The Social Security Administration (SSA) released its tallies for the most popular baby names of 2020! We eagerly await each year to find out what baby name trends are holding and what new appellations are emerging as the most popular baby names! The most popular baby names of 2020 do not differ too terribly from 2019, but there were some surprises!
For instance, Aaliyah moved up a spot, bumping the perennial favorite, Amelia down a notch. Similarly, for boys, Elijah stole William’s spot and is now a more popular choice than good old Will! Are you ready to discover the most popular baby names of 2020?
The Most Popular Baby Names of 2020
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – First Place
The most popular baby names of 2020 were Olivia and Liam. They both held on to their top spots from last year! Olivia is a name of Latin origin meaning “olive tree.” While Liam is an Irish name for boys, a form of William, meaning “resolute protector.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Second Place
Coming in second is Emma for girls and Noah for boys. Emma has German origin and means “universal.” Noah is a Hebrew name, of course, meaning “rest.” Again, no change from last year, both names held their ground.
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Third Place
Oliver and Ava ranked as the third most popular baby names of 2020. Oliver is the male form of a Latin name meaning, “olive tree.” Ava is a cross-cultural hit you will find in a number of languages and traditions. Hebrew, Latin, and German all claim Ava as their own. The name can mean “life” and “bird” and “water” and “island.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Fourth Place
It isn’t until you get to the fourth place of these most popular baby names of 2020 until you find a change from last year! Elijah and Charlotte both ranked fourth. As we mentioned, Elijah took William’s old spot. Charlotte took Sophia’s! Elijah is a Hebrew name, meaning “Yahweh is God.” While Charlotte is a French name meaning “free man.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Fifth Place
That Leaves us with William and Sophia, and although they lost ground, they are still some of the most popular baby names of 2020! William is an English name with German roots, meaning “resolute protector.” Sophia has Greek origins and means “wisdom.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Sixth Place
Although Amelia slipped a little bit, she’s still highly favored! Amelia along with James get the sixth spot of most popular names of 2020. Amelia comes from German and means “work.” James is an English name from Hebrew meaning “supplanter.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Seventh Place
Isabella slipped a bit too. She’s now in the seventh spot along with Benjamin. These two classic names are foolproof options! Isabella is the Spanish and Italian form of Elizabeth, meaning “pledged to God.” Benjamin has Hebrew origins that mean “son of the right hand.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Eighth Place
No shift for Lucas and Mia who held eighth place! Lucas is a Latin name, meaning “man from Lucania.” Mia is either an Italian name meaning “mine” or the Scandinavian form of Mary, meaning “bitter.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Ninth Place
The ninth most popular baby names of 2020 were Henry and Evelyn. Both names made games over the previous year! Henry is an English name with German roots, meaning “estate ruler.” Evelyn is has both German and French roots, meaning “desired” or “island.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Tenth Place
In tenth place, we find Harper for girls and Alexander for boys. Harper slipped a spot. But, she’s still one of the most popular baby names in the US! Harper is an English occupational name, meaning “harp player.” Alexander improved his standing! Alexander is a Greek name, meaning “defending men.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Eleventh Place
In eleventh place, Mason and Camila sit just outside the top ten! Mason dropped a spot from last year, while Camila jumped up a few! Mason is another English occupational name meaning, a “brick laborer.” Camila has Spanish origins meaning “priest’s helper.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Twelfth Place
In the top dozen, Gianna and Michael round out our popular dozen. Gianna is an Italian name, meaning “the Lord is Gracious.” Tried and true Michael comes from Hebrew and means “who is like God?”
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Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Thirteenth Place
Sadly, Ethan and Abigail did not rank in the top dozen, but they are still very popular baby names today! Ethan has Hebrew origins and means “strong.” Abigail also has Hebrew origins and means “my father is joyful.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Fourteenth Place
Both Luna and Daniel improved their standing in 2020! Luna is a name form Latin, meaning “moon.” Daniel has Hebrew origins and means “God is my judge.” These popular baby names aren’t going anywhere anytime soon!
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Fifteenth Place
Moving on to the fifteenth place, both Jacob and Ella slid two places down the list. Jacob is a Hebrew name, meaning “supplanter.” Jazzy Ella can be found in both German and English tradition as a name that can mean “all” and “fairy maiden.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Sixteenth Place
Moving along to the next stop on the list, Logan held strong in sixteenth place while Elizabeth slipped a couple of rungs down the ladder. Logan is a charming Scottish name, meaning “little hallow.” Elizabeth can trace her origins to Hebrew, meaning “pledged to God.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Seventeenth Place
Next on the SSA’s list, you will find good friends Sofia and Jackson. Why are they good friends? Because they shared the same spots next to one another the previous year! Sofia is a Greek name (which already appeared on the list, spelled Sophia), meaning “wisdom.” Jackson has English origins and means “Jack’s son.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Eighteenth Place
Next up are Levi and Emily! Levi did better than the previous year while Emily slipped a few spots down the list. Levi has Hebrew origins and means “attached.” Emily has Latin origins, as a female form of Emil, meaning “rival.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Nineteenth Place
Snuggly in the top 20 in 2020 but still having lost some ground, Avery and Sebastian both dropped two places. Avery is a unisex name, but it was given to girls at a much higher rate! The name has English origins and means “ruler of the elves.” Saucy! Sebastian has Latin and Greek origins, meaning “from Sebastia.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Twentieth Place
We made it to the top twenty most popular names of 2020! 20 for 2020, anyone? No? Okay. We find two marvelous M-names in the 20 spots. Mila slipped two ranks from the previous year while Mateo jumped up six! Mila is Slavic name meaning “gracious” and “dear.” Mateo is a Spanish name with Hebrew origins, meaning “gift of God.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Twenty-First Place
Jack slipped from his place in the top 20 while Scarlett held her ground. Jack is an English name, another form of John, meaning “God is gracious.” Scarlett is an English name that means exactly what you think it does, “red.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Twenty-Second Place
Next up, we have Eleanor and Owen! Eleanor improved her standing by about five spots. The meaning of Eleanor is disputed, but many agree that the name is a form of Helen, meaning “shining one.” Owen slipped a spot. The Welsh baby name means “young warrior” and “noble.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Twenty-Third Place
Theodore and Madison ranked just shy of Eleanor and Owen. Theodore has Greek origins and means “gift of God.” We think the nickname Teddy is a “gift of God.” Madison is a gender-neutral baby name of English origin, meaning “Matthew’s son.”
Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Twenty-Fourth Place
Layla and Aiden both slipped slightly from the previous year. But, they’re still great! Layla has Arabic origins and means “night.” Aiden is an Irish name that means “little and fiery.” Plenty of delightful drama in these name meanings, right?
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Most Popular Baby Names 2020 – Twenty-Fifth Place
Rounding out the top 25, we find Samuel and Penelope. Both names were two ranks higher than the previous year. But, new parents still have plenty of love for these classic baby names! Samuel has Hebrew origins that mean “told by God.” Penelope is a Greek name, meaning “weaver.”
There you go! We hope you enjoyed the top baby names of 2020! There are so many excellent names on this list. Each name represents a “safe” choice and you will definitely not offend folks with these choices. However, we do urge you to look behind just the most popular names to discover other options that might serve your family better! Whether you decided to go with the most ubiquitous or something more obscure, we know you are going to make the right baby name decision! Happy baby name hunting! Congrats!