The Baby Names Predicted to Be Most Popular in Every U.S. State This Year

A new study has crunched the numbers to predict the most popular baby names among new parents from every U.S. state this year.

Though it might not seem like it at first, choosing a name for a baby can have a huge bearing on the child's future and emotional well-being.

A name can shape our perception of an individual and, in turn, their own self-esteem. A 2011 study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science highlighted how people with names perceived positively by others were more likely to enjoy positive social interactions.

By contrast, those with names thought of negatively were more likely to experience social rejection. Scientists concluded that "initial impressions build a strong basis for processing subsequent information about the person" with names representing a key facet of this.

Although some parents argue that unique names help children stand out through their formative years, unusual monikers have often proven a source of contention between new parents and can potentially result in ridicule among peers.

Now a new report is offering new moms and dads insight into what are expected to be America's most popular boy and girl baby names. Baby naming resource website Names.org has released its annual predictions nationally and in every state for the 100 Most Popular Baby Names in America in 2023.

The website says it has a proven track record of success in this field, having been 95 percent accurate in its predictions since 2018. The research is based on Social Security Administration data on births from 2021—the most recent year available—and on analysis of trends of this data over time and interests from millions of users on its website.

Based on the website's projections, Liam and Olivia—the most popular names since 2017 and 2019, respectively—are expected to remain top of the pile in 2023 with 20,637 boys named Liam and 18,155 girls named Olivia.

Although no new names entered the top 10 this year, the following names are just outside the top 10, rising in popularity and expected to make the top 10 in years to come: Jack, Levi, Mateo, Luca, and Asher for boys; and Eleanor, Gianna, and Nora for girls.

While not yet near the top 10, the fastest-rising name in America for boys is Luca with 6,847 in 2021, up from 872 in 2006. The fastest-rising name for girls is Isla with 5,514 in 2021, up from just 92 in 2006.

Names.org Chief Technology Officer Matthew Kolb told Newsweek: "The name Luca is quite interesting this year. We see a sharp increase in the numbers for 2021 (the last year Social Security data is available) which is the same year that Disney released a movie by the same name. Interest on our site peaked in June of 2021 which was the month the movie was released. While I don't believe it will make it in the top 10 this year, it will be very interesting to see whether we see a temporary boost to the name for 2021 or a more sustained usage of the name that extends through this year and beyond."

Away from the general trends, a state-by-state breakdown of the most popular boy and girl baby names threw up some interesting results.

Despite Liam and Olivia being predicted as the top names nationally, naming trends often varied from state to state. Liam was predicted to be the most popular boy name in 21 states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Oliver was predicted to be this year's most popular boys' name in 13 states including Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Noah came out top in seven (Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania) with Henry (Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Washington D.C.) and William (Alabama and South Carolina) also leading the way in multiple states.

Other outliers included Mississippi and Vermont where James and Theodore led the way, respectively, while Waylon was predicted to be West Virginia's most popular despite the name not ranking high nationally.

On the girls' side of things, Olivia was predicted to be the top name in 32 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming

Charlotte came out top in 13 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin) with Amelia predicted to be most popular in another four(Alaska, Kentucky, South Dakota, West Virginia)

The only notable outliers were Mississippi and New Mexico, where Ava and Sophia, respectively, were tipped to be the most popular girls' names.