Deciding on baby names is just one of the many challenges new parents face, but it’s a big one. Should you go traditional or unique? Family name or inspired by a favorite character? There are so many options to choose from, but some are a little more popular than others. As the year comes to an end, it’s time to take a look at the most popular baby names of 2019.
BabyCenter just released its annual list of the top baby names of the year, and despite a few names shifting spots, the list looks very similar to the one from 2018. The data was based on nearly 600,000 BabyCenter parents who shared their baby’s names. Topping the list, which is divided into boys and girls’ names, are Sophia and Liam. This is the tenth year running for Sophia at the number one spot, but the first year for Liam, which knocked Jackson out of the top spot after six years. Isla made the biggest leap from 74 to 36. Arabic names Muhammed and Aaliyah cracked the top ten for the first time.
According to BabyCenter, here are the top 20 boys and girls’ names for 2019:
Most Popular Girls’ Names of 2019
- Sophia
- Olivia
- Emma
- Ava
- Aria
- Isabella
- Amelia
- Mia
- Riley
- Aaliyah
- Layla
- Zoe
- Charlotte
- Mila
- Harper
- Evelyn
- Camila
- Eliana
- Chloe
- Lily
Most Popular Boys’ Names of 2019
- Liam
- Jackson
- Noah
- Aiden
- Grayson
- Caden
- Lucas
- Elijah
- Oliver
- Muhammad
- Mason
- Carter
- Mateo
- Jayden
- Ethan
- Logan
- Sebastian
- James
- Alexander
- Benjamin
Coming in at 100 are Zara and Jason. You can check out the full lists of the top girl and boy names here.
BabyCenter also analyzed the data collected on baby names to look for trends that have made an impact on selections this past year. It should come as no major surprise that Star Wars had an impact on baby names, with names from the new anthology films and TV series, like Cassian and Kira (Qi’ra) gaining in popularity. Other name trends include a resurgence of names popular in the ’90s, like Brittany and Austin, as well as names inspired by The Bachelor and, possibly strangest of all, actor Keanu Reeves. Not only did Keanu get a big boost, but the characters he portrayed, like Duke from Toy Story 4 and Sage from the upcoming SpongeBob movie, also shot up.
The site also made some predictions on the trends for baby names in 2020. Predicted trends include nonbinary names, like Sam and River, names from the roaring ’20s, like Richard and Virginia, as well as names inspired by female athletes, country music stars and Disney+.
—Shahrzad Warkentin
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