Time to talk about Mississippi baby names!
Mississippi is the Deep South, defined by the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.
Native American peoples, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Natchez, and Biloxi tribes, called the area home for millennia. European settlement, and finally forced resettlement, would push many out of the region.
During the early 16th century Spanish explorers became the first Europeans to map and later explore the area. French colonists followed, eventually coming into contact with the indigenous population.
The Treaty of Madrid, between the US and Spain, established the Mississippi Territory in 1795. In 1817, Mississippi earned statehood as the 20th state admitted to the Union.
In 1861, it became one of the first seven states to secede during the American Civil War. The legacy of the era lingers, as the events of the Civil Rights movement unfolded in Mississippi during the 1960s.
Today in terms of race, a little over half of the population identifies as white, with close to 40% black. Just under consider 5% consider themselves Latino, and an additional 3% of. Mississippians who identify as white also claim some Hispanic or Latino heritage. A little over 1% identify as Asian, while less than 1% call themselves Native American.
That’s a fair amount of diversity for a small state. It’s 32nd in terms of size and 35th in terms of population.
The state also had an outsized impact on American music, centered in the Mississippi Delta region. It’s the birthplace of the Blues, the forerunner of rock and roll and rap.
A NOTE ON NAME DATA
Worth noting: the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) also releases name popularity data, but they record ties. Due to the state’s relatively small population, several of the names in the Top 100 are tied – for example, both Lucy and Josie were given to 51 girls each between January and December of 2025. This also means their public health statistics rank names slightly differently, but it doesn’t create any significant inaccuracies – . This list reflects the national data.
One fascinating fact about the state: traditional names continue to appear near the top of the rankings.
Even as names like John and Mary fall nation-wide, you’re still likely to meet a baby boy or girl with traditional names that would’ve been familiar circa 1956.
That said, some of these may be double names, or firsts that go unused in favor of a more distinctive middle. The Office of Vital Records simply doesn’t know exactly what Mississippi residents intend – only how they complete their official birth certificate.
That means the most popular names look a little different on paper – and might be even more distinctive in-person.
MISSISSIPPI AS A BABY NAME
The state’s name comes directly from the Mississippian indigenous culture that thrived in the region for centuries before European settlers first arrived.
It’s ultimately named after the Mississippi River, from the Ojibwe word for big plus river. In translation, we tend to interpret this as “great river.” It certainly fits.
The state has never appeared on the list of most popular baby names in the US. That means it’s never been given to five or more girls, or five or more boys, in a single year from 1880 onward.
But way back in 1885, there was at least one child given the name. Nancy’s Baby Names includes it on their list of Babies Named for the Ships They Were Born On.
TOP TEN BOY NAMES IN MISSISSIPPI
10. THOMAS (#34 in the US)
A classic name outperforming national stats in the state – just the first of several.
9. HUDSON (#17 in the US)
A name that often rises into the Top Ten in states with small Spanish-speaking populations, rising in place of national favorites like Mateo and Luca.
8. HENRY (#5 in the US)
A national favorite.
7. LIAM (#1 in the US)
Liam ranks lower in Mississippi. Why? Because this Irish charmer is especially popular with Spanish-speaking American parents. Given the small Latino population in this state,
6. WAYLON (#56 in the US)
Another name that feels like a natural over-performer in the state, just like Lainey for girls.
5. ELIJAH (#7 in the US)
Old Testament favorite.
4. NOAH (#2 in the US)
Another top-ranked name nearly everywhere.
3. JOHN (#23 in the US)
Here’s a surprise. Long-time #1 name John is still hovering in the Mississippi Top Ten, long after it’s fallen out of use most places. That said, just like Mary on the girls’ list, this could easily be part of a double name or a placeholder first unused in favor of a more distinctive middle.
2. WILLIAM (#9 in the US)
Another case of a traditional favorite inching farther up the list here.
1. JAMES (#6 in the US)
The top name in Mississippi is a favorite in lots of places, but lands on top in the Magnolia State.
