You’ll Never Guess the Most Popular Baby Names in Each State
It’s always fun to see which baby names rise in popularity from year to year, but have you ever thought about how the top picks might vary across the country? Do parents in Ohio feel the same way about their choice for a baby girl name as those from Texas? According to the Social Security Administration’s list of top baby names by state from 2020, the answer is yes. In fact, more than half the country seemed to favor the same moniker for little ladies last year.
Data from the organization shows Olivia taking the #1 spot for newborn girls in a whopping 30 states. The top boy’s name, on the other hand, had a bit more competition: Liam ranked highest in 22 states while Oliver took over in 17 states.
What’s really interesting, though, is how the different regions seemed to favor names based on their section of the country. Of course, there were a few that stood out from the pack, too.
Take a look at the maps below to see more of the most popular baby names by state for 2020:
Olivia: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington DC, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming (30)
Charlotte: Delaware, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Virginia, Wisconsin (8)
Ava: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina (5)
Amelia: Alaska, Kentucky, North Dakota, Vermont (4)
Emma: Florida, Pennsylvania (2)
Harper: South Dakota, West Virginia (2)
Liam: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia (22)
Oliver: Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming (17)
Noah: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania (5)
William: Alabama, Washington DC, South Carolina (3)
Henry (Minnesota), James (Mississippi), and Lucas (New Hampshire)
Are you surprised by the most popular name in your neck of the woods? There’s no telling why parents seem to gravitate toward the same monikers over the years, but pop culture is probably a pretty big influence. Royal fans might be the reason Charlotte, William, and Henry are still clinging to the top spot in some states. And perhaps there are a lot of parents who love the children’s book series about a sweet pig named Olivia! In any case, they all also happen to be lovely classic names that stick.
We can’t wait to see which ones will stay at the top or rise in ranks this year, too! We’re sure each of these little ones will find their own ways to be unique regardless.
