,396. It sits 1,584 births clear of Theodore at #4, well below the 20,000-plus of the top two.
Emma slipped from #2 to #3, with births falling from 13,524 to 12,754, a loss of 770 or 5.7 percent. It still leads #4 Amelia by just 55 births, one of the tightest margins in the girls’ top 10.
4. Theodore and Amelia: A Big Gain and a Narrow Gap
Theodore births: 13,355 · Theodore 2024 rank: 4 · Amelia births: 12,699 · Amelia 2024 rank: 3
Theodore held #4 in both years, so it did not change rank, but its births rose from 12,069 to 13,355. That is a gain of 1,286, or 10.7 percent, the biggest in the boys’ top 10, and it widened the lead over #5 Henry to 1,335.
Amelia slipped from #3 to #4 as its births edged from 12,786 to 12,699, a drop of just 87, or 0.7 percent. It is only 138 births ahead of Sophia at #5, so a small move next year could shift the order again.
5. Henry and Sophia: Both Climbed One Place
Henry births: 12,020 · Henry 2024 rank: 6 · Sophia births: 12,561 · Sophia 2024 rank: 6
Henry rose from #6 to #5, with births up from 11,596 to 12,020, a gain of 424 or 3.7 percent. It swapped places with James, who fell back to #6, and the two are 75 births apart.
Sophia also rose from #6 to #5, from 12,126 to 12,561 births, up 435 or 3.6 percent. It sits just 983 births below Olivia, so the girls’ top five spans only 13,544 to 12,561, a narrow band for the five most popular names in the country.
6. James and Mia: Rising Count, Falling Rank
James births: 11,945 · James 2024 rank: 5 · Mia births: 11,078 · Mia 2024 rank: 5
James slipped from #5 to #6 even though its births rose slightly, from 11,856 to 11,945, a gain of 89 or 0.8 percent. Henry grew faster, which is why a name can add babies and still lose a place. James leads Elijah by 834 births.
Mia slipped from #5 to #6 with a far steeper fall, from 12,149 to 11,078 births, a loss of 1,071 or 8.8 percent. That is the largest drop in the girls’ top 10, and it leaves Mia 1,483 births behind Sophia.
7. Elijah and Isabella: Up a Place on Fewer Births
Elijah births: 11,111 · Elijah 2024 rank: 8 · Isabella births: 10,666 · Isabella 2024 rank: 7
Elijah rose from #8 to #7 even though its count slipped from 11,238 to 11,111, a drop of 127 or 1.1 percent. It gained the place because Mateo lost more, and the two are separated by just 66 births.
Isabella held #7, with births easing from 10,810 to 10,666, a loss of 144 or 1.3 percent. It sits 412 births behind Mia and 1,543 ahead of Evelyn at #8, so it has a clear gap on one side only.
8. Mateo and Evelyn: A Slip and a Standstill
Mateo births: 11,045 · Mateo 2024 rank: 7 · Evelyn births: 9,123 · Evelyn 2024 rank: 8
Mateo slipped from #7 to #8, with births down from 11,349 to 11,045, a loss of 304 or 2.7 percent. It stays 500 births ahead of William at #9.
Evelyn held #8 as its count barely moved, from 9,146 to 9,123, a loss of 23 or 0.3 percent, the smallest change in the girls’ top 10. It sits 871 births above Sofia and well below the 10,000-plus names above it.
9. William and Sofia: Each Gained a Place
William births: 10,545 · William 2024 rank: 10 · Sofia births: 8,252 · Sofia 2024 rank: 10
William rose from #10 to #9 despite a small loss, from 10,647 to 10,545 births, a drop of 102 or 1.0 percent. It leads Lucas at #10 by 326 births.
Sofia rose from #10 to #9, with births up from 8,113 to 8,252, a gain of 139 or 1.7 percent. It leads Eliana by only 61 births, and Sofia and Sophia, which sound alike, are ranked separately at #9 and #5.
10. Lucas and Eliana: The Last Place and the Biggest Jump
Lucas births: 10,219 · Lucas 2024 rank: 9 · Eliana births: 8,191 · Eliana 2024 rank: 18
Lucas slipped from #9 to #10, with births down from 10,743 to 10,219, a loss of 524 or 4.9 percent. Benjamin at #11 had 9,762 births, 457 fewer than Lucas.
