Here are the most popular baby names of 2021
The Social Security Administration on Friday released its annual list of the most popular baby names in the U.S. and two special names topped the list last year.
It turns out Liam remains the No. 1 pick for baby boys in 2021. Yes, Liam Payne of One Direction fame (or maybe you’re a Liam Gallagher of Oasis fan?) and "The Hunger Games" star Liam Hemsworth are all in good company, as the Germanic name, an abbreviated form of William, took the honor for the fifth year in a row.
Meanwhile, Olivia was the most fashionable name for baby girls, clinching the top spot for a third year. A variation on the Latin word for “olive tree” (oliva), Olivia is definitely having a moment in the spotlight, as director and actress Olivia Wilde and singer Olivia Rodrigo have nabbed headlines for their work recently.
Rounding out the top 10 names for boys are Noah, Oliver, Elijah, James, William, Benjamin, Lucas, Henry and -- for the first time ever – Theodore. The latter bumped the name Alexander out of the top 10.
Following Olivia, the top girls’ names include Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Ava, Sophia, Isabella, Mia, Evelyn and, last but not least, Harper.
And in case you were wondering, nope, none of the top 20 names are those of the fictional "Bridgerton" siblings of the popular book and Netflix series.
The SSA maintains a database of names and anyone interested can search the popularity of names by birth year, decade, state and more on the federal agency’s website. The SSA has been releasing the top baby names since 1997 and features names that date as far back as 1880. Who said old-fashioned wasn’t cool?
