
Olivia unites us, Theodore divides us, and Oliver is the King in the North. Those are some of the takeaways from a new look at the most popular baby names in every US State in 2020.
Olivia, the nation’s top girl’s name, ranks in the top 5 in every single state except South Dakota…where it is #6. Olivia reigns at #1 in states from Washington to North Carolina and from Minnesota to Texas. In contrast, the 17 states where the similar boy’s name Oliver reigns are all above the Mason-Dixon line, cutting a Northern swath from Alaska to Wisconsin to Maine.
Other regional favorites include Mateo, which is top-5 in every state along the Mexican border, and Wyatt, a favorite in Montana and Wyoming. New Mexico, meanwhile, remains the one and only state smitten with the name Ezekiel—now risen to #3.
Yet the biggest regional contrast of all may be in the name Theodore. Theodore is a top hit in rural Northern states, but largely off the radar elsewhere. The name is 11 times as popular in its top state, Vermont, as in its lowest, Mississippi.
You can explore regional trends in individual names, letter combinations, name endings and more with our freshly updated interactive name map. And look for your own state in these charts of the top 5 for boys and girls from coast to coast.
BOYS | |||||
STATE | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
Alabama | William | James | John | Elijah | Noah |
Alaska | Oliver | Liam | Elijah | Theodore | William |
Arizona | Liam | Noah | Mateo | Oliver | Benjamin |
Arkansas | Liam | William | Elijah | Noah | Oliver |
California | Noah | Liam | Mateo | Sebastian | Julian |
Colorado | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Henry | William |
Connecticut | Noah | Liam | Michael | James | Logan |
Delaware | Liam | Noah | Elijah | Carter | Anthony |
Florida | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Elijah | Oliver |
Georgia | Liam | Noah | William | Elijah | James |
Hawaii | Liam | Noah | Oliver | Elijah | Logan |
Idaho | Oliver | Liam | William | Henry | James |
Illinois | Noah | Liam | Oliver | Benjamin | Henry |
Indiana | Oliver | Liam | Elijah | Noah | Henry |
Iowa | Oliver | Liam | Henry | Theodore | William |
Kansas | Liam | Henry | Oliver | Noah | Elijah |
Kentucky | Liam | William | Oliver | Elijah | James |
Louisiana | Liam | Elijah | Noah | John | William |
Maine | Oliver | Henry | Liam | Theodore | Jack |
Maryland | Liam | Noah | James | Lucas | Benjamin |
Massachusetts | Noah | Liam | Benjamin | James | William |
Michigan | Oliver | Noah | Liam | Henry | Elijah |
Minnesota | Henry | Oliver | Theodore | Liam | Jack |
Mississippi | James | William | Elijah | John | Noah |
Missouri | Oliver | Liam | William | Henry | Noah |
Montana | Oliver | Henry | William | Wyatt | James |
Nebraska | Oliver | Henry | Liam | Theodore | William |
Nevada | Liam | Noah | Elijah | Sebastian | Mateo |
New Hampshire | Lucas | Oliver | Owen | Benjamin | Liam |
New Jersey | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Joseph | Jacob |
New Mexico | Liam | Noah | Ezekiel | Elijah | Mateo |
New York | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Jacob | Ethan |
North Carolina | Liam | Noah | William | James | Elijah |
North Dakota | Oliver | Liam | Hudson | Asher | Jack |
Ohio | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Elijah | William |
Oklahoma | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Lincoln | Elijah |
Oregon | Oliver | Liam | Henry | Noah | William |
Pennsylvania | Noah | Liam | Benjamin | Mason | Michael |
Rhode Island | Liam | Noah | Jacob | Julian | Benjamin |
South Carolina | William | Noah | James | Liam | Elijah |
South Dakota | Oliver | Liam | Henry | Maverick | Asher |
Tennessee | Liam | William | Elijah | James | Noah |
Texas | Liam | Noah | Mateo | Elijah | Sebastian |
Utah | Oliver | William | Liam | Jack | Henry |
Vermont | Oliver | Theodore | Owen | Benjamin | Liam |
Virginia | Liam | Noah | William | James | Oliver |
Washington | Oliver | Liam | Noah | Benjamin | Henry |
West Virginia | Liam | Elijah | Mason | Asher | Noah |
Wisconsin | Oliver | Liam | Henry | William | Theodore |
Wyoming | Oliver | Liam | Wyatt | Logan | Jackson |
GIRLS | |||||
