These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2016
This just in: the hottest baby names of 2016 have arrived! BabyCenter just released its annual list of the most popular baby names – data that comes from more than 389,000 parents who shared their newborn's name with the site this past year.
Compared with last year's collection of most-used monikers from BabyCenter, five new names broke into the top 10 lists, though the top five names for boys and girls each held steady. In fact, the most-selected name for girls and boys shouldn't come as a surprise to those keeping up over the years.
Read on to unveil which choices topped the charts, along with a look at the full list of 100 names. And then keep scrolling to learn what experts believe are the five key trends influencing parents the most this year in naming decisions. From American Horror Story to presidential nominees, you'll be surprised to see how millennial moms are now making such a monumental choice!
The Year's Most Popular Girl's Name Is . . .
Sophia
This name, which boasts a variety of spelling options and multiethnic appeal, leads the girls for the seventh year in a row!
The Year's Most Popular Boy's Name Is . . .
Jackson
This boy's name, which some choose based on historical significance, is topping the boys' list for the fourth straight year.
The Top 10 Girl Names of 2016
- Sophia
- Emma
- Olivia
- Ava
- Mia
- Isabella
- Riley - new
- Aria - new
- Zoe
- Charlotte - new
The Top 10 Boy Names of 2016
- Jackson
- Aiden
- Lucas
- Liam
- Noah
- Ethan
- Mason
- Caden
- Oliver - new
- Elijah - new
The Full List of the Top 100 Baby Names of 2016
Girls:
- Sophia
- Emma
- Olivia
- Ava
- Mia
- Isabella
- Riley
- Aria
- Zoe
- Charlotte
- Lily
- Layla
- Amelia
- Emily
- Madelyn
- Aubrey
- Adalyn
- Madison
- Chloe
- Harper
- Abigail
- Aaliyah
- Avery
- Evelyn
- Kaylee
- Ella
- Ellie
- Scarlett
- Arianna
- Hailey
- Nora
- Addison
- Brooklyn
- Hannah
- Mila
- Leah
- Elizabeth
- Sarah
- Eliana
- Mackenzie
- Peyton
- Maria
- Grace
- Adeline
- Elena
- Anna
- Victoria
- Camilla
- Lillian
- Natalie
Boys:
- Jackson
- Aiden
- Lucas
- Liam
- Noah
- Ethan
- Mason
- Caden
- Oliver
- Elijah
- Grayson
- Jacob
- Michael
- Benjamin
- Carter
- James
- Jayden
- Logan
- Alexander
- Caleb
- Ryan
- Luke
- Daniel
- Jack
- William
- Owen
- Gabriel
- Matthew
- Connor
- Jayce
- Isaac
- Sebastian
- Henry
- Muhammad
- Cameron
- Wyatt
- Dylan
- Nathan
- Nicholas
- Julian
- Eli
- Levi
- Isaiah
- Landon
- David
- Christian
- Andrew
- Brayden
- John
- Lincoln
TREND: Horror Wins
Most people wouldn’t think to turn on Nightmare on Elm Street or Rosemary’s Baby when looking for baby name inspiration, but millennial parents came of age during the Scream franchise phenomenon and actually identify with characters on today’s popular TV horror series. Whether they’re rooting for Tyreese, Hershel, or Carol on The Walking Dead or found inspiration in a Netflix binge session of Stranger Things (Joyce, anyone?), these scarier character names are all on the rise.
TREND: Antiheroes
Naming kids after superheroes isn’t exactly new, but it’s one thing to pay homage to good guys like Superman (a la Clark or Kent) and another thing to seek monikers from less squeaky clean personas. Deeper, darker characters, like DC Comics’ Harley Quinn or Banner from Hulk fame are seeing spikes on baby name lists. “These are complex characters grappling with their humanity and their powers," said BabyCenter editor Linda Murray. "They appeal to moms and dads who are used to seeing the best and worst sides of people on social media and who appreciate an animated world that reflects their own.”
TREND: Geek Culture
This year, STEM-related jargon is emerging as a major name influencer. Cloud, for instance, is up 76 percent! Apple is another rising choice as are the names of new virtual assistants like Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa. Some of the individual thought-leaders in Silicon Valley are also creating some naming shifts, like Tesla’s founder Elon, and more historical figures – including scientists Darwin, Newton, and Edison – are seeing double-digit growth.
TREND: Gender Neutrality
Although gender-neutral baby names have been gathering steam for a few years now (they were a key trend in last year’s list of most popular baby names), 2016 saw many stereotypical boys' names going to girls (and vice versa). The trend likely saw a boost considering popular celebrities such as Mila Kunis and Blake Lively recently gave their daughters — Wyatt and James, respectively — traditional boys' names.
TREND: Powerful Women
Feminists unite! This has most definitely been a year in which parents actively chose names that reflect of-the-moment female newsmakers and politicians . . . from both sides of the aisle. Hillary is up 64 percent, and Ivanka is up 39 percent. “We've been naming boys after titans of politics, sports, and business for thousands of years," said Murray. “Today's parents want their daughters to be strong and successful."