The Top Baby Names in 2021 Were Olivia and Liam, Pop Culture Names Were Huge
BabyCenter.com just released its list of the most popular baby names of 2021. And for the first time in over a decade, “Sophia” was NOT the top girl’s name in the U.S.
“Liam” was the most popular name for a boy for the third year in a row. And “Olivia” was the most popular name for a girl. The last time “Sophia” wasn’t in the top spot was way back in 2009. It dropped to fifth this year.
Two new boys’ names cracked the top ten . . . Levi and Asher. And girls’ names that end with an “ah” sound are still big. Eight of the top ten this year fit that mold.
The ten most popular names for girls in 2021 are: Olivia . . . Emma . . . Amelia . . . Ava . . . Sophia . . . Charlotte . . . Isabella . . . Mia . . . Luna . . . and Harper.
The top ten for boys are: Liam . . . Noah . . . Oliver . . . Elijah . . . Lucas . . . Levi . . . Mason . . . Asher . . . James . . . and Ethan.
Here are a few more baby name trends we noticed . . .
1. Pop culture names were huge this year . . . maybe because we’ve watched so much TV over the last 18 months. The names Keeley, Roy, Jamie, Bex, and Rupert from “Ted Lasso” were all up. “Ted” itself dropped in popularity though.
Daphne and Eloise from “Bridgerton” saw gains. So did Wanda, Agatha, and Darcy from “WandaVision”. And “Vision” was 22% more popular for girls, but not boys.
2. A few royal names rose in popularity: Queen Elizabeth’s nickname “Lilibet” popped after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose it for their daughter. Diana, Archie, Charlotte, Louis, and Philip also jumped up the list.
3. Two political names saw big bumps: “Kamala” is up 22% this year, and “Ruth” . . . as in Ruth Bader Ginsberg . . . jumped 14%.
4. With all the time we spent indoors, OUTDOOR names were big. Bear, Everest, and Forest were more popular for boys. And for girls, Willow, Dahlia, and Magnolia.
5. A few more bold and unique names that rose in popularity included: Raya, Alora, and Ariya for girls. And for boys, Onyx and Koda.
6. And this might be the weirdest trend: Names of the top PELOTON INSTRUCTORS did well this year. They include Cody, Rigsby, Robin, Ally, and Adrian
