Most Popular Baby Names For Boys and Girls in the US: Liam and Olivia Top the Lists Again For 2021

The Social Security Administration released on Friday, May 6, its annual list of the most popular baby names in the United States. This list is based on the data they collect each year when parents apply for their kid's Social Security card.

The government organization started compiling the list of baby names back in 1997. The Social Security Administration traced names all the way back to 1880, tracking the names given to boys and girls in each state. The list provides a fascinating insight into cultural and demographic trends as names rise and fall in popularity each year.

Liam and Olivia are once again the most common baby names in America, according to BuzzFeed News. Liam has reigned supreme for five consecutive years now in the list of most popular baby names for boys, while Olivia was adjudged to be the most popular name for a baby girl in 2021. Oliva has now topped the list in each of the past three years, according to the federal agency.

Theodore barges into the top 10, replaces Alexander in popularity list

The government organization said in the news release announcing the lists that parents once again chose to stick with familiar names during this unprecedented time. It was not just the names Liam and Olivia that maintained their position in the top 10 as only one name changed out of both lists combined from 2020.

According to the Los Angeles Times, that honor belonged to the name Theodore, which replaced Alexander in the popularity list. This is the first time in history that Theodore managed to barge into the Top 10 list of most popular names for baby boys.

Following Liam in the most common names for boys in order are Noah, Oliver, Elijah, James, William, Benjamin, Lucas, Henry and Theodore. The names list for girls showed Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Ava, Sophia, Isabella, Mia, Evelyn and Harper following reigning champ Olivia in order.

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Amiri and Raya growing in popularity

Parents might have chosen tried and tested names in 2021 but that may change in the year 2022. Among the names to look out for baby boys are Amiri, Eliam, Colter, Ozzy, and Loyal. They were all on the up and up in 2021 with the name Amiri almost making it into the top 10.

For the girls, the names Raya, Wrenley, Angelique, Vida, and Emberlynn saw a boom in 2021. These girl names may have increased in popularity last year but the same cannot be said of Denisse, Denise, Karen, Keily, and Nathalie. These girl names saw the steepest drop-offs in popularity last year. In terms of the boys' list, parents began to shy away from names such as Jaxtyn, Karsyn, Xzavier, Willie, and Tristen.

Latest data from the Social Security Administration showed that 3.64 million babies were born in the United States in 2021, a slight increase from the 3.6 million babies born in 2020. Those figures, however, represent an overall decline in the American birthrate.

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