Once again, there's a consistent theme for the nation's top baby names
These Are Officially the Most Popular Baby Names of 2024
Published on May 13, 2025
Many lists of popular baby names cover fun trends, like old-fashioned monikers, Western baby names and a state-by-state look at the rarest names in the country. But when the Social Security Administration (SSA) releases its list of the year’s top baby names, you know the most official scoop has finally arrived.
Indeed, the SSA data is hot off the press with its report of the 1,000 most popular baby names of 2024. And when it comes to the names at the report’s tippy top, there’s a very distinct through line. Curious about which baby names rule our land? Read on for more, plus the year’s top names for boys and girls.
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How were the most popular names of 2024 determined?
The most popular baby names of 2024 are determined annually by the SSA with data from applications for Social Security cards. SSA tabulates all the baby names in a given year and ranks their frequency based on the naming information that new parents provide when a baby is born. SSA cards go to babies with names that are at least two letters long and who are born in one of 50 states, the District of Columbia or one of the 14 U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.
What are the most popular baby names in the U.S.?
Drumroll, please! The most popular baby names in the U.S. for 2024 are Olivia for girls and Liam for boys. And the shocking reveal here is that both of these names have held the No. 1 slots for a solid six years in a row—going all the way back to 2019. What’s more, the names at No. 2 have accomplished the same feat during this timeframe, with Emma in second place for girls and Noah in this slot for boys.
“It’s not surprising that Olivia, Emma, Liam and Noah are again in the Social Security Administration’s No. 1 and No. 2 spots this year because once a name reaches that height of popularity, it tends to hold its position for a while,” says Rebekah Wahlberg, a specialist in baby name trends at BabyCenter.
According to the records at SSA, in 2024, 14,718 babies were named Olivia and 22,164 babies were dubbed Liam. The runner-up names include 20,337 babies named Noah and 13,485 named Emma. What’s more, the core four names of Olivia, Emma, Liam and Noah have cornered the baby name market for even longer, swapping back and forth from the top spot to the second since 2014.
Wahlberg cites other similar trends with top SSA names reigning supreme, including Emily, which was No. 1 from 1996 to 2007, and Jacob, from 1999 to 2012. “If we go even further back, to 1955, Michael and Mary were the SSA’s No. 1 names, and each held that honor for decades—Michael from 1954 to 1998, and Mary from 1880 (when the SSA started tracking baby names) to 1961,” she continues.
The most popular boy names of 2024
- Liam
- Noah
- Oliver
- Theodore
- James
- Henry
- Mateo
- Elijah
- Lucas
- William
The most popular girl names of 2024
- Olivia
- Emma
- Amelia
- Charlotte
- Mia
- Sophia
- Isabella
- Evelyn
- Ava
- Sofia
What changed from 2023’s list?
As for changes from 2023’s list, lots of 2024’s baby names hit on popular trends. For example, names that contain a letter Z, a trend for 2025, pop up repeatedly on the list, including Azaiah, Azai and Zymer for boys. And for girls, double-barrel names, which means two first names fused together, with or without a hyphen, are climbing the list as well, such as Icelynn, Wrenlee (and Wrenleigh), Maelynn and Lakelynn (and Lakelyn).
The name Halo for a boy vaulted ahead on SSA’s list, joining other popular celestial names like Luna and Aurora for girls. “BabyCenter parents have actually been ahead of the curve on Halo as a boy name: It entered BabyCenter’s top 1,000 boy names last year at No. 937 (compared with the SSA’s No. 994), and currently ranks No. 849,” reports Wahlberg.
Marjorie also moved up significantly in 2024, and as a vintage name, Wahlberg feels it’s poised for a comeback. “According to SSA data, Marjorie was in the top 100 names from 1904 to 1945 before falling out of the top 1,000 entirely in the 1990s. But it just made it back into the top 1,000 girl names this year, after being in and out for the past couple of decades,” she says.
Should you hop on a top name or buck the trend?
If you’re wondering whether to stick with a top name or shun these trendy monikers, Wahlberg suggests tweaking the spelling. “One way parents love to distinguish their baby’s name is through playing with the spelling, which is how we end up with both Sophia and Sofia in the Social Security Administration’s top 10 girl names, as well as Aylani and Ailany in its fastest-rising girl names,” she offers.
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Sources:
- Social Security Administration: “Top Baby Names of 2024”
- Social Security Administration: “Social Security Number Holders”
- Social Security Administration: “Change in Name Popularity”
- Rebekah Wahlberg, baby-name trends specialist at BabyCenter; email interview, May 12, 2025
