(NEXSTAR) – The class of 2041 will have a lot of graduates named Olivia, Charlotte, Noah or Liam. Those were some of the most popular name choices for newborns in 2023, according to the Social Security Administration, which released new state-by-state data on Thursday.
The data shows the most popular choices for each of the 50 states.
In most states, the most popular girl name was either Charlotte or Olivia, but some bucked the trend. In Hawaii, the most popular choice was Isla. Parents in Mississippi and South Dakota were most likely to choose Ava. In North Dakota and Wyoming, it was Evelyn. Five states (Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Vermont and West Virginia) had Amelia as the top choice.
For boys, the most popular choice in dozens of states was either Liam, Noah or Oliver. But that wasn’t the case in Alabama, where William was the most popular boy name in 2023. People in Mississippi also stuck to the classics, and opted for John most frequently. Wyoming was the only state to pick Henry most frequently and Hawaii was the only place to prefer Elijah. Parents up north, in Maine, Minnesota and Wisconsin, were most likely to pick Theodore.
Missouri
RankMale nameFemale name1OliverCharlotte2HenryOlivia3LiamAmelia4NoahEleanor5TheodoreHarper
The rankings are based on applications for new Social Security cards in 2023, the Social Security Administration said. The agency tracks names dating back to 1880.
If you’d like to look up the most popular baby names in your state, last year, or any year dating back to 1960, you can use the Social Security Administration’s online tool.
When it comes to the most popular names nationwide, there weren’t big changes in 2023. There was only one newcomer — Mateo — to the top 10 lists for both boys and girls.
The Social Security Administration said there was a slight drop in the number of births last year, from 3.66 million in 2022 to 3.58 million in 2023.