Skip to main content

The Results Are In! These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2025

When it comes to choosing a baby name, parents-to-be walk a fine line between picking one that sounds cute—and maybe a bit trendy—and avoiding any that are too “out there” or downright strange. My husband and I also struggled with our last name, Geddes, whose sibilant sound meant another s, as in Agnes, Iris or Linus (my fav!), probably wouldn’t work. And since so many folks seemed to trip over the pronunciation of Geddes, we wanted a name that was super easy to say.

In the end, after cruising baby name lists and checking for vintage names in our family trees, we landed on Isabel and Fiona for our daughters. But today’s moms and dads have it even easier, thanks to the savvy name pros at BabyCenter, who’ve just debuted the most popular baby names of 2025. Curious what’s leading the pack right now? I caught up with Rebekah Wahlberg, a BabyCenter specialist in baby-name trends, to get the scoop.

Read on for the big reveal and to learn which baby-name trends we’ll be seeing in 2026. Truth: Naming a baby has never been more fun!

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more news, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.

How did BabyCenter identify the most popular baby names?

BabyCenter identifies the most popular baby names and tracks related trends by culling data from thousands of parents who use its website or app. BabyCenter then analyzes the info to come up with its annual baby-names list and also reports on the cultural fads behind them.

This isn’t old info, either. This year’s list is based on names submitted by parents as recently as Nov. 3. “This data comprises the names of more than 350,000 babies born from Nov. 4, 2024, through Nov. 3, 2025,” Wahlberg says.

In case you’re wondering, the BabyCenter list of top baby names of 2025 isn’t the same as the one from the Social Security Administration (SSA), which gathers names from the applications that parents fill out when their babies are born. But there are some parallels.

“BabyCenter’s data largely overlaps with SSA annual data, but we see it happen much earlier,” Wahlberg says. “For example, a name moving up or down the top spots is usually very similar to what you’ll see from the SSA the next year.”

What are the No. 1 baby names of 2025?

Ready to hear the No. 1 baby names of 2025? They’re actually a repeat from 2024: Olivia and Noah! These two baby monikers have true staying power, as they were also in the top slots for 2023. (Olivia was No. 1 in 2022 as well.) In fact, Olivia is pretty much everywhere since the name has been in the top 10 since 2001. But Noah is nearly Olivia’s equal—he’s been in BabyCenter’s first or second spot since 2013 and in the SSA’s top 10 since 2009.

“Olivia is a timeless name that ends with the classic ah sound for girls that dominates the top 10 names,” Wahlberg says. “Noah is also a very traditional name for boys, and given that boy names tend to be less experimental than girl names, it makes sense that Noah is standing the test of time.”

As for the rest of the top 10, Amelia holds steady at No. 2, but the names after it have flipped. Sophia and Emma are now at No. 3 and No. 4, and Isabella (No. 5) and Charlotte (No. 6) also traded places. Ellie moved up to No. 8 in 2025, while Mia slipped back to No. 10.

The boy names enjoyed much more stability, as all five repeated from 2024: Noah, Liam, Oliver, Elijah and Mateo. Only Levi and Lucas switched—they’re currently at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively.

Were there newcomers in the top names for boys or girls?

Yes! Two girls’ names made it to the top for the first time ever: Eliana (No. 7) and Aurora (No. 9) are now sitting proudly in the top 10. As for the boys, the most significant news comes from Leo—he fell out of the top 10 and is now at No. 11, while Luca snuck back into the mix to take the No. 10 position.

There were also some cool new names joining the larger top-100 group. There’s Eloise, sitting at No. 75 for her debut, alongside newbies Juniper (at No. 97) and Sienna (at No. 92). Other unusual names joining this trio include Catalina at No. 95, Oaklynn at No. 98 and Kehlani anchoring the list at No. 100. On the boys’ side, two names make their first appearances in the top 100: Malachi at No. 91 and Ali at No. 96.

The top 20 girl names

Whether you’re looking for inspiration or just love to check out baby names (guilty!), you’ll find the classics as well as trending names for 2025 on BabyCenter’s list of the top 20 girls’ names.

  • Olivia
  • Amelia
  • Sophia
  • Emma
  • Isabella
  • Charlotte
  • Eliana
  • Ellie
  • Aurora
  • Mia
  • Ava
  • Lily
  • Luna
  • Evelyn
  • Violet
  • Aria
  • Sofia
  • Hazel
  • Harper
  • Layla

The top 20 boy names

Here are BabyCenter’s top 20 baby names for boys in 2025. We bet you’ll have trouble deciding, but honestly? All of these gems are fine names for your baby boy.

  • Noah
  • Liam
  • Oliver
  • Elijah
  • Mateo
  • Levi
  • Lucas
  • Ezra
  • Asher
  • Luca
  • Leo
  • James
  • Henry
  • Hudson
  • Elias
  • Michael
  • Theodore
  • Samuel
  • Muhammad
  • Theo

What were the big surprises in the top 100?

One of the biggest surprises is Emersyn, which enters at No. 89, soaring 50 spots to get there. Old-timey girl names also made news, such as Josephine, who was away since 1943 (!), at No. 96, and Vivian, gone even longer (1934) but now happily back at No. 99. These two vintage monikers also dovetail nicely with the trendy 100-Year Rule for baby names.

And two classic boy names returned to the fold in 2025—Arthur, gone since 1970, leapt 44 spots and is back at No. 95, and Nathaniel is here again, now at No. 98, after falling away from the top 100 in 2016.

