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Local Baby Names: What’s in in Indiana?
Local Baby Names: What’s in in Indiana?
Oct 6, 2024 10:06 PM

  There was a time when we thought—rightly or wrongly– of regional names in terms of stereotypes—prim and proper appellations in New England, sweetly feminissima Southern belles, Tex-Mex cowboys out west. Now, though, it sometimes seems that baby names have become more and more homogeneous across the United States, but if we really peruse the popularity figures for states’ local baby names we do find some regional differences and state eccentricities.

  First, a look at which names were in first place and where they ruled:

  girls

  Ava—Louisiana, South Dakota

  Emma—Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, Wyoming

  Isabella—Florida, West Virginia

  Madison—Mississippi, South Carolina

  Olivia—Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Utah

  Sophia—Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas,  Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Sophia, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

  boys

  Alexander—Connecticut, Illinois

  Anthony—Nevada

  Carter—Iowa

  Jacob—Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas

  Jayden—Florida

  Liam—Colorado, Vermont

  Mason—Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin

  Michael—Delaware, New Jersey, New York (among the most conservative states)

  Noah—Hawaii

  William—Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wyoming

  The girls, as we can see, are perfectly consistent across the land, with no state having a Number 1 name outside the country’s Top 10.  But with the boys, it gets a little more interesting.  William virtually swept the South for most popular boys’ name; there were 22 states with national Number 2 Mason in first place and only four with top name Jacob—explained by the fact that they happen to be four extremely populous states.  Perhaps most interesting is the fact that national Number 41 Carter is Number 1 in Iowa as well as second in North and South Dakota.  Any local Berries have any explanation? And why is Anthony so hot in Nevada?

  Some other regional anomalies in various states’ Top 5, with their national ranks in parenthesis:

  Addison (13) ranked in the Top 5 in five states

  Lily (15)—Number 4 in Utah

  Benjamin (19)—Top 5 in seven states

  Brayden (37)—Number 5 in Kentucky

  Christopher (21)—Number 5 in Mississippi

  David (18)—Number 5 in Texas

  Elijah (13)—Number 4 in Colorado and North Carolina

  Jackson (23)—Top 5 in four states

  James (17)—Number 5 in Tennessee

  Jose  (65)—Number 4 in Texas, where Juan also rates high; Jose was for several years top name in Texas

  Landon (34)—Top 5 in Louisiana and West Virginia

  Logan (2)—Top 5 in six states

  Owen (44)—3 in Iowa, 5 in Wisconsin

  Parker (79)—Number 4 in Wyoming

  Ryan (25)—Top 5 in three eastern states

  Wyatt (48)—Number 5 in Maine

  And then there are those names that pop up in the Top 20 in one place and nowhere else, such as:

  Adrian—California

  Aurora—Alaska

  Blake—Montana

  Chase—Pennsylvania

  Colton—West Virginia

  Cooper—Nebraska

  Ellie—Idaho

  Kai—Hawaii

  London—Georgia

  Malia—Hawaii

  Micah—Hawaii

  Ryker—Utah

  Santiago—New Mexico

  Sawyer—Vermont

  Were you surprised by the stats for your area? What names seem to be most popular where you live?

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