STATE | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
Alabama | Ava | Olivia | Emma | Charlotte | Amelia |
Alaska | Amelia | Charlotte | Olivia | Sophia | Ava |
Arizona | Olivia | Emma | Sophia | Mia | Isabella |
Arkansas | Olivia | Emma | Amelia | Harper | Ava |
California | Olivia | Camila | Emma | Mia | Sophia |
Colorado | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Sophia | Amelia |
Connecticut | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Sophia | Isabella |
Delaware | Charlotte | Olivia | Isabella | Amelia | Emma |
Florida | Emma | Olivia | Isabella | Sophia | Mia |
Georgia | Ava | Olivia | Amelia | Emma | Charlotte |
Hawaii | Olivia | Sophia | Isabella | Amelia | Luna |
Idaho | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Harper | Evelyn |
Illinois | Olivia | Emma | Charlotte | Sophia | Amelia |
Indiana | Charlotte | Olivia | Emma | Ava | Amelia |
Iowa | Olivia | Charlotte | Evelyn | Amelia | Ava |
Kansas | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Sophia | Amelia |
Kentucky | Amelia | Olivia | Ava | Emma | Harper |
Louisiana | Ava | Amelia | Olivia | Emma | Charlotte |
Maine | Charlotte | Harper | Olivia | Evelyn | Emma |
Maryland | Olivia | Ava | Emma | Sophia | Charlotte |
Massachusetts | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Sophia | Isabella |
Michigan | Charlotte | Amelia | Olivia | Ava | Emma |
Minnesota | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Evelyn | Amelia |
Mississippi | Ava | Olivia | Amelia | Kinsley | Harper |
Missouri | Olivia | Charlotte | Amelia | Emma | Harper |
Montana | Charlotte | Olivia | Evelyn | Harper | Nora |
Nebraska | Olivia | Amelia | Charlotte | Emma | Evelyn |
Nevada | Olivia | Emma | Isabella | Sophia | Mia |
New Hampshire | Charlotte | Olivia | Amelia | Emma | Ava |
New Jersey | Olivia | Sophia | Emma | Mia | Ava |
New Mexico | Olivia | Sophia | Emma | Mia | Amelia |
New York | Olivia | Emma | Sophia | Ava | Isabella |
North Carolina | Olivia | Ava | Emma | Charlotte | Amelia |
North Dakota | Amelia | Olivia | Ava | Hazel | Evelyn |
Ohio | Olivia | Charlotte | Amelia | Ava | Emma |
Oklahoma | Olivia | Emma | Ava | Amelia | Charlotte |
Oregon | Olivia | Amelia | Charlotte | Emma | Evelyn |
Pennsylvania | Emma | Olivia | Charlotte | Ava | Sophia |
Rhode Island | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Isabella | Amelia |
South Carolina | Ava | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Amelia |
South Dakota | Harper | Charlotte | Amelia | Ella | Emma |
Tennessee | Olivia | Ava | Amelia | Emma | Harper |
Texas | Olivia | Emma | Camila | Isabella | Mia |
Utah | Olivia | Emma | Charlotte | Amelia | Evelyn |
Vermont | Amelia | Emma | Olivia | Eleanor | Evelyn |
Virginia | Charlotte | Olivia | Ava | Emma | Amelia |
Washington | Olivia | Emma | Charlotte | Amelia | Sophia |
West Virginia | Harper | Amelia | Ava | Emma | Olivia |
Wisconsin | Charlotte | Olivia | Evelyn | Amelia | Emma |
Wyoming | Olivia | Amelia | Harper | Charlotte | Evelyn |
8 Comments
I was surprised at Camila until I found out that’s the first name of Matthew McConaughey’s wife, Camila Alves, and according to Wikipedia,
“In May 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, McConaughey and Alves distributed over 100,000 face masks to hospitals in Texas.”
Camila is actually the #12 overall girl’s name in the country, which is remarkable for a name that’s largely Latina. (It didn’t even register in the stats in 5 states with low Latinx populations.) Singer Camila Cabello is a huge factor.
There are actually 6 states where Camila had <5 births according to your interactive map.
I noticed on your map it shows “No Matches” in the District of Columbia even for names that show up on the list there.
Hi Kelly, I don’t believe that DC is represented in the Ultimate Name Map. Can you tell me where you’re seeing “No Matches”? Thank you!
It’s a small spot where it’s located, but if you point in just the right place it will say “District of Columbia No matches”.
Ah, got it, thanks for the heads up! I’ll look into it.
Another feature that I’d like would be where you can view the map not just for the current year but for other years in the past (that data is available for).