Eliana entered the girls’ top 10 at #10, up from #18 in 2024, as births rose from 6,447 to 8,191. That is a gain of 1,744, or 27.1 percent, the largest jump in the girls’ top 20. It replaced Ava, which fell from #9 to #11 with 7,732 births.
How Long a Name Stays on Top: The Nine and Seven Year Reigns
Liam took 9 straight years at #1 for boys, from 2017 to 2025, and Olivia took 7 for girls, from 2019 to 2025. Neither arrived suddenly. Liam was #15 in 2011 and climbed to #6, #3, #2 and then #1, while Olivia moved from #4 to #3 to #2 before reaching the top.
Both leaders are now losing births, and the margins are tight: Liam is 460 ahead of Noah, and Olivia is 144 ahead of Charlotte, so the long reigns are not guaranteed to continue. For the other end of the name, see the most common last names in the US.
Top 10 Stability and Turnover From 2024 to 2025
The boys’ top 10 holds the same ten names as in 2024, Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, Henry, James, Elijah, Mateo, William and Lucas, only reordered. The girls’ top 10 has one change: Eliana in, Ava out. The churn is further down.
In the boys’ top 20 the new entrants are Elias at #13, Luca at #14, Hudson at #17 and Leo at #19, while Daniel, Michael, Ethan and Asher dropped out. In the girls’ top 20 Ailany came in at #14, Lily at #18 and Nora at #20, replacing Luna, Hazel and Chloe. Camila fell from #11 to #19 for girls, from 7,625 to 6,591 births, and Ezra from #13 to #20 for boys, from 8,822 to 8,126.
Falling Birth Counts and the Spread of Less Common Names
The births counted in 2025 were 3,593,747, with 1,835,823 male and 1,757,924 female, against 3,628,418 in 2024. That is 34,671 fewer, and the lowest total in the 2019 to 2025 table, which ran 3,760,699 in 2019, 3,622,472 in 2020, 3,671,227 in 2021, 3,674,149 in 2022 and 3,599,599 in 2023.
Names are also spreading out. The top 1,000 names covered 71.51 percent of all names in 2025, 75.59 percent for boys and 67.25 percent for girls, down from 73.25 percent in 2016 and falling for decades. For local variation, compare with the largest cities in the US, where the same name can feel more or less common.
What the Social Security Counts Include and Leave Out
The figures count Social Security card applications for US births, drawn from a 100% sample as of March 2026. Only records with a year of birth, sex and state of birth count, and a given name must be at least two characters long. The national data covers the 50 states and Washington, DC, with territories reported separately, and the Social Security Administration’s baby names page holds the full tables.
Hyphens and spaces are removed, so Julie-Anne counts as Julieanne. Different spellings are not combined, which means Caitlin and Kaitlyn rank apart and a sound such as Sofia and Sophia is split in two. Ties are broken alphabetically, and the public files leave out names with fewer than 5 occurrences in an area. A name’s count is the number of babies given that exact spelling, so it is not a total for all babies named that way.
How to Read Rank Moves and Birth Counts Together
Check both rank and births. James gained births and lost a place, and Elijah lost births and gained one, because rank depends on neighbours. A rise of 89 births, as for James, is small beside Theodore’s 1,286.
Look at the gaps between ranks as well. Only 55 births separate Emma from Amelia, 61 separate Sofia from Eliana and 66 separate Elijah from Mateo, so a few dozen babies can reorder them. The step from Noah at 20,358 to Oliver at 14,939 is 5,419, a real gap. For another figure measured from birth, see life expectancy by country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular baby name in the US?
In the 2025 data, Liam is the most popular boys’ name with 20,818 births, and Olivia is the most popular girls’ name with 13,544. Noah and Charlotte follow at #2 with 20,358 and 13,400.
How long has Liam been number one?
Nine years in a row, from 2017 to 2025. Olivia has been the girls’ #1 for seven, from 2019 to 2025, and each lead is narrowing: 460 births for Liam over Noah, 144 for Olivia over Charlotte.
Which girls name moved the most in the top 10?
Eliana, which climbed from #18 to #10 with 8,191 births, up 1,744 from 6,447. Charlotte also rose from #4 to #2, with 13,400 births.
Are different spellings of a name counted together?
No. Each spelling ranks on its own, so Sofia at #9 with 8,252 births and Sophia at #5 with 12,561 are separate entries. Added together they would reach 20,813 births, close to Liam’s total.
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