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These Names Define Your State’s Baby Name Style

May 23, 2023 laurawattenberg 5 Comments

These Names Define Your State’s Baby Name Style

May 23, 2023 LauraWattenberg 5 Comments
US map showing distinctive baby names of various states

Local taste isn’t just about what you like best. It’s about what you like more than everyplace else.

While names like Olivia and Liam are favorites from coast to coast, only one state has made Aurora its #1 girl’s name. Only one region flocks to the boy’s name Bridger. These differences define local styles and power the nation’s baby name diversity.

I’ve collected a sampler of names that are unusually popular in each state. Browse to get a sense of the country’s many naming cultures, then map the popularity of your own favorite names with our freshly updated interactive US name map.

STATEGIRLSBOYS
AlabamaMaryBlakelySaylorJohnBrysonLegend
AlaskaAuroraWinterBristolMaverickGreysonArlo
ArizonaLunaDaleyzaReginaSantiagoJesúsDariel
ArkansasOaklynnPaisleyWrenleeWaylonRidgeGatlin
CaliforniaCamilaNataliaJulietaSebastianEzekielMaximiliano
ColoradoAspenJosephineOpheliaTheodoreMilesOrion
ConnecticutMaeveMadelineGiulianaJackCameronLuca
DelawareSophiaElianaKhloeLoganMichaelChance
D.C.MayaFrancesDreamCharlesAugustNasir
FloridaIsabellaValentinaAmaiaThiagoEnzoBryan
GeorgiaSkylarJourneeSevynLegendCairoChosen
HawaiiKaiaKailaniLeiaKaiMakoaRyder
IdahoHazelOakleyElsieWalkerBridgerHyrum
IllinoisMaeveFrancescaVivianMateoPatrickNasir
IndianaEleanorOaklynnNovaLincolnBeckhamRemington
IowaVivianBriarLeightonBrooksTateBarrett
KansasMillieCollinsOakleyHenryBrooksBeau
KentuckyPaisleyRaelynnEverleighWalylonWalkerBentley
LouisianaCamilleDemiLondynLukeKingstonKhaza
MaineEvelynMaevePhoebeTheodoreWesleyRowan
MarylandGenesisHelenKoriCalebAmirJefferson
MassachusettsMaeveNoraHelenaJackCharlesColin
MichiganIslaEleanorMaryamHudsonAliBlake
MinnesotaNoraAishaGretaCalvinTateHenrik
MississippiKinsleyMaryMiracleJamesKingstonKarter
MissouriEleanorOakleyWrenleyTheodoreHudsonRyker
MontanaPaisleyPiperBrynleeWaylonRhettBridger
NebraskaHazelBrynleeLennonBrooksBeckettTripp
NevadaLunaXimenaAthenaSebastianMateoCruz
New HampshireCharlotteNoraBrookeOwenWyattJackson
New JerseyEstherSiennaChayaJosephYehudaSalvatore
New MexicoAaliyahLilianaAmayaMateoEzekielOrion
New YorkLeahEstherAlessiaJacobNicholasMoshe
North CarolinaCarolineMagnoliaWynterJacksonWaylonLegend
North DakotaEllieHadleyFreyaCooperEastonBriggs
OhioQuinnEverleighOctaviaLincolnMylesBraxton
OklahomaBlakelyParkerPresleyMaverickJasperStetson
OregonHazelEmberFrancesOliverEzraMilo
PennsylvaniaDelaneyFionaMarthaOwenDeclanBryce
Rhode IslandIslaGabriellaGenevieveJulianLucaRowan
South CarolinaMaryJourneeMalaniJohnKingstonDakari
South DakotaRyleeJuniperCollinsHudsonArcherKnox
TennesseeHarperEverleighLakelynWaylonWalkerShepherd
TexasCamilaCatalinaXimenaSantiagoJoséGael
UtahOakelyMillieNavyBeckhamMiloScottie
VermontJuniperIrisPhoebeEverettLincolnWesley
VirginiaCharlotteElizabethAmaniWilliamCharlesAhmad
WashingtonEvelynJuniperAliceTheodoreMiloAtlas
West VirginiaOaklynnWillowGracelynGraysonMaverickAxton
WisconsinNoraEloiseLennonHenryBennettOtto
WyomingHazelPaisleyEverleeBridgerStetsonMaddox
LauraWattenberg
LauraWattenberg

Namerology founder and "Baby Name Wizard" author Laura Wattenberg is a globally recognized name expert, known for her scientific approach to understanding name trends and culture.

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5 Comments

  • Kimberly May 23, 2023 at 11:56 pm

    I’m not surprised to see Hyrum on the list of unusually popular names for Idaho, considering its high concentration of Mormon families.

  • ChrisinLiberty
    ChrisinLiberty May 24, 2023 at 2:37 am

    A good intriguing post as someone who was always looking up to local naming styles depending on the state since 2020, and I’m satisfied with the new names like Enzo, Bryan and Amaia for my state since they mingle in well with the 4th edition ones, which I saw again in this post as well.

    I also got a sampler of unusually popular names from my state that I mapped myself which I can share here; through the interactive US Name map and by doing this with all the Top 100 Names, I got a sense of new local names that would fit well with Floridian naming styles. I did notice that the new names are outside of the Top 100, so I included two that were former Top 100’ers for each gender below, to be even:

    Florida Boys: Jayden, Matthew, Aaron, Nicolas, Emmanuel
    Florida Girls: Alaia, Ashley, Brianna, Nicole, Amanda

    I did spot an outlier; Bryan is unique in Massachussets upon looking at the map because it turns MA red compared to FL which turns orange when the name is typed in. Regardless, I can shrug it off anyway. I’m down on mapping my own popularity of my own favorite names that are unique for my state; I think it might be a fun activity to give it a try that I would recommend for other name nerds.

  • Elizabeth May 24, 2023 at 1:00 pm

    Is the name Mille (Utah) supposed to be Millie? If not, do you have any idea where Mille came from?

  • Clare June 3, 2023 at 7:17 pm

    As a British person,a lot of these I don’t even consider real names, these poor kids will have to go through life spelling out their names

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