Here Are The Most Popular Baby Names For 2021

As parents know well, newborn babies require three primary things: love, food, and a name. (Note: I'm not a parent, but I assume there are a few more things.)

On Friday, the Social Security Administration released its annual list of the most popular baby names in the US, based on the data they collect each year when parents apply for their child's Social Security card.

The government organization began compiling the baby name list back in 1997, tracing names all the way back to 1880.

Each year, the list provides a fascinating insight into cultural trends, as names rise and fall in popularity. (Remember when people started naming their kids after Game of Thrones characters? Apologies to all the young babies named Khaleesi and Daenerys whose parents hadn't yet seen the series finale!!)

Before we get to the most common names, here are the names that didn't make the cut but which rose the fastest in popularity last year.

For boys, Amiri, Eliam, Colter, Ozzy, and Loyal are all on the up and up.

For girls, 2021 saw a boom in the names Raya, Wrenley, Angelique, Vida, and Emberlynn.

How about the names that decreased the most in popularity?

For girls, Denisse, Denise, Karen, Keily, and Nathalie all experienced the steepest drop-offs in popularity.

For boys, the names that fell the furthest down the list were Jaxtyn, Karsyn, Xzavier, Willie, and Tristen.

As for the top 10 most popular boys' and girls' names for 2021, this year's list may look a little familiar.

The Social Security Administration says the most popular name for boys, Liam, has been at the top of the list for five years now, while the most popular name for girls, Olivia, is the reigning champion for the past three years.

"Once again, during this unprecedented time, parents chose to stick with familiar names," the government organization said in announcing the list.

In fact, there was only one new name in both Top 10 lists combined: Theodore.

That name climbed in the Top 10 for boys for the first time ever, kicking out the name Alexander.

So here are the most popular names, accompanied by images of whichever random famous person first pops up in my mind.

To see where your name ranks in popularity, visit the Social Security website.