The top 20 US baby names of 2018

Posted in Baby Names.

Posted on May 13, 2019May 15, 2019 by Susannah Hardy

According to recent data, the most popular baby names in the USA are going strong for yet another year.

No surprises

Choosing a name for your baby can be agonising, particularly when trying to find something new and different. Naturally, baby names go in and out of fashion and others that have never been used can unexpectedly appear. However, the Social Security Administration has just revealed the top baby names for 2018 in the United States – and the list has not strayed very far from that of 2017.

The name Emma has been at the top of the list for girls for the past five years and once again it is the most popular choice. Other names on the list, Olivia, Ava, Isabella, Sophia, Charlotte and Mia, were all included in the top ten most popular names for the period from 2010 to 2018. The order may have slightly differed over the years however, the names still remain hot favourites.

The list of boys’ names presents a similar story, with very few surprises. The top three names for 2018 are Liam, Noah and William, which has been the case for the list for three years. In fact, the only name to have changed from last year’s list is newcomer Lucas. The name Jacob, previously number one for more than a decade, has now been kicked out knocked off the list, going from number ten down to 13. Meanwhile, the names James, Olivier, Elijah and Mason were most popular from 2010 to 2018 and are still in the top ten for 2018.

Names making waves

While it seems hard for new names to nab a coveted top ten position, there are others further down the list that are making waves. Understandably, the name Meghan has soared in popularity since actress Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in 2018. Popular back in the 1980s and 90s, the name is now back in vogue, jumping from its 2017 position of 1014 to 703^rd in 2018. It will be interesting to see if the appeal continues to grow. And of course, the name of her newborn son Archie, which will very likely become one of the choices du jour over the coming year.

So, this year’s top ten shows very little change for now. But with the rising popularity of celebrities, TV shows and royal family members, who knows what 2019 will bring?