TOP 100 MISSISSIPPI BOY NAMES
- James
- William
- John
- Noah
- Elijah
- Waylon
- Liam
- Henry
- Hudson
- Thomas
- Levi
- Cooper
- Michael
- Asher
- Mason
- Walker
- Grayson
- Oliver
- Samuel
- Weston
- Silas
- Josiah
- Stetson*
- Christopher
- Jaxon*
- Beau
- Charles
- Kayden*
- Maverick
- Nolan
- Aiden
- Carter
- Rowan
- Jack
- Jackson
- Wyatt
- Amir*
- Sawyer*
- Isaiah
- David
- Joseph
- Lucas
- Matthew
- Daniel
- Elias
- Legend*
- Christian
- Kingston*
- Bennett
- Brooks
- Dylan
- Luke
- Joshua
- Easton*
- Jayden
- Robert
- Kayson*
- Logan
- Benjamin
- Colton*
- Jeremiah
- Karter*
- Kohen*
- Atlas
- Beckham*
- Hayes*
- Messiah*
- Myles
- Wesley
- Alexander
- Dawson*
- Micah
- Riley*
- Cameron
- Gabriel
- Jaxson*
- Kyrie*
- Landon*
- Carson*
- Kaiden*
- Malachi*
- Timothy*
- Dallas*
- Greyson*
- Parker*
- Ashton*
- Ethan
- Jacob
- Jamir*
- Karson*
- River*
- Ryder*
- Sebastian
- Theodore
- Owen
- Ryker*
- Amari*
- Archer
- Bryson*
- Hunter*
* indicates name does not appear in the US Top 100
TOP TEN GIRL NAMES IN MISSISSIPPI
10. LAINEY (#30 in the US)
Given this name’s country music ties, it feels like a logical outperformer.
9. NOVA (#46 in the US)
Mississippians seem to appreciate middle-V names just a little more than average. Not only does Nova make the state’s Top Ten, so does Ivy.
8. IVY (#39 in the US)
Not only does middle-V nature name Ivy rise near the top of the charts, but middle-V names like Evie, Everleigh, and Neveah all crack the Top 100.
7. EMMA (#3 in the US)
This long-standing favorite falls back just a few spots.
6. MARY (#125 in the US)
As mentioned earlier, Mary suggests that traditional names are big in the state. And that’s partially true – both gender categories include names like Mary and John that last topped US-wide popularity data more than fifty years ago. But chances are that some of these Marys use a double name, while others skip their classic first in favor of a more distinctive middle. Provisional birth certificate data is silent on such questions, so we can only guess.
5. ELIZABETH (#17 in the US)
Another classic name bigger here than elsewhere.
4. OLIVIA (#1 in the US)
The top names shuffle just a bit, with Olivia slipping back to #4.
3. CHARLOTTE (#2 in the US)
Traditional Charlotte falls one spot.
2. AVA (#11 in the US)
Ava is still a crowd-pleaser in Mississippi – yet another middle-V name parents love.
1. AMELIA (#4 in the US)
Traditional and vintage Amelia sneaks into the top spot.
TOP 100 MISSISSIPPI GIRL NAMES
- Amelia
- Ava
- Charlotte
- Olivia
- Elizabeth
- Mary*
- Emma
- Ivy
- Nova
- Lainey
- Ellie
- Harper
- Naomi
- Paisley
- Avery
- Ella
- Sadie
- Sophia
- Kinsley
- Hazel
- Josie
- Lucy
- Delilah
- Kehlani*
- Millie
- Eleanor
- Raelynn*
- Evelyn
- Serenity*
- Oaklynn*
- Chloe
- Layla
- Ailany*
- Isabella
- Mia
- Lillian
- Oakley*
- Journee*
- Nora
- Autumn
- Aria
- Khloe*
- Lily
- Violet
- Eden
- Riley
- Saylor*
- Vivian
- Brooklyn*
- Caroline
- Emery
- Hallie*
- Leilani
- Magnolia*
- Willow
- Annie*
- Daisy
- Emily
- Harmony*
- Stella
- Emersyn*
- Nevaeh*
- Ryleigh*
- Addison
- Alani*
- Elsie*
- Georgia
- Luna
- Rylee*
- Abigail
- Aurora
- Kennedy
- Lyla
- Remi*
- Scarlett
- Skylar*
- Audrey
- Eliana
- Londyn*
- Eliza*
- Evie*
- Isla
- Melody
- Wrenley*
- Zoey
- Blakely*
- Clara
- Everleigh*
- Adalyn*
- Kali*
- Kylie*
- Lydia
- Madelyn
- Malani*
- Piper*
- Grace
- Ruby
- Sofia
- Aaliyah*
- Hadley*
* indicates the name does not appear in the US Top 100
DISTINCTIVE MISSISSIPPI PLACE NAMES
DELTA
The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet sounds like a D, but looks like a triangle. That’s why we talk about river deltas, the confluence of two branches of a river. Mississippi’s Delta region is the birthplace of the Blues, and significant in music history. Confusingly, it’s not the same as the Mississippi River Delta, which is actually in nearby Louisiana.
