The Most Popular 2023 Baby Names Are In & A Lot Has Changed In A Year!

It’s that time again: when the Social Security Administration (SSA) announces the most popular baby names from the previous year.

In the video below, Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of the SSA, introduced the top 10 baby names for 2023.

“Social Security is here for every American right from the start,” O’Malley stated. “In fact, every baby born in the United States of America gets a number, a Social Security card, and a promise to live in dignity once they have reached retirement or, God forbid, they suffer a disability.

“One of the first things parents do after their child is born is apply for their Social Security Number,” he continued. “And that makes Social Security the best source for the most popular baby names every year.”

The top 10 most popular baby names for boys are as follows:

Liam, which has remained the No. 1 boy name for the past seven years, was still the top boy name in 2023.

A new addition to the list is Mateo, which came in at number six. On the other hand, Benjamin — which was once a top contender — no longer has a spot at all.

The top 10 most popular baby names for girls are as follows:

Olivia — like Liam for the boy section — is the No. 1 girl’s name (and has been for the last four years).

When researching data about the most popular boy and girl names in the United States, the SSA compiled a list of the top 10 names for both genders. The administration also compares those names to previous years, identifying any patterns or changes.

For reference, according to the SSA, “For each year, rank 1 indicates the most popular name, rank 2 the next most popular, and so forth. A change in popularity is indicated by the difference, either an increase or decrease, in ranks from one year to the next. We compared ranks for both years only if a name was in the top 1000 in at least one of the 2 years.”

“For four years straight, Oiliva and Liam were the most popular baby names,” O’Malley revealed in the video above.

Those names once again took the cake in 2023. In fact, most of the top contenders held onto their ranking (or a similar one) in 2023.

However, other names, like Benjamin, completely dropped off the radar, while the name Mateo made a new appearance.

“The names we give our kids are special,” O’Malley concluded in the SSA’s YouTube video. “They stick with us throughout their life. And just like our names, Social Security is also there for us throughout our life’s journey.”

There are countless social influences that impact a parent’s decision when choosing a name for their newborn. For example, the SSA pointed out that social media has majorly influenced parents over the past few years. For example, the name Kaeli rose 1,692 spots, likely thanks to TikTok influencer Kaeli Mae, while the name Eiden was the third fastest-rising boy’s name, thanks to TikTok influencer Wyatt Eiden.

Parents also seemed to gravitate more toward “powerful names” like Chozen, the second-fastest-rising boy’s name. Arguably, this name gained its popularity via its exposure in Netflix’s Kobra Kai. As for powerful girl names, Emryn (“ruler”), went up 1,287 to the top 1,000 names.

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