Wyatt takes the #1 spot in Wyoming again!
According to data released in late May by the Wyoming Department of Health, the most popular baby names in 2016 were Emma and Wyatt.
Here are the state’s top 5 girl names and top 5 boy names of 2016:
Girl Names
1. Emma
2. Harper
3. Olivia
4. Ava
5. Elizabeth
Boy Names
1. Wyatt
2. Liam
3. William
4. Lincoln
5. Daniel/Jackson/James (3-way tie)
In the girls’ top 5, Ava and Elizabeth replaced Amelia and Evelyn (which were the two newbies in 2015).
In the boys’ top 5, William, Lincoln, and Daniel/Jackson/James replaced Mason (the former #1 name), Logan, and Benjamin. The press released noted that “Jackson remains a popular name but has several spelling variants so doesn’t always end up in the top five.”
Most importantly, though, Wyatt is back on top. I love it when Wyatt does particularly well in Wyoming, because it makes me think of the name-letter effect in reverse — that is, Wyoming residents being slightly more likely to opt for a baby name that resembles the name of their state. (Whether or not this is true, I don’t know. But I like to think it is…)
Sources: Favorite Names for Wyoming Newborns? Wyatt, Emma – Wyoming Department of Health, Top 5 Baby Names by State for Births in 2016
Image: Adapted from Flag of Wyoming (public domain)