HARRISON
A county named for the 9th US president, it includes cities like Gulfport and Biloxi.
HATTIE
Founded in 1882 by a civil engineer named William Hardy, Hattiesburg was named for his wife. It expanded in the 19th century as the lumber and railroad industries flourished. While Hattie is not more common than one might expect in the state, nickname-names like Evie and Annie are popular, so it’s possible we might hear more of Hattie here.
JACKSON
The state capital was named for Andrew Jackson, 7th US president. It’s had a long run among popular boy names – even more, if spellings Jaxon and Jaxson are included.
LOUIS
The city of Bay St. Louis is named for St. Louis Bay, the body of water on which it sits. It’s one of the coastal communities known for celebrating Mardi Gras.
MERIDIAN
Back in the day, a town in search of a name believed that “meridian” was synonymous with “junction.” And so the Mississippi place got its name. In Emmylou Harris’ song “Red Dirt Girl,” she sings about Meridian … Alabama. But the town in the neigboring state is named Meridianville. Harris chose the name based on a town she passed through on her way to New Orleans. On another note, Alice Walker’s 1976 Meridian took during Freedom Summer in the late 1960s, set at fictional Saxon College. Her main character was named Meridian.
OLIVE
The town of Olive Branch was named in the 1840s as a nod to the Biblical story of a dove bringing an olive branch to Noah, indicating that the flood waters were receding.
PEARL
A small town outside of Jackson.
TATE
As in Tate County.
NAMES FROM MISSISSIPPI HISTORY & SYMBOLS
EMERALD
The state’s official gemstone.
GOLDEN, GOLDIE
Gold is Mississippi’s official mineral.
HONEY
The western honey bee is the state insect.
MAGNOLIA
The Magnolia State is one of Misssissippi’s nicknames.
MINNY
Octavia Spencer won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing maid Minny Jackson in The Help. The story – book and film – was set in Jackson, Mississippi.
QUENTIN
In 1929, author William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury introduced us to the Compson family of fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. This included tragic figure Quentin Compson – though he shares that name with other family members.
TEDDY, BEAR
The story of US president Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt refusing to shoot a defenseless bear while on a hunting trip? That trip took place in Onward, Mississippi, making it the birthplace of the teddy bear. An annual festival, The Great Delta Bear Affair, celebrates the moment and raises funds and awareness to protect the state’s natural resources and wildlife, including black bears.
TUESDAY
The French term Mardi Gras translates to Fat Tuesday in English. While that sounds like unusual inspiration for a child’s name, the celebration does inspire. Naming a daughter Tuesday might be a nod to New Orleans, or other locations throughout Lousiana and Mississippi that turn out for Mardi Gras Tuesday in a big way.
FAMOUS MISSISSIPPIANS
BO
Where to even begin with the list of famous Mississippi musicians? Born Elias Bates, Bo Diddley became a guitarist and singer-songwriter. He’s called The Originator for bridging the blues and rock and roll, influencing artists from the Beatles to the Clash and so many more.
ELVIS, PRESLEY
Before he moved to Memphis, Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. His birthplace welcomes visitors today.
EUDORA
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty was born in Jackson.
FRED
We associated actor and comedian Fred Armisen with the Pacific Northwest, thanks to the show Portlandia. Or maybe New York, as a long-time castmember of Saturday Night Live. But Fereydun “Fred” Armisen was born in Hattiesburg. He shares his given name with his father. It’s Persian, but that doesn’t reflect the family’s roots. Instead, Fred’s grandmother just plain liked it.
IKE
Izear Turner Jr. became known as Ike – and even better known as husband to the late, great singer Tina Turner. She’s from Tenneessee. While their personal story is complicated, and Ike’s legacy marred by addiction and abusive behavior, their contribution to music remains significant.
JAMES EARL
Born in tiny Arkabutla, James Earl Jones has become a legendary actor. The voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, he’s also an EGOT winner – Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
LEANN
Singer LeAnn Rhimes hails from Jackson.
OPRAH
One of the world’s most famous figures, Oprah Winfrey was born in rural Mississippi. She was originally named Orpah, a Biblical name from the Book of Ruth. Mispronunciations early in life turned it into Oprah, and she made her version of the name internationally known.
TENNESSEE
This one makes no sense, right? Except Thomas Lanier Williams III was born in Columbus, Mississippi. A number of his characters and stories involve the state. And his pen name, Tennessee, acknowledges his southern roots.
