How popular is the baby name Adonis in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Adonis.

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Popularity of the baby name Adonis


Posts that mention the name Adonis

Numerology: Baby names with a value of 8

Baby names with a numerological value of 8

If you’re on the hunt for baby names with a numerological value of 8, you’re in luck! Because today’s post features hundreds of 8-names.

Before we get to the names, though — how do we know that they’re “eights” in numerology?

Turning names into numbers

Here’s how to calculate the numerological value of a name.

First, for each letter, come up with a number to represent that letter’s position in the alphabet. (Letter A would be number 1, letter B would be number 2, and so forth.) Then, add all the numbers together. If the sum has two or more digits, add the digits together recursively until the result is a single digit. That single digit is the name’s numerological value.

For instance, the letters in the name Wyatt correspond to the numbers 23, 25, 1, 20, and 20. The sum of these numbers is 89. The digits of 89 added together equal 17, and the digits of 17 added together equal 8 — the numerological value of Wyatt.

Baby names with a value of 8

Below you’ll find the most popular 8-names per gender, according to the latest U.S. baby name data. I’ve further sub-categorized them by total sums — just in case any of those larger numbers are significant to anyone.

8

The letters in the following baby names add up to 8.

Girl name (8)Boy name (8)
BeaAbe

8 via 17

The letters in the following baby names add up to 17, which reduces to eight (1+7=8).

Girl names (8 via 17)Boy names (8 via 17)
Gia, Bo, Afia, Eabha, CalaBo, Mac, Cam, Md, Jeb

8 via 26

The letters in the following baby names add up to 26, which reduces to eight (2+6=8).

Girl names (8 via 26)Boy names (8 via 26)
Leah, Maci, Jana, Pia, Dua, Gema, Calia, Brea, CamiEli, Bear, Bode, Obed, Asaad, Adil

8 via 35

The letters in the following baby names add up to 35, which reduces to eight (3+5=8).

Girl names (8 via 35)Boy names (8 via 35)
Mila, Clara, Dahlia, Laila, Heidi, Alicia, Cleo, Hadlee, Cadence, Carla, Ayah, Aarna, Sana, Leela, Chava, Lidia, Hafsa, Haya, Jiana, Ambar, Uma, Jaina, Kamia, Adella, Nika, BobbieLiam, Cole, Eric, Kaden, Jax, Edgar, Kian, Bodie, Makai, Jase, Abram, Creed, Lance, Marc, Jet, Koah, Anas, Akeem, Saif, Ajani, Kain, Hagen, Alakai, Mahdi, Cadence, Eyad, Koi, Beckam, Calen, Najee, Eliah, Blu

8 via 44

The letters in the following baby names add up to 44, which reduces to eight (4+4=8).

Girl names (8 via 44)Boy names (8 via 44)
Ariana, Faith, Hope, Helen, Opal, Keira, Jenna, Anais, Cielo, Xena, Kiera, Celina, Micaela, Khadija, Maliah, Erika, Ainara, Brenda, Rue, Karma, Rya, Carlee, Sanai, Sahana, Tamia, Claira, Hailie, Halima, Nella, Anisa, Jacey, Aleya, Atalia, TinaJayce, Kaiden, Judah, Abraham, Brian, Dante, Archie, Andy, Allen, Ray, Dakari, Hugh, Alaric, Braden, Boaz, Jakobe, Kaleo, Jadon, Akiva, Micaiah, Karam, Emile, Adonai, Arjan, Zael, Akram, Finan, Trae, Athan, Essa, Nicco

8 via 53

The letters in the following baby names add up to 53, which reduces to eight (5+3=8).

Girl names (8 via 53)Boy names (8 via 53)
Julia, Eliza, Samara, Laura, Reign, Legacy, Rosa, Chelsea, Kendra, Malaya, Kori, Kamari, Livia, Shay, Zainab, Deborah, Casey, Layan, Riya, Vayda, Zaya, Nayla, Emilie, Atlas, Aryah, Anyla, Carmela, Marcela, Harlie, Kaelani, Layna, Marli, Blakelee, Hadassa, Alyna, Ollie, Senna, Keren, Jadore, Sora, Greer, Marta, Ahuva, Kaleigh, Xenia, Bryce, Tamar, Bexlee, Emiko, Rayah, Analy, Jaycie, Alize, Kior, Oaklie, Kelsea, TahaniArcher, Atlas, Gavin, Bryce, Aziel, Colin, Khalil, Casey, Kamari, Kyle, Camilo, Kohen, Saul, Reign, Kareem, Keith, Legacy, Felipe, Brodie, Jairo, Zev, Ollie, Beaux, Makari, Aydin, Elmer, Umar, Cormac, Caius, Efrain, Syed, Vince, Yair, Gerard, Guy, Faris, Leeland, Kiran, Izael, Shay, Adolfo, Kove, Aidyn, Kahlil, Braiden, Koby, Lukah, Sora, Eyden, Simcha, Baruch, Yash, Mendel, Tyce, Ghaith, Tuff, Aylan, Eduin, Corban, Kwame, Jahleel, Yug, Mckay, Brix, Cedrick, Lamir, Ayaz

