zdname
/
Girl Names
/
Most Popular Baby Names In Every State
Most Popular Baby Names In Every State
Jun 17, 2026 5:15 AM

  Quick: What were the most popular boys’ and girls’ names of 2016? Emma and Noah, you say? Wrong — at least unless you live in Pennsylvania or Texas.

  True, Emma and Noah came out on top when the Social Security Administration released its annual list of the most popular baby names of the year last week. But today, they came out with a follow-up that broke down baby name popularity by state. And this more detailed list revealed major differences in baby name popularity from state to state.

  Only in Pennsylvania and Texas did Emma and Noah both rank Number 1. In the other 48 states, plus the District of Columbia, another name took the top spot for boys, girls or both.

  The most striking trend — as with the past few years — was the sharp divide between the Deep South and the rest of the country. In most of the Dixie states, Ava was the top girls’ name and William was the top boys’ name.

  The twin names of Olivia and Oliver also posted strong showings, especially in the northwest quadrant of the country. They were the most popular boys’ and girls’ names in Oregon, Utah, Iowa and Wisconsin.

  Mia and Harper both took the top slot for girls’ in multiple states, while Charlotte, Isabella and Evelyn each hit Number 1 in one state.

  On the boys’ side, Liam, the Number 2 name overall in the U.S., had another strong year, coming in first in states from Alaska to Florida. Benjamin and Elijah both took the prize in two states, and James, Henry, Wyatt, Mason and Owen all reigned supreme in one state.

  Perhaps the most unusual state for baby names in 2016 was Minnesota. Neither of its two winners, Evelyn and Henry, was the top name in any other state or even in the national Top 10.

  What names were Number 1 in your state? Click through to see the maps.

  Here’s the map showing the top girls’ name in each state in 2016:

  And here’s the map showing the top boys’ name in each state in 2016:

  For more baby name maps, check out our recent post of each state’s quirky favorite name.

Comments
Welcome to zdname comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Girl Names
100+ Classic Girls’ Names — below the Top 1000
Jun 17, 2026
  By Pamela Redmond Satran   Think you have to pick between names that are classics, with deep roots and centuries of use, and names that are unusual?   You don’t, as these classic girls’ names, all ranked below the U.S. Top 1000, attest.   Some were popular in recent years and are now...
Movie Star Character Names: A salute to Shirley Temple and the roles she played
Jun 17, 2026
  By Haley Sedgwick   As a child, I remember asking my mum for a videocassette that I had my eyes on in the grocery store. Any normal preschooler would be asking for some sort of cartoon, but not me. My passion was musicals, and one actress, who had blonde curls and...
Restoration Comedy Names for Girls: Amaryllis, Araminta and Prue
Jun 17, 2026
  By Amy of histornamia   While the Elizabethan/Jacobean playwright William Shakespeare has had a long influence on the names of children, his Restoration successors haven’t had as much impact on the name game. But when looking through character lists of these Restoration comedies, written between 1660-1710, there are some fabulous names...
S-Names for Girls: Popularity of “S” vs. “Sh” sounds
Jun 17, 2026
  By Kelli Brady of NameFreak!   When people ask me what letter I would use if I had to name ten children with the same letter, my answer is S. But I also clarify that it is S and not Sh! To me, since they are different sounds they are different “letters”...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zdname.com All Rights Reserved