The top baby names of 2026 are in – and one surprise newcomer cracked the top 10


The origins of the top 10 baby boy and girl names derive from Hebrew, Old Germanic, Latin, Greek and French


two babies sitting© Getty Images
Faye James
Faye JamesSenior Editor
2 minutes ago
Share this:

The top baby names in the US are here after the Social Security Administration revealed the newest data taken from Social Security card applications submitted at birth.

While the list of boys' and girls' names has "remained consistent with years past with minimal shifts in the top 10 rankings," as per the Administration, there have been some notable changes in the rankings.

baby girl© Getty Images

Top girl names

Coming in at number one on the top girls' names was Olivia, a Latin moniker meaning "olive tree" or olive branch". This was followed by the ever-popular Charlotte, the French feminine form of Charles, which rose two places on the list.

The third slot belonged to Emma, derived from Old Germanic and meaning "universal" or "whole", while Amelia, originating from Latin and Germanic and meaning "hardworking", came in at number four.

Next was Sophia, Greek for "wisdom", followed by Mia, "mine" in Italian and Spanish, or Slavic for "darling", and Isabella, which is the Italian and Spanish variation of Elizabeth, meaning "devoted to God".

Rounding out the top 10 is Evelyn, which traces its origins back to the Norman Conquest, followed by Sofia and Eliana, meaning "God has answered" in Hebrew.

Eliana made its debut in the top 10, knocking out Ava after the name experienced a burst of popularity lasting several years.

baby girl smiling© Getty Images

On the rise

The fastest rising girls' names are Klarity, a derivative of clarity, meaning "clear" and "bright", followed by Rynlee, a made-up name, and Ailanny, a name with origins in Hawaiian, Spanish, Irish and Turkish.

Naylani came next, meaning "the skies" in Hawaiian, and Madisson, a variant of the traditional Madison meaning "son of Matthew", as well as the Hebrew name Liora, meaning "my light".

Rounding out this list were Merritt, an Old English name meaning "boundary gate"; Jaslyn, derived from the Persian Jasmine or Yasmine, referring to the flowering plant; Kyomi, a Japanese name meaning "pure beauty"; and Alara, a Turkish name meaning "water fairy".

 Meanwhile, old lady names are making a fierce comeback, with monikers like Eloise, Mabel, Marjorie, Hazel and Maeve seeing their rankings rise.

baby boy smiling© Getty Images

Top boy names

As for boys' names, the list has seen no major changes from the previous year. The top boy name was Liam, an Irish moniker derived from the Germanic Wilhelm, meaning "protector". Coming in second place was Noah, a Hebrew name with biblical roots meaning "rest" or "comfort". Oliver, meaning "olive tree" in Latin, placed third on the list, while Theodore, an ancient Greek name meaning "gift from God", was fourth.

The Old Germanic name Henry, meaning "home ruler", came in fifth, followed by James, an English name derived from the Hebrew name Ya'akov, meaning "supplanter", and Elijah, a Hebrew name meaning "the Lord is my God".

Next was Mateo, a distinctly Spanish name derived from the Hebrew moniker Mattiyahu, meaning "gift from God". In eighth place was William, similar to Liam, and Lucas, a Greek and Latin name meaning "bringer of light".

baby boy on floor© Getty Images

Growing popularity

The boys' names that saw the biggest surge in popularity were Kasai, meaning "fire" in Japanese, which jumped 1,108 spots to land at 639. Akari, another Japanese name, meaning "brightness", made the list, as did Eziah, a modern version of the Hebrew name Isaiah, meaning "the Lord saves".

 Following Eziah was Jasai, a modern derivative of Jason, which has Greek roots meaning "healer", and Neithan, derived from the Welsh word "neithiwr" meaning "last night".

More US
See more