8 via 62

The letters in the following baby names add up to 62, which reduces to eight (6+2=8).

Girl names (8 via 62)Boy names (8 via 62)
Natalie, Leilani, Sienna, Georgia, Kylie, Ariyah, Arielle, Serena, Avianna, Danielle, Navy, Jordan, Kennedi, Gloria, Leslie, Adrianna, Noor, Ramona, Ayleen, Luisa, Keily, Xyla, Tori, Ailany, Solana, Aylani, Annabella, Queen, Yelena, Liyana, Estela, Karmen, Malky, Dalett, Magdalene, Nuri, Avril, Samaira, Terra, Sarina, Laynee, Isobel, Samaria, Toby, Amiracle, Harbor, Ilyana, Mackenna, Kiley, Mason, Mehlani, Kaislee, Eryn, Keyli, Adalyne, Kaloni, Alyse, Analucia, Eugenia, ElliemaeMason, Josiah, Jordan, Adonis, Callum, Ronan, Briggs, Louie, Hassan, Zahir, Randy, Talon, Benedict, Osman, Menachem, Matheo, Casper, Toby, Javon, Andreas, Randall, Bernard, Freddy, Elyas, Nikola, Jovan, Riot, Rudra, Elvin, Xion, Johann, Angus, Alton, Maxx, Mayer, Brenden, Aziz, Navy, Kamren, Braven, Floyd, Adriano, Harun, Jareth, Noor, Chadwick, Axyl, Levin

8 via 71

The letters in the following baby names add up to 71, which reduces to eight (7+1=8).

Girl names (8 via 71)Boy names (8 via 71)
Avery, Zoey, Adalynn, Jasmine, Finley, Octavia, Rowan, Lauren, Shiloh, Astrid, Maryam, Gabrielle, Charleigh, Shelby, Marianna, Royal, Eleanora, Jaylin, Lettie, Mariella, Wendy, Romy, Mireya, Prisha, Briley, Milly, Jailyn, Annaleigh, Elysia, Jazelle, Analiyah, Karleigh, Wilder, Kyler, Betsy, Xareni, Kenslee, Annalisa, Kenleigh, Maryn, EverliSamuel, Rowan, Rhett, Avery, Kyler, Finley, Orion, Royal, Wilder, Apollo, Mathias, Zayne, Emanuel, Wells, Shiloh, Kenzo, Moses, Soren, Nikolai, Julien, Raylan, Flynn, Azriel, Shepard, Mariano, Zeus, Maison, Pierre, Jovani, Kylin, Ross, Jaylin, Jessiah, Steve, Chozen, Javion, Sammy, Jahziel, Destin, Amarion, Brewer, Haroon, Xavian, Daylon, Raziel, Theoden, Yasiel, Izrael, Atharva, Drayden, Abdirahman, Dwight, Khylan, Shyne, Devante, Jionni, Merlin, Niccolo, Quill, Deklyn, Othman, Rickey, Usher, Blayze, Neithan

8 via 80

The letters in the following baby names add up to 80, which reduces to eight (8+0=8).

Girl names (8 via 80)Boy names (8 via 80)
Savannah, Alexandra, Stevie, Colette, Cassidy, Monroe, Emberly, Cassandra, Marceline, Ensley, Cynthia, Lakelyn, Spencer, Carsyn, Marissa, Tyler, Bennett, Lizeth, Preslee, Estefania, Elianny, Annaliese, Pyper, Leonora, Shaindy, Brooks, Jeanette, Polly, Ravyn, Therese, Thyri, Zariya, Sumaya, Mayleigh, Sayler, Austen, Brenleigh, IssabellaBrooks, Bennett, Tyler, Alejandro, Spencer, Moises, Emmitt, Zyon, Waylen, Bryant, Jeremias, Kooper, Eliezer, Cashton, Giancarlo, Alessio, Monroe, Savion, Ransom, Wilmer, Emrys, Giorgio, Samarth, Carsyn, Santiel, Austen, Stefano, Kashmere, Krishna, Kanyon, Cassidy, Theron, Wayland, Latrell, Mouhamed, Carsten

8 via 89

The letters in the following baby names add up to 89, which reduces to eight (8+9=17; 1+7=8).

