Olivia and Liam are once again America’s most popular baby names, with 2023 being the fifth consecutive year that parents have chosen the monikers for their little ones, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration. Also, for the fifth consecutive year, Noah took the second slot for boys, and Emma for girls. Meanwhile, only one new name appeared in the Top 10 lists this year, with Mateo joining the boys for the first time.
Here are the top 10 boys’ and girls’ names for 2023, according to SSA:
Boys: Girls:
1) Liam 1) Olivia
2) Noah 2) Emma
3) Oliver 3) Charlotte
4) James 4) Amelia
5) Elijah 5) Sophia
6) Mateo 6) Mia
7) Theodore 7) Isabella
8) Henry 8) Ava
9) Lucas 9) Evelyn
10) William 10) Luna
Every year, Social Security celebrates Mother’s Day by announcing the 1000 most popular baby names. You can view the full list at www.ssa.gov/babynames, and see how popular your name was the year you were born and where it’s ranked now.
Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley wished a happy Mother’s Day to “all the incredible moms in our lives.” He added, Your love, strength, and selflessness motivate us all, and we thank you for everything you do,” he said. “Know that Social Security is here to help you continue to provide for your families by securing a Social Security number for your child, filing for benefits for yourself or your family members, and so much more. We will never stop working for you.”
According to SSA representatives, Social Security programs are particularly important for women, who they said made up 55 percent of adult Social Security beneficiaries in 2023. “Women typically have longer life expectancies than men and earn less income over their lifetime due to the combined impact of the gender wage gap, caregiving responsibilities, overrepresentation in low-paid jobs, and more,” they said.
“Social Security also provides critical benefits to 2.6 million children, including nearly one million low-income children with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income benefits,” they added.
What’s in a Name?
According to the SSA, parents apply for their child’s Social Security card when they are born, making the agency America’s top source for baby names. The agency began compiling the baby names list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. Each year, the list reveals the effect of pop culture on naming trends.
“It’s clear that social media stars had a major influence on new parents in 2023,” SSA officials said. “The fastest rising girl’s name, Kaeli, went viral in 2023, rising a whopping 1,692 spots. Parents must have really smashed the ‘like’ button for YouTube and TikTok star Kaeli McEwen (also known as Kaeli Mae), who routinely promotes a clean, tidy, and neutral-aesthetic lifestyle.”
They continued, “On the boy’s side, trending in third place as the boy’s fastest riser, is Eiden – perhaps it was TikTok creator Wyatt Eiden’s 1.6 billion views and over 3 million followers that prompted this name’s meteoric rise.”
Agency officials went on to say that powerful names also proved very attractive to parents in 2023. “Emryn made her debut in the Top 1000 baby names after moving up 1,287 spots. Ryn translates to “ruler,” so it is no shock to see Emryn becoming a leader amongst the girls,” they said. “Meanwhile Chozen, the second fastest rising boy’s name, fought up to number 813 in 2023. The character Chozen becomes a hero in the latest season of the hit Netflix show, Cobra Kai – wax on, wax off!” they said.
Listed below are the top five fastest rising boys’ and girls’ names in 2023:
Boys: Girls
1) Izael 1) Kaeli
2) Chozen 2) Alitzel
3) Eiden 3) Emryn
4) Cassian 4) Adhara
5) Kyren 5) Azari
Please visit www.ssa.gov/babynames to view the entire list and see where your name ranks now and over the past 100 years.
People can visit www.ssa.gov to learn more about how Social Security’s expanded digital services make it easier than ever for women and children to access critical benefits and services.