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Lifestyle
Scott Horsley, NPR

Liam and Olivia are still the most popular baby names in the U.S. — but Mateo is rising

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Olivia and Liam were the most popular names for girls and boys in 2023, just as they have been in each of the last five years.
Olivia and Liam were the most popular names for girls and boys in 2023, just as they have been in each of the last five years.
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images for Rock 'n' Roll M

For all the upheaval of recent years, one thing has stayed the same: Liam and Olivia are still the most popular baby names in the U.S. for the fifth year in a row.

An annual tally by the Social Security Administration — released just in time for Mother’s Day — shows 20,802 baby boys were named Liam last year, while 15,270 baby girls were named Olivia. Also for the fifth year running, Noah and Emma were the runners up.

Almost all the most popular names have remained remarkably consistent from year to year. “Mateo” was the only new entry to crack the top ten list for either boy’s or girl’s names in 2023.

Chozen, Kaeli and Alitzel making buzz

While some names gained newfound buzz last year — Izael and Chozen for boys, Kaeli and Alitzel for girls — they remain far behind trusted standbys like Oliver and Charlotte.

More than one out of 100 baby boys was named Liam last year, while Olivia was attached to just under one in 100 baby girls.

“Everyone thinks they’re choosing a name that’s just so special for their child,” University of Chicago professor Eric Oliver told Freakanomics Radio back in 2013. “It’s only when they get to the playground and there are half a dozen other Ella’s there that they realize, ‘Oh, maybe I’m part of a social trend.’”

(Ella was the 13th most popular girl’s name in 2013. By last year it had dropped to 32d place. )

Pop cultural influence may give a lift to some previously obscure names. Social Security researchers note that Chozen, the second fastest-growing boy’s name, is a character on the Netflix show “Cobra Kai.” The rise of Kaeli as a girl’s name may have been sparked by TikTok star Kaeli McEwen.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.