Mental Floss

The Most Popular Baby Names in Each State

Olivia, Olivia, Olivia.
Olivia, Olivia, Olivia. | Jade Albert Studio, Inc./Stone/Getty Images

Many people have a fair amount of pride for their home state—boasting about its offbeat attractions, its must-visit diners and drive-ins, and even the quirkiness of its official state symbols. 

When it comes to beloved baby names, however, there’s quite a bit of sameness across the nation. The Social Security Administration meticulously tracks the number of newborns with each name as it processes Social Security Card applications, publishing national rankings as well as state-by-state breakdowns each year.

In 2021, parents from Georgia to Washington simply couldn’t stop naming their baby girls Olivia. It was the most popular female name in a whopping 34 states. The male version of that moniker was quite common, too: Oliver came out on top in 13 states. In eight of them—Idaho, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, and Wyoming—Olivia also reigned supreme.

Nationwide, however, Oliver was bested by Liam, which took the blue ribbon in 20 states. Noah amassed the No. 1 spot in a respectable 10, as did Charlotte on the girls’ side. Just three states claimed uniqueness: Mississippi is the only state where Ava topped the list; New Mexico was Mia’s single first-place finish; and Kentucky is the only state where Emma was the favorite. It is a little surprising that Emma wasn’t number one more often, considering it was Olivia’s runner-up in the overall national rankings.

While the lists below are pretty homogeneous, the top five breakdown for each state is slightly less so. The runner-up on the boys’ side in West Virginia, for example, is Waylon; and Nebraska is the only state where Eleanor charted. Feel free to explore the full grids for yourself here.

  1. Alabama // Olivia, William
  2. Alaska // Amelia, Noah
  3. Arizona // Olivia, Liam
  4. Arkansas // Olivia, Liam
  5. California // Olivia, Noah
  6. Colorado // Olivia, Liam
  7. Connecticut // Olivia, Noah
  8. Delaware // Charlotte, Liam
  9. Florida // Olivia, Liam
  10. Georgia, Olivia, Noah
  11. Hawaii // Olivia, Noah
  12. Idaho // Olivia, Oliver
  13. Illinois // Olivia, Noah
  14. Indiana // Charlotte, Liam
  15. Iowa // Charlotte, Oliver
  16. Kansas // Olivia, Liam
  17. Kentucky // Emma, Liam
  18. Louisiana // Olivia, Liam
  19. Maine // Charlotte, Oliver
  20. Maryland // Olivia, Liam
  21. Massachusetts // Olivia, Noah
  22. Michigan // Charlotte, Noah
  23. Minnesota // Charlotte, Oliver
  24. Mississippi // Ava, William
  25. Missouri // Olivia, Oliver
  26. Montana // Olivia, Oliver
  27. Nebraska // Olivia, Henry
  28. Nevada // Olivia, Liam
  29. New Hampshire // Olivia, Oliver
  30. New Jersey // Olivia, Liam
  31. New Mexico // Mia, Noah
  32. New York // Olivia, Liam
  33. North Carolina // Olivia, Liam
  34. North Dakota // Olivia, Oliver
  35. Ohio // Olivia, Oliver
  36. Oklahoma // Olivia, Liam
  37. Oregon // Evelyn, Oliver
  38. Pennsylvania // Olivia, Noah
  39. Rhode Island // Olivia, Liam
  40. South Carolina // Olivia, William
  41. South Dakota // Evelyn, Henry
  42. Tennessee // Olivia, William
  43. Texas // Olivia, Liam
  44. Utah // Olivia, Oliver
  45. Vermont // Charlotte, Henry
  46. Virginia // Charlotte, Liam
  47. Washington // Olivia, Liam
  48. West Virginia // Amelia, Liam
  49. Wisconsin // Charlotte, Oliver
  50. Wyoming // Olivia, Oliver
  51. Washington, D.C. // Charlotte, Henry
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