AARP Hearing Center
America, you are living in the age of Olivia and Liam.
For the fifth straight year, the Latin word for “olive tree” was the most popular name for newborn girls in 2023, and the Irish term meaning “strong-willed warrior” topped the list for baby boys for the seventh straight time, according to the roster released annually by the Social Security Administration (SSA) ahead of Mother’s Day.
Fifty years ago, when Michael and Jennifer were the king and queen of baby names, Liam wasn’t even among the top 1,000 monikers for boys (it scraped into the 900s in 1974) and Olivia was just inside the top 500 for girls. Liam and Olivia ascended rapidly from there, cracking the top 10 in the early 2010s and reaching No. 1 in 2017 and 2019, respectively.
Only two of the 10 most popular boys’ names in 1973 are similarly common today (James, now No. 4, and William, No. 10), and none of the 10 favorite girls’ names of 50 years past even comes close (Amy ranks highest, at No. 200).
Jennifer, an Anglicized version of the Welsh name Guinevere and the most popular girl’s name from 1970 through 1984, slipped out of the top 100 in 2009 and now ranks 517th.
Michael, a biblical name meaning “who is like God,” was the dominant boy’s name for generations, topping that list from 1961 through 1998. It remains relatively popular, ranking 16th last year, between Ezra and Daniel.
There were no changes in the top five spots on each list in 2023, with Noah, Oliver, James and Elijah following Liam and Emma, Charlotte, Amelia and Sophia just behind Olivia. There was only one new entry on either top 10, with Mateo dislodging Benjamin on the boys’ side.
Social media baby influencers
The SSA data, drawn from parents’ applications for Social Security numbers for their new arrivals, shows not just a changing of the guard for popular names but greater diversity, too.
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