Girl names (8 via 89)Boy names (8 via 89)
Raelynn, Summer, Emerson, Winter, Alexandria, Felicity, Ivory, Virginia, Alisson, August, Rosalina, Avalynn, Beverly, Arizbeth, Quincy, Marjorie, Susanna, Winry, Wesley, Gentry, Halston, Hartley, Jazmyn, Wyatt, Bellarose, Azariyah, UnityWyatt, Wesley, August, Emerson, Titus, Travis, Garrett, Enrique, Mauricio, Quincy, Alistair, Osiris, Massimo, Graysen, Syncere, Gentry, Antony, Halston, Yisrael, Winter, Zyion, Salomon, Aleister, Dusty, Oswaldo

8 via 98

The letters in the following baby names add up to 98, which reduces to eight (9+8=17; 1+7=8).

Girl names (8 via 98)Boy names (8 via 98)
Scarlett, Valentina, Allyson, Crystal, Londynn, Julietta, Kenzley, Jocelynn, Fatoumata, KynzleeTrevor, Jefferson, Zephyr, Lazarus, Marquis, Brexton, Klayton, Giuseppe, Kashtyn, Everson, Britton, Hutton, Colston, Donatello, Kurtis, Zayvian

8 via 107

The letters in the following baby names add up to 107, which reduces to eight (1+0+7=8).

Girl names (8 via 107)Boy names (8 via 107)
Treasure, Dominique, Phoenyx, Charolette, WinsleyPreston, Dominique, Yousuf, Giovanny, Prosper

8 via 116

The letters in the following baby names add up to 116, which reduces to eight (1+1+6=8).

Girl names (8 via 116)Boy names (8 via 116)
Royalty, Annistyn, Eternity, Suzette, ChristiannaCornelius, Stryker, Treyson, Royalty, Prescott

8 via 125

The letters in the following baby names add up to 125, which reduces to eight (1+2+5=8).

Girl names (8 via 125)Boy names (8 via 125)
Rozalynn, Tristyn, Oliviarose, Skyelynn, RemingtynKyngston, Tristyn, Octavious, Vishruth, Dontavius

Number 8: Significance and associations

What does the number eight mean in numerology?

There’s no definitive answer, unfortunately, because various numerological systems exist, and each one has its own interpretation of the number eight. That said, if we look at a couple of modern numerology/astrology websites, we see 8 being described as “successful,” “ambitious,” “organized,” “practical,” and “authoritative.”

We can also look at associations, which are a bit more concrete. Here are some things that are associated with the number 8:

  • Figure 8
    • Infinity symbol
    • Analemma (diagram showing the position of the sun over the course of a year)
    • Figure-eight knot
  • Octopus (8 arms)
  • Spider (8 legs)
  • 8-bit computing
  • 8-track cartridge
  • Eight-ball (in pool)
    • Magic 8 Ball (fortune-telling toy)
  • Eight-ender (perfect score in the sport of curling)

What does the number 8 mean to you? What are your strongest associations with the number?

P.S. To see names with other numerological values, check out the posts for the numbers one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and nine.

Sources: SSA, Numerology – Cafe Astrology, The meaning of the numbers 1 – 9 – World Numerology, 8 – Wikipedia

[Latest update: Jan. 2024]

Pop culture baby name game results, 2016

Here are the results of Pop Culture Baby Name Game 2016!

As usual, the disclaimer: Some of the names below were already on the rise. Others may have been influenced by more than just the single pop culture person/event listed. I leave it up to you to judge the degree/nature of pop culture influence in each case.

On to the names…

Luna, +849

  • Up from 2,796 baby girls in 2015 to 3,645 in 2016.
  • 6th-highest raw-number increase on the girls’ list in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Luna Simone, daughter of singer John Legend and model Chrissy Teigen.

