(NEXSTAR) – A massive trove of government name data, updated and released to the public Friday, may make you feel old.
The Social Security Administration, which keeps a record of every birth in the U.S., has announced the official list of the most popular baby names for 2024. Names that are trending today might have seemed unconventional or unique in past decades, just as your name might hardly be used now.
Consider Nicholas. This name was incredibly popular not too long ago, consistently appearing in the top 10 throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. However, its popularity has sharply decreased, now sitting at No. 118 overall.
Even more striking is the story of Lisa, which was the top girl’s name for most of the 1960s. Currently, it struggles to stay within the top 1,000, ranking as the 985th most popular name last year, according to the Social Security Administration.
Curious how your name has fared over the years? The Social Security Administration has a look-up tool on its website. You can scroll down and type in any name to measure its popularity over time.
So what are the hot names right now? The top 20 baby names of 2024, according to the Social Security Administration, were:
| Rank | Male name | Female name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liam | Olivia |
| 2 | Noah | Emma |
| 3 | Oliver | Amelia |
| 4 | Theodore | Charlotte |
| 5 | James | Mia |
| 6 | Henry | Sophia |
| 7 | Mateo | Isabella |
| 8 | Elijah | Evelyn |
| 9 | Lucas | Ava |
| 10 | William | Sofia |
| 11 | Benjamin | Camila |
| 12 | Levi | Harper |
| 13 | Ezra | Luna |
| 14 | Sebastian | Eleanor |
| 15 | Jack | Violet |
| 16 | Daniel | Aurora |
| 17 | Samuel | Elizabeth |
| 18 | Michael | Eliana |
| 19 | Ethan | Hazel |
| 20 | Asher | Chloe |
The government agency also tracks which names are experiencing rapid rises in popularity, even if they’re still outside the top 20. Truce, Colsen and Bryer rose most in the ranks for baby boys over the past year, while Ailany, Aylani and Marjorie had huge jumps for girls.
