Most popular baby names of 2018

The top three baby names showed interesting shifts between 2017 and 2018. In the US, while Emma and Olivia maintained their stronghold as the #1 and #2 girls' names respectively, Ava held steady at #3 for the second year running. For American boys, Liam and Noah remained firmly in the top two positions, but William rose to claim the #3 spot, bumping James to #4. Meanwhile, in the UK, Amelia continued its reign as the most popular girls' name, with Isla remaining at #2, but Ava climbed to #3, displacing Emily. For British boys, George moved up to claim the #1 position in 2018, with Harry dropping to second place after holding the top spot in 2017.

Looking at the top 10 girls' names in the US for 2018, traditional favorites continue to dominate the list. Charlotte held steady at #6, while Mia slipped one position to #7. The biggest climber was Amelia, which jumped from #8 in 2017 to #8 in 2018, showing Americans' growing fondness for this classic name. Harper fell slightly from #11 to #9, but still maintained its position in the top 10. Names ending with the soft 'a' sound remain overwhelmingly popular, with 7 of the top 10 (Emma, Olivia, Ava, Isabella, Sophia, Mia, Amelia) following this pattern, reflecting parents' continued preference for feminine-sounding names with classical roots.

For American boys in 2018, the top 10 saw Oliver climb dramatically to #5 from #10 the previous year, making it one of the most significant movers among popular names. Benjamin held steady at #6, while Elijah rose one spot to #7. Traditional masculine names continue to dominate the top rankings, with 6 of the top 10 names having biblical origins (Noah, William, James, Benjamin, Elijah, and Lucas). Interestingly, shorter names seem to be gaining favor, with 5 of the top 10 boys' names containing just one or two syllables (Liam, Noah, James, Logan, Lucas). Mason dropped from its 2017 position of #7 to #9 in 2018, continuing a gradual decline from its peak popularity earlier in the decade.

Several broader naming patterns emerge when examining the full dataset. In both the US and UK, there's a strong preference for classic names with historical roots rather than newly invented ones. Names beginning with 'E' are particularly popular for girls in both countries, with multiple entries in the top 50. For boys, strong consonant sounds dominate the top choices, particularly names beginning with J, L, and W in the United States. The popularity of royal names continues in the UK, with Charlotte, George, and William all ranking highly. Notably, names that work internationally appear frequently in both countries' top rankings, suggesting parents may be considering global appeal when naming their children. The data also shows the continued popularity of shorter names overall, with many top 50 selections containing just one or two syllables.

Top baby names of 2018