Camila, +765

Greyson, +704

  • Up from 3,591 baby boys in 2015 to 4,295 in 2016.
  • 8th-highest raw-number increase on the boys’ list in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Greyson Valor, son of reality TV star Jenni “JWoww” Farley.

Adonis, +443

Kehlani, +272

Wade, +232

  • Up from 553 baby boys in 2015 to 785 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Prince, +187

  • Up from 820 baby boys in 2015 to 1,007 in 2016.
  • The name Princess also saw a jump in usage: 268 baby girls in 2015 to 369 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Prince.

Lyanna, +154

  • Up from 62 baby girls in 2015 to 216 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV show Game of Thrones.

Alessia, +130

Wilder, +122

  • Up from 215 baby boys in 2015 to 337 in 2016.
  • 9th-highest ranking increase on the boys’ list in 2016.
  • Wilder also saw higher usage among baby girls: 22 in 2015 to 38 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Gene Wilder.

Canaan, +99

  • Up from 283 baby boys in 2015 to 382 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: son of Oprah Winfrey (she announced this name in late 2015).
    • According to a 2010 biography, Winfrey’s son’s legal first name was Vincent.

Cyrus, +91

  • Up from 631 baby boys in 2015 to 722 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV mini-series Roots (2016).

Creed, +78

Bowie, +77

  • Up from 53 baby boys in 2015 to 130 in 2016.
  • Bowie also saw higher usage among baby girls: 43 in 2015 to 75 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of David Bowie.

Muhammad, +77

  • Up from 881 baby boys in 2015 to 958 in 2016.
  • The name Muhammadali also saw a jump in usage: 12 baby boys in 2015 to 24 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Muhammad Ali.

Ivanka, +74

  • Up from 37 baby girls in 2015 to 111 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s daughter Ivanka.

Cohen, +68

  • Up from 1,017 baby boys in 2015 to 1,085 in 2016.
  • Cohen also saw higher usage among baby girls: 12 in 2015 to 17 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Leonard Cohen.

Queen, +49

  • Up from 148 baby girls in 2015 to 197 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influences: the TV show Queen Sugar (2016-) and the movie Queen of Katwe (2016).

Melania, +41

  • Up from 90 baby girls in 2015 to 131 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s wife Melania.

Moana, +38

  • Up from 18 baby girls in 2015 to 56 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Moana (2016).

Jupiter, +36

  • Up from 42 baby girls in 2015 to 78 in 2016.
  • Jupiter also saw higher usage among baby boys: 25 in 2015 to 41 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter.

Hillary, +34

Simone, +33

  • Up from 340 baby girls in 2015 to 373 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influences: Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and celebrity baby Luna Simone.

Doris, +32

  • Up from 85 baby girls in 2015 to 117 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Hello, My Name Is Doris (2016).

Dream, +30

  • Up from 98 baby _s in 2015 to 128 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Kardashian baby Dream Renée.

Rio, +29

  • Up from 103 baby boys in 2015 to 132 in 2016.
  • Rio also saw higher usage among baby girls: 38 in 2015 to 61 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Malachi, +27

  • Up from 2,558 baby boys in 2015 to 2,585 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV mini-series Roots (2016).

Ali, +23

  • Up from 1,060 baby boys in 2015 to 1,083 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Muhammad Ali.

Barron, +20

  • Up from 74 baby boys in 2015 to 94 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s son Barron.

Miesha, +19

  • Up from 13 baby girls in 2015 to 32 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: MMA fighter Miesha Tate.

Onyx, +18

  • Up from 38 baby girls in 2015 to 56 in 2016.
  • Onyx saw an even higher jump in usage among baby boys: 118 in 2015 to 172 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Onyx Solace, daughter of Alanis Morissette.

Francis, +17

  • Up from 619 baby boys in 2015 to 636 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Merrick, +17

  • Up from 191 baby boys in 2015 to 208 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Judge Merrick Garland.

Ajax, +16

  • Up from 17 baby boys in 2015 to 33 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Juno, +13

  • Up from 86 baby girls in 2015 to 99 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter.

Keanu, +13

  • Up from 197 baby boys in 2015 to 210 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Keanu (2016).

Halsey, re-entered with 12

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 12 baby girls in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Halsey (born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane).

Valor, +12

  • Up from 78 baby boys in 2015 to 90 in 2016.
  • Valor also saw higher usage among baby girls: 6 in 2015 to 14 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Greyson Valor, son of reality TV star Jenni “JWoww” Farley.