Of course, there’s a downside to welcoming new names: Former favorites have to fall out of the top 100. This year’s absences include Kennedy, Anna, Jade, Savannah, Cora, Natalie and Skylar for girls, and Hunter, Axel, Greyson and Max for boys.

What baby-name trends will we see in 2026?

As for baby names you’ll see in 2026, Wahlberg is most excited about the bookish ones. “As a book nerd and the daughter of an English teacher, seeing names from classic American literature get some love is really fun,” she shares.

Names from American authors on the rise include Ernest (Hemingway), Sylvia (Plath) and Octavia (Butler). Nature names are still popular, and “the rising ‘cottagecore’ trend is basically nature names in a different font,” Wahlberg says, speaking of the aesthetic that centers rural simplicity. Cottage-y monikers include three that debuted in the top 100 in 2025 (Eloise, Sienna, Juniper) and Flora, which rose a whopping 223 spots.

Here’s a mini preview of more baby-name trends that are coming down the pike in 2026:

  • Must-see TV: Yup, all your fave binge-worthy shows will be represented next year, such as Helena from Severance, who moved 50 spots to No. 313, and Samira, Heather and Cassie from the hardworking team in The Pitt. The White Lotus will also inspire, with such picks as Chelsea, Valentin and Belinda, which vaulted more than 2,400 spots.
  • Hoops stars: The NBA finals captivated fans this summer, with the Oklahoma City Thunder not only winning it all but lending players’ names to this sporty trend. For example, Jaylin (Williams) is up 265 spots, and Dillon (Jones) is up 116.
  • Musical legends: Lots of names are found here, including one from the Backstreet Boys (Howie rose 299 places) and all manner of Nicks, which pushed the name ahead thanks to Lachey of 98 Degrees and Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. And BeyoncĂ© is credited with Rose and Jane, names from songs on her wildly popular Cowboy Carter album.
  • Literary classics: “Names from The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye were not on my bingo card,” jokes Wahlberg. And yet, when the BabyCenter team saw them explode, they knew parents were leaning hard on nostalgic American novels. Holden, Jay and Daisy are trending a bit, but it’s Buchanan that’s really white-hot, up 962 spots!
  • Pope Francis: We may have an American Pope right now, but his predecessor, Francis, is the inspo for this trend. His name offers so many variations that are moving upward in the coming year, including Francesco, Frankie and Franz for boys, and Francine, Frances and Francesca for girls.

RELATED:

About the expert

  • Rebekah Wahlberg is a specialist in baby-name trends and a senior associate editor at BabyCenter. She previously worked at the Salt Lake Tribune, a Pulitzer Prize–winning nonprofit newspaper, where she covered breaking news.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

The Rarest Baby Names in Each State

Western Baby Names Are Taking the Reins

Popular Baby Names in Every State

The post The Results Are In! These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2025 appeared first on Reader's Digest.



from Reader's Digest https://ift.tt/zxGwfQq
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

30 Math Puzzles (with Answers) to Test Your Smarts

Math is not everyone’s favorite, understandably. Hours of math homework and difficult equations can make anyone sour on the subject. But when math problems are outside of a school setting, there’s no time limit to do them, and they’ve got a fun, more whimsical concept than just finding x, they can be great activities for kids. (And adults, of course!) They test your brain and critical thinking skills, provide some constructive, educational fun,  and  provide tangible examples of math lessons you’ll actually use in real life . Math puzzles come in plenty of different varieties, too. Some more straightforward number puzzles do require calculations to find the solution. Others are more like logic puzzles and challenge you to look for a pattern. Still others present the puzzle through pictures, making them great for visual learners. From  Reader’s Digest ‘s “Mind Stretchers” books, these math puzzles have a bit of everything! If you’re more of a riddles person, we’ve got reg...
Post a Comment
Read more

41 of the Most Useful Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

Everyone wants everything they do on their computer to be fast. Their Internet connection, the speed they type, and how quickly they can save, open, and alter documents. These mac keyboard shortcuts can help you do just that. Try out these Mac hotkeys to make your browsing, typing, and viewing experiences a little more convenient. Here are some keyboard shortcuts that will make web browsing so much easier . Mac keyboard shortcuts allow you to do things on your computer that would typically require you to use a mouse, trackpad, or another device with a combination of the keys on your keyboard. To find the Mac shortcuts that are already set up on your device, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts. From there you can look through the different mac keyboard shortcuts that are set up for your keyboard, launchpad and dock, Mission Control, Spotlight, and so on. To change an existing shortcut you can select the one you want to change, click on the key combination, and then ty...
Post a Comment
Read more

Will Cicadas Destroy Your Garden? 10 Things You Need to Know

It’s easy to wince thinking about the mass emergence of insects like cicadas. Their numbers can reach millions per acre, creating a near-deafening buzzing chorus. So it’s understandable that questions like, “Will cicadas eat my plants?” immediately spring to mind. But cicadas are also pretty fascinating and play important roles in the ecosystem. “Cicadas inspire wonder in our world!” says Jennifer Hopwood, senior pollinator conservation specialist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “They spend most of their life underground next to the same plant roots. Somehow, these creatures are able to track the years that pass by and time their emergence with other periodical cicadas in the region to overwhelm predators. They are amazing little critters.” Here’s a rundown of what to know about cicadas, good and bad, including whether or not they eat plants and how to protect your trees during an emergence. Get Readers Digest s Read Up newsletter for more gardening, humor, cl...
Post a Comment
Read more