The Most Popular Baby Names

Here’s a visual vibe check for your curious soul. That heat‑map-ish image is baby names by decade in the US—a lush, colorful tapestry showing the names that dominated across eras. It’s like a time‑travel scroll through naming obsession. Now let’s jam into the real story behind the decades, and get weirdly nostalgic with a twist.

a stroll through the decades—name-style

The Social Security Administration (SSA) helps us get real with data, counting up how often each name pops up across decades. What’s the top name of ’em all in a decade? That’s rank 1. And so on and so forth

Parents

+6

Statista

+6

Reddit

+6

Parents

+7

Social Security

+7

Social Security

+7

Early 1900s to 1920s

Girls: Mary is everywhere. It's the default, reigning supreme decade after decade.

Boys: John, William, James—classic, unshakable. Every year, mostly these names rule

Statista

+5

Wikipedia

+5

Newswav

+5

1960s

Girls: Mary still strong, but names like Lisa, Susan, Karen, Linda, Debra come barreling in

Social Security

+14

Wikipedia

+14

Statista

+14

Boys: Michael starts climbing fast—and basically dominates every year. Names like David, John, James, Robert are still there, cozy and dependable

Wikipedia

1970s

Girls: Jennifer explodes—it’s the name of the decade, with Lisa, Kimberly, Amy, Michelle all in heavy rotation

Wikipedia

+7

Wikipedia

+7

Wikipedia

+7

Boys: Michael tightens its grip. James, Christopher, Jason, David hover nearby

Wikipedia

1990s

Girls: Jessica and Ashley are basically everywhere. Later in the decade Emily and Sarah appear, but those top two are iconic

Wikipedia

Boys: Michael is still a powerhouse, with Christopher, Matthew, Joshua, Jacob in the mix

Wikipedia

2000s

Girls: Emily kicks off the decade, but Emma, Madison, Isabella, and Olivia shine later on

Social Security

+14

Wikipedia

+14

Parents

+14

Boys: Jacob rules early, with Michael, Matthew, Joshua, Christopher staying in rotation

Wikipedia

2020s (so far)

According to SSA site trends, recent top names include Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, James for boys—and Olivia, Emma, Amelia, Charlotte, Mia for girls

Social Security

Plus, Mary holds the record for the most-given girls’ name overall, and James for boys—when you sum up their total births from 1925 to 2024

The Everymom

beyond the top picks

Trends shift. In older decades, the top name (like Mary in 1925) might account for 5.6% of births. Now? Top names like Olivia only hit about 0.8%—naming has exploded into a galaxy of unique options

The Everymom

Generational patterns reveal fun storylines too:

Gen X (1965–1980): Michael, David, Christopher for boys. Jennifer, Michelle, Kimberly for girls

The New Yorker

Parents

Millennials (1981–1996): Michael, Christopher, Matthew; Jessica is Queen Girl, owning 42 states

Parents

Gen Z (1997–2012): Boys: Jacob, Michael, Joshua. Girls: Emily, Madison, Emma

Parents

Gen Alpha (2013–2023): New gen, new faves: Boys: Liam, Noah, William. Girls: Emma, Olivia, Ava

Wikipedia

+7

Parents

+7

Reddit

+7

And yes, vintage names are staging a comeback. Eleanor, Eloise, Theodore, Jasper—all creeping back because nostalgia’s nifty, and they sound timeless in a multicultural era

Good Housekeeping

+2

New York Post

+2

. Meanwhile, suffix-heavy names like Jayden or Braden are fading

Wikipedia

+3

Wikipedia

+3

New York Post

+3

why this matters

Because names are mirrors. They show what cultures value. Biblical names like Mary and James were safe bets long ago. Now parents chase distinctiveness, authenticity, and sometimes emotional resonance.

Also, styles cycle. Agree? Predictions say names trend up, then down. Think Emma was peaking around 2014. Others like Adele follow similar arcs, if we analyze patterns

TIME

quick vibe summary

Decade/Gen Top Girls Top Boys

1900–1920s Mary John, William, James

1960s Mary → Lisa, Susan... Michael, David, John...

1970s Jennifer, Lisa, etc. Michael, James, Jason...

1990s Jessica, Ashley, etc. Michael, Christopher...

2000s Emily → Emma, Olivia Jacob, Michael...

2020s & Gen Alpha Olivia, Emma, Mia Liam, Noah, Oliver

Revival trend Eleanor, Theodore... —

so, what’s your decade?

Looking to name-drop the vibe of your birth era—or just love time-traveling through names? Tell me your decade and I’ll riff with a personal survey of name culture. Or let’s trace how your name stacks up in the legacy league.