Hamilton, +11

  • Up from 86 baby boys in 2015 to 97 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the Broadway musical Hamilton.

Sanders, +11

  • Up from 12 baby boys in 2015 to 23 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Bernie, +10

  • Up from 11 baby boys in 2015 to 21 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Omran, +10

  • Up from 7 baby boys in 2015 to 17 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Syrian boy Omran Daqneesh.

Elle, +9

  • Up from 816 baby girls in 2015 to 825 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Elle King.

Teresa, +9

  • Up from 426 baby girls in 2015 to 435 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: canonization of Mother Teresa.

Dak, re-entered with 8

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 8 baby boys in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NFL player Rayne Dakota “Dak” Prescott.

Wrigley, +8

  • Up from 22 baby boys in 2015 to 30 in 2016.
  • Wrigley also saw higher usage among baby girls: 15 in 2015 to 18 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Chicago Cubs’ World Series win.

Boomer, +7

  • Up from 5 baby boys in 2015 to 12 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Boomer Robert, son of Michael Phelps.

Dory, re-entered with 6

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 6 baby girls in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Finding Dory (2016).

Maui, re-entered with 5

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 5 baby boys in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Moana (2016).

Wilson, +5

  • Up from 433 baby boys in 2015 to 438 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Sully, +4

  • Up from 17 baby boys in 2015 to 21 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Sully (2016).

Teyana, +3

  • Up from 47 baby girls in 2015 to 50 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Teyana Taylor.

Draymond, +2

  • Up from 6 baby boys in 2015 to 8 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NBA player Draymond Green.

Daya, +1

  • Up from 42 baby girls in 2015 to 43 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Daya (born Grace Martine Tandon).

Names that went down in usage from 2015 to 2016:

Names not in the SSA data in either 2015 or 2016:

  • Angel Dust
  • Aroldis
  • Bison
  • Broncs
  • Cubby
  • Curiosity
  • Dopinder
  • Eleven
  • Emayatzy
  • E’myri
  • Esperanto
  • Hermine
  • Ingwen
  • Jikan
  • Jonbenet
  • Lorca
  • Kunta
  • Laremy
  • Linmanuel
  • Maga
  • MacGyver
  • Mountain
  • Moushumi
  • Ode
  • Phiona
  • Regé-Jean
  • Rykiel
  • Trump
  • Usain
  • Voltron
  • Zobrist

Some initial reactions…

I was surprised that Adonis and Wade jumped in usage as much as they did.

I was also surprised that Wrigley barely jumped at all in usage. Maybe “Wrigley” reminds too many people of gum?

usain bolt, race, 100m, rio, olympics
© 2016 Cameron Spencer/Getty

Where the heck is Usain? Why is Usain not in the data yet? Sure, track and field is relatively unpopular in the United States. Still, I thought Rio might do it — with the help of that viral photo of Usain Bolt cheekily grinning at the competition in the middle of that 100 meter sprint.

Finally, as a former ’80s kid, I did have my fingers crossed for Voltron. Oh well…

How about you? Did any of these rises/falls surprise you?

P.S. Some of the names from the 2015 Pop Culture Baby Name Game that have started/continued to do well: Adaline, Arlo, Bjorn, Bryshere, Finn, Furiosa, Gigi, Hakeem, Jedi, Joy, Kylo, Lagertha, Lucious, Margot, Mars, Rey, Saint, and Sullivan. Even more interesting is Atticus, which saw a drop in usage in 2016 after rising steadily for years. (Here’s more about Atticus and the Go Set a Watchman debacle.) The usage of Becky decreased as well — could Beyoncé’s song “Sorry” have anything to do with it?

Biggest changes in boy name popularity, 2016

Which boy names increased the most in popularity from 2015 to 2016? And which ones decreased the most?

The U.S. SSA likes to answer this question by analyzing ranking differences within the top 1,000. I prefer to answer it by looking at raw number differences, and to take the full list into account. So let’s check out the results using both methods…

Boy Names: Biggest Increases, 2015 to 2016

Rankings

1. Kylo, +2,368 spots — up from 3,269th to 901st
2. Creed, +370 spots — up from 1,352nd to 982nd
3. Benicio, +356 spots — up from 1,331st to 975th
4. Adonis, +307 spots — up from 701st to 394th
5. Fox, +288 spots — up from 1034th to 746th
6. Kye, +281 spots — up from 984th to 703rd
7. Hakeem, +256 spots — up from 1,161st to 905th
8. Shepherd, +242 spots — up from 1,105th to 863rd
9. Wilder, +238 spots — up from 961st to 723rd
10. Zayn, +222 spots — up from 643rd to 421st

Kylo was influenced by the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).

