Most Popular Names of 2021: Did Your Child's Name Make The List?

There were few surprises when it came to girls' names, but the boys' list saw some new contenders in the top 10

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Santa’s going to need a lot of presents for Olivias and Liams this year. BabyCenter announced the top 100 baby names of 2021 and those two reigned as the most popular. Other fashionable names include many that have been favorites for years, including Emma, Amelia, Noah and Oliver.

BabyCenter complies their list from information that comes directly from parents. A company statement said "hundreds of thousands of parents" submit their children’s names, which helps the site create its list of currently trending names. For 2021, BabyCenter included various spellings in the rankings so the list includes names, such as Jackson and Jaxon and Sophia and Sofia, for example, all at different spots in the list. The reason? A previous survey conducted by BabyCenter finds that 40% of parents eschew traditional spelling and put so much thought into selecting a name with a particular spelling.

While the site said there are no new girls names in the top 10, eight of the most popular names end with an “a,” a trend that continues in its popularity. On the boys list, two new names reached the top 10, Levi and Asher, though those have appeared in the list in recent years at lower spots. 

Other trends include more gender-neutral names, monikers that evoke nature and names that come from pop culture.

The top 10 girls names are:

  1. Olivia
  2. Emma
  3. Amelia
  4. Ava
  5. Sophia
  6. Charlotte
  7. Isabella
  8. Mia
  9. Luna
  10. Harper

Top 10 boys names are:

  1. Liam
  2. Noah
  3. Oliver
  4. Elijah
  5. Lucas
  6. Levi
  7. Mason
  8. Asher
  9. James
  10. Ethan

The full list can be found at BabyCenter.

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