‘LIAM’ AND ‘OLIVIA’ TOP THE LATEST LISTS

Drumroll please! Those of us who fancy names look forward to the time of year when the U.S. Social Security Administration posts its baby name popularity data on first names given by parents in the prior calendar year. It is not a perfect accounting of every birth—just a list of newborn applicants for social security numbers that year. However, the data are statistically accurate measures of the popularity of names for newborns.

Recognizing the value of the data collected, the Social Security Administration has made it available to the public. It's been grouped and massaged in ways of interest to parents, sociologists, psychologists, name enthusiasts and, certainly, to a baby name consultant.

The Top 10 Baby Names in the U.S. were led by Liam for boys and Olivia for girls in 2024. (Statistics are compiled after a year is completed; 2025 data will be available around May 2026.) Some top names, like William, seem to withstand the test of time. Some, like Ava and Mia, still find themselves among the most popular names of the 2000s after spending the 20th century in the background. Still others, like Evelyn, hadn't seen the Top 10 since World War I.

Do you love a popular name but worry it won't be special enough for your child? Are you having trouble getting an unusual name out of your mind and worry it will be a lifelong burden for your child?

Parents today are under pressure. Some feel they are doing a disservice to their children if they use today's top names; others feel they are doing a disservice if they don't. In truth, there is no formula for the "perfect" name. No one name type will guarantee a successful life. People with ordinary names lead exceptional lives, just as people with extraordinary names can lead average lives. 

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