Creed and Adonis were influenced by the movie Creed (2015).

Hakeem was influenced by the TV show Empire (2015-). So was Bryshere, which debuted last year.

Wilder could have been influenced by either Gene Wilder or by boxer Deontay Wilder, or both. (Or neither.)

Zayn was influenced by British singer/songwriter Zain “Zayn” Malik.

Raw Numbers

1. Mateo, +1,516 baby boys — up from 5,010 to 6,526
2. Oliver, +1,340 baby boys — up from 11,635 to 12,975
3. Bryson, +1,239 baby boys — up from 3,094 to 4,333
4. Lincoln, +1,094 baby boys — up from 5,982 to 7,076
5. Benjamin, +899 baby boys — up from 13,670 to 14,569
6. Grayson, +735 baby boys — up from 7,887 to 8,622
7. Theodore, +723 baby boys — up from 4,136 to 4,859
8. Greyson, +704 baby boys — up from 3,591 to 4,295
9. Leo, +678 baby boys — up from 4,582 to 5,260
10. Maverick, +675 baby boys — up from 2,265 to 2,940

Other names that saw raw number increases in the 200+ range included Owen, Sebastian, Ezekiel, Lucas, Ezra, Leonardo, Santiago, Conor, Gael, Everett, Rhett, Jameson, Killian, Tobias, Arlo, Easton, Finn, Rowan, Elias, Asher, Calvin, Thiago, Bodhi, Legend, Lukas, River, Elliot, Harrison, Roman, Adriel, Paxton, Julian, Ace, Josiah, Waylon, Messiah, Nash, Ellis, Matias, George, Barrett, Connor, Wade, Kyrie, Milo, Amir, Bennett, Elliott, Silas, Matteo, and Axel.

Rowan is rising quickly for both boys and girls right now.

Kyrie, which was once given primarily to girls, is now being given primarily for boys thanks to basketball player Kyrie Irving.

Boy Names: Biggest Decreases, 2015 to 2016

Rankings

1. Jonael, -475 spots — down from 921st to 1,396th
2. Aaden, -239 spots — down from 784th to 1,023rd
3. Triston, -230 spots — down from 957th to 1,187th
4. Freddy, -222 spots — down from 993rd to 1,215th
5. Yaakov, -213 spots — down from 992nd to 1,205th
6. Braeden, -203 spots — down from 792nd to 995th
7. Chace, -202 spots — down from 935th to 1,137th
8. Brantlee, -176 spots — down from 777th to 953rd
9. Gannon, -173 spots — down from 533rd to 706th
10. Robin, -171 spots — down from 969th to 1,140th

The name Jonael got a lot of exposure in 2015 thanks to 11-year-old Puerto Rican singer Jonael Santiago, who won the 3rd season of La Voz Kids, which aired from March to June. It didn’t get as much exposure in 2016, which accounts for the drop in usage.

Raw Numbers

1. Logan, -1,697 baby boys (12,897 to 11,200)
2. Jacob, -1,498 baby boys (15,914 to 14,416)
3. Jayden, -1,455 baby boys (11,518 to 10,063)
4. Mason, -1,399 baby boys (16,591 to 15,192)
5. Ethan, -1,291 baby boys — down from 15,049 to 13,758
6. Aiden, -1,271 baby boys (13,429 to 12,158)
7. Alexander, -1,186 baby boys (14,507 to 13,321)
8. Jackson, -1,032 baby boys (12,242 to 11,210)
9. Brandon, -1,024 baby boys (5,100 to 4,076)
10. Blake, -951 baby boys (4,220 to 3,269)

blake, baby name, gender, switch

Unlike Rowan, Blake is falling on the boys’ list, but rising on the girls’ list. In fact, the graph (right) makes a gender switch look inevitable. This is not something I would have anticipated a decade ago, before the emergence of Blake Lively.

