Top Ten Baby Names in the US: May 2026 Update

The Top Ten baby names in the US are here … and they look an awful lot like last year’s list.

GIRLS’ TOP TEN

The girls’ list is little changed from 2024. Ava exited the Top Ten and Eliana took the tenth spot. A few names shifted position, too:

1. Olivia – unchanged
2. Charlotte – up two
3. Emma – down one
4. Amelia – down one
5. Sophia – up one
6. Mia – down one
7. Isabella – unchanged
8. Evelyn – unchanged
9. Sofia – up one
10. Eliana – new to the Top Ten

Many of these names aren’t actually rising in use. They’re holding steady or actually falling slightly in use – just slowly. So far, nothing has enough momentum to take their place.

Eliana’s rise points to another feature of naming today: the most popular names tend to be English-Spanish crossovers. The majority of Top Ten names – boys and girls alike – appeal in both languages. (And sometimes several others, too.)

BOYS’ TOP TEN

The boys’ list is unchanged, but plenty of names shifted position.

1. Liam – unchanged
2. Noah – unchanged
3. Oliver – unchanged
4. Theodore – unchanged
5. Henry – up one
6. James – down one
7. Elijah – up one
8. Mateo – down one
9. William – up one
10. Lucas – down one

The same caveats apply for the boys’ list. Little has changed, but that doesn’t reflect the overwhelming popularity of these names. Instead, it points to our wide and deep pool of given names, and the reality that even the most popular names are far less common than they were in previous generations.

An interesting note for the boys’ names: Theodore increased in use, in terms of total births. It just wasn’t enough to edge any higher on the Top Ten list – yet.

What are your favorite Top Ten names?

First published on May 9, 2025, this post was revised on May 8, 2026.