
The top baby names in each US state reveal trends that unite the country, and differences that give each region its own local flavor. Some takeaways from the new state name data:
“Olives” grow in the North.
Olivia is the country’s dominant girl’s name, ranking #1 in 30 different states—but none of the core Deep South states are among them. The popularity of the boy’s name Oliver skews even more Northern. It tops the charts in 16 different states but doesn’t even crack the top 5 in the South. The peak Olive Zone is a block of eight contiguous states from Washington to Missouri where the two names reign together as a matched set of #1’s. That same region is especially fond of the name Olive as well.
America is embracing long boys’ names
Long, multisyllabic boy’s names like Sebastian, Benjamin, Theodore and Ezekiel are top-5 choices from coast to coast. Meanwhile the only state with a one-syllable boy’s favorite is Mississippi, where James is the top name.
No consensus on new contemporary names
The new names proliferating near the top of the state rankings are revivals of older traditional names like Amelia and Theodore. At this point, no contemporary-styled names have made a major breakthrough since Harper nearly a decade ago. Yet the name trend overall isn’t moving in a traditional direction. It seems to be more a matter of lack of consensus. Contemporary namers have a broader pool of choices to pick from, and right now no individual name is emerging from the pack.
You can look for your own state in these charts of the top 5 names for boys and girls across the US. Then explore regional trends in individual names, letter combinations, name endings and more with our freshly updated interactive name map.
BOYS | |||||
State | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
Alabama | William | James | John | Elijah | Noah |
Alaska | Liam | Oliver | 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 | Benjamin | Michael | James |
Delaware | Liam | Noah | Elijah | Carter | Anthony |
Dist. of Columbia | William | Noah | James | John | Henry |
Florida | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Elijah | Oliver |
Georgia | Liam | Noah | William | Elijah | James |
Hawaii | Liam | Noah | Oliver | Elijah | Logan |
Idaho | Oliver | Liam | Henry | William | 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 | Benjamin |
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 | Benjamin | Owen | Jack |
New Jersey | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Joseph | Jacob |
New Mexico | Liam | Noah | Ezekiel | Elijah | Mateo |
New York | Liam | Noah | Lucas | Jacob | Joseph |
North Carolina | Liam | Noah | William | James | Elijah |
North Dakota | Oliver | Liam | Hudson | Asher | Benjamin |
Ohio | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Elijah | William |
Oklahoma | Liam | Oliver | Noah | Elijah | Lincoln |
Oregon | Oliver | Henry | Liam | Noah | William |
Pennsylvania | Noah | Liam | Benjamin | Mason | Michael |
Rhode Island | Liam | Noah | Jacob | Benjamin | Julian |
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 | Noah | Asher |
Wisconsin | Oliver | Liam | Henry | William | Theodore |
Wyoming | Oliver | Liam | Wyatt | Logan | Jackson |
GIRLS | |||||
State | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
Alabama | Ava | Olivia | Emma | Charlotte | Harper |
Alaska | Amelia | Charlotte | Olivia | Sophia | Aurora |
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 |
Dist. of Columbia | Olivia | Ava | Charlotte | Emma | Eleanor |
Florida | Emma | Olivia | Isabella | Sophia | Ava |
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 | Amelia | Ava |
Iowa | Olivia | Charlotte | Evelyn | Emma | Amelia |
Kansas | Olivia | Charlotte | Emma | Sophia | Amelia |
Kentucky | Amelia | Olivia | Emma | Ava | 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 | Mia | Sophia |
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 |
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