The Top 1,000 Breakdown
On May 7 the Social Security Administration released the top 1,000 name list to the public. This list showcases most popular names by birth year showing how many babies were given each name within the United States ranking them by popularity from number one being the most popular in the county up until 1,000. The list is updated and released yearly the Friday before Mothers Day. It is the most important “holiday” for any name aficionado . Yes, even more important than Christmas!
Let’s dive in and breakdown all the hottest names sweeping the charts.
The top 10 did not have to many changes. Olivia and Liam continue to dominated the charts in first place. This will be the second year in a row for Olivia and the fourth year in a row at number one for Liam. In fact, the top 3 names for each gender, (Olivia, Emma, Ava for girls and Liam, Noah, Oliver for boys) have held on to their titles. James, Benjamin, Lucas and Mia have also stated in the same ranking as last year. Mason and Ethan have dropped out of the top 10, being replaced by Henry and Alexander.
Joyous ‘J’ names took the lead this year for the boys with 18 J names in the top 100. They were James, Jacob, Jackson, Jack, Joseph, John, Julian, Jayden, Jaxon, Josiah, Joshua, Jonathan, Jeremiah, Jameson, Jordan, Jaxson, Jose and Jace. ‘A’ names stole the show for the girls side who has 16 which included, Ava, Amelia, Abigail, Avery, Aria, Aurora, Addison, Aubrey, Audrey, Aaliyah, Anna, Alice, Ariana, Allison, Autumn, and Adeline.
There’s no denying celebrities and activists alike have played a vital role in today’s naming trends. Parents worldwide made certain to pay homage to those we lost in 2020. A rising star on the list was Gianna rising from #79 to #12, entering the top 20 for the very first time. The name Gianna was greatly influence by the passing of Gianna Bryant on January 26, 2020 in Calabasas, California as well as the young daughter of George Floyd following his passing. George Floyd tragically passed away on May 25, 2020 while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kobe Bryant lost his life alongside his daughter in the January plane crash. The name Kobe also rose significantly from #556 to #239 and even his youngest daughter Capri made list history rising over 600 spots entering the top 1,000 for the first time ever at #685! Glee Actress Naya Rivera was also remembered following her heroic and tragic passing in July. Naya currently ranks at #758 an over 200 spot increase from 2019.
The year 2020 was declared the Year of the Nurse marking the 200th year anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The “lady with the lamp” who aided care to wounded soldiers on the field during the Crimean War also formalize nursing education. Florence Nightingale, Margaret Sanger, Clara Barton, Edith Cavell, and Mary Eliza Mahoney are only a small few of the nurses who paved the way for what we know today as modern medicine. The namesakes of these fellow nursing activists and educators all rank in the top 1,000 today. 2020 also put the medical profession the front and center for a much more seldom reason. The beginning of a global health epidemic that has shook the world as we once knew it. Today Nurses, Respiratory Therapists, Paramedics, and Doctors alike have all tapped into their inner Florence, working tirelessly to nurse the word back to health and continuously fight in the battlefields of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their bravery and sacrifices do NOT go unnoticed and we can’t thank them enough for all they do everyday.
Another trend heavily reflected on the charts is vintage revivals. Fashion and hairstyles often comeback for a revival and names are no different. It’s called the 100-year effect. Names that once dominated the charts during the Jazz Age Era stand strong once again. Classics like William, James and Elizabeth remain loved by many as they round out the top 20 both back then and now. Even Evelyn hasn’t lost her elegance. She is more popular now than she was 100 years ago. Violette, Marceline, Rosalia, Jones and Abner have even reentered the game for the first time since the roaring 20’s.
A few other boy names brand new to the top 1,000 include Adler, Bishop, Duncan, Eliezer, Everest, Frankie, Jaxtyn, Kenji, Leif, McCoy, Osiris, Riggs, Rio, Shephard and Truett. New names on the girls side included Aarya, Aislinn, Artemis, Bellamy, Denise, Drew, Etta, Iyla, Jayln, Jovie, Kadence, Layne, Loretta, Marceline, Marisol, Marlowe, Nathalia, Noah, Raya, Scout, Stormi, Violette, and Wrenley. Murphy was also a brand new addition for both boys and girls.
For the full Social Security Administration name list follow the link here. https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html
What are your favorite names from this years list? Let us know in the comments.