Other names that saw raw number drops in the 200+ range included Landon, Caleb, Gavin, Anthony, Christopher, Andrew, David, Parker, Colton, Jase, Hunter, Brody, Brantley, Gabriel, Jonathan, Jordan, Tyler, Kevin, Nathan, Joshua, Carter, Daniel, Joseph, Dylan, Christian, Noah, Angel, Brayden, Iker, Chase, Nicholas, Austin, Dominic, Camden, John, Ayden, Michael, Colin, Bryan, Riley, Kyle, Hayden, Bradley, Nathaniel, Jake, Samuel, Luke, Cayden, Evan, Zachary, Steven, Kaden, Cooper, Marcus, Ryan, Tristan, Bryce, Ryder, Micah, Brady, Bentley, Kaleb, Levi, Alex, Conner, Jeremy, Isaac, Ian, Gage, Brian, Kayden, Jaden, Carlos, Sean, Jeremiah, Abel, Devin, Adrian, Giovanni, Garrett, and Adam.

Jase has seen a dramatic rise and fall over the last few years: big gains in 2012 and 2013, followed by big losses in 2014, 2015, and now 2016.

Similarly, Iker was on the rise for a while, with partcularly big leaps in 2011 and 2012, but usage is now on the wane.

Do you have any other explanations/guesses about any of the names above? If so, please leave a comment.

(In 2015, the big winners were Oliver and Riaan, and the big losers were Jase and Arnav.)

Sources: Change in Popularity from 2015 to 2016, Emma and Noah Remain Social Security’s Most Popular Baby Names for 2016

Popular baby names in the United States, 2016

Flag of the United States
Flag of the United States

According to the Social Security Administration, Emma and Noah were the most popular baby names in the United States in 2016.

Here are the top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names:

Girl Names
1. Emma, 19,414 baby girls (same rank as in 2015)
2. Olivia, 19,246 (same rank)
3. Ava, 16,237 (up from 4th)
4. Sophia, 16,070 (down from 3rd)
5. Isabella, 14,722 (same rank)
6. Mia, 14,366 (same rank)
7. Charlotte, 13,030 (up from 9th)
8. Abigail, 11,699 (down from 7th)
9. Emily, 10,926 (down from 8th)
10. Harper, 10,733 (same rank)

Boy Names
1. Noah, 19,015 baby boys (same rank as in 2015)
2. Liam, 18,138 (same rank)
3. William, 15,668 (up from 5th)
4. Mason, 15,192 (down from 3rd)
5. James, 14,776 (up from 7th)
6. Benjamin, 14,569 (up from 10th)
7. Jacob, 14,416 (down from 4th)
8. Michael, 13,998 (up from 9th)
9. Elijah, 13,764 (up from 11th)
10. Ethan, 13,758 (down from 6th)

Emma and Noah were also the #1 names in 2015 and in 2014.

Elijah replaced Alexander (now 11th) in the boys’ top 10. No replacements in the girls’ top 10.

Here’s more from the SSA’s press release:

Each year, the list reveals the effect of pop-culture on naming trends. This year’s winners for biggest jump in popularity in the Top 1,000 are Kehlani and Kylo.

Kehlani rose 2,487 spots on the girls’ side to number 872, from number 3,359 in 2015. Perhaps this can be attributed to Kehlani Parrish, a singer/songwriter who was nominated for a Grammy in 2016. She was named an artist to watch and clearly new parents agree her star is rising. Kehlani collaborated with Zayn Malik, the former One Direction star and current solo artist, on a song in 2016. The name Zayn also made the boys fastest riser list.

The force was strong for Kylo in 2016 as he soared 2,368 spots for the boys, from number 3,269 in 2015 to number 901. Kylo Ren, the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia and the grandson of Darth Vader, was a character in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Perhaps Kylo can continue to harness the force and climb even higher in the coming years.

The second fastest riser for girls was Royalty. The royal family likely had something to do with this increase in popularity, or the 2015 World Series champions, the Kansas City Royals, may have influenced parents-to-be.

For boys, it was Creed. This could be attributed to the return to the silver screen of America’s favorite boxer Rocky Balboa in the 2015 movie Creed, where Rocky trains and mentors Adonis Johnson Creed, the son of his late friend and boxing rival, Apollo Creed. The name Adonis just happens to be the number four fastest riser on the list for boys.

Regarding Royalty, the inspiration was much more likely R&B singer Chris Brown. His daughter Royalty, born in mid-2014, was featured on the cover of his album Royalty, released at the end of 2015.

More analysis coming soon!

Source: Emma and Noah Remain Social Security’s Most Popular Baby Names for 2016

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United States (public domain)