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Boy names on the rise in the United States in 2024

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Which boy names increased in usage the most from 2023 to 2024?

Here’s a table of the fastest-rising boy names of 2024. On the left are the top 25 increases in terms of absolute change (numbers of babies). On the right are the top 25 increases in terms of relative change (percentages of babies).

RankBoy nameAbsolute riseBoy nameRelative rise
1Liam1,278Truce3,683%
2Noah1,249Nazai1,640%
3Santiago1,054Zylus1,000%
4Theodore927Kyzeir656%
5Thiago774Ewen640%
6Enzo740Hartlen600%
7Eithan717Kyiir560%
8Roman678Kamazi528%
9Bennett675Mazieon525%
10Elias650Xaden509%
11Callum615Rustyn483%
12Colter609Endrick433%
13Beau596Kaior417%
14Wesley594Colsen408%
15Oliver561Elion367%
16Henry559Haysen344%
17Jaziel538Huntlee340%
18Hayes496Akoa329%
19Arthur488Joa317%
20Callan469Ryo281%
21Rowan437Amael280%
22Jett436Zalen271%
23Eliam422 (tie)Kysir263%
24August422 (tie)Creeden250% (tie)
25Harvey413Zyel250% (tie)

The rise of Rustyn might be thanks to social media influencer Addie McCracken, who has a young son named Rustyn (b. 2022).

If you have theories about any of the other rises, please leave a comment!

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Turkey-2036 by Dennis Jarvis under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Girl names on the rise in the United States in 2024

hot air balloons

Which girl names increased in usage the most from 2023 to 2024?

Here’s a table of the fastest-rising girl names of 2024. On the left are the top 25 increases in terms of absolute change (number of babies). On the right are the top 25 increases in terms of relative change (percentage of babies).

RankGirl nameAbsolute riseGirl nameRelative rise
1Ailany2,285Lilieth850%
2Lainey1,210Mavie836%
3Eliana1,071Aylany820%
4Scottie1,032Xylani780%
5Aurora837Ailany735%
6Mia718Klarity625%
7Ayla677Kathlyn600%
8Daisy668Jaslin570%
9Adeline635Mahelet567%
10Violet608Aaralyn417%
11Zoe531Ziora400%
12Lucy514Diara392%
13Eloise509Baela388%
14Ember469Ibbie383%
15Elodie458Sanova367%
16Ailani440Solene364%
17Alana437Zaeli363%
18Sofia429Renli360%
19Hallie425Emrielle340%
20Celeste420 (tie)Naziyah315%
21Juliette420 (tie)Xamira309%
22Alanna419Evara300% (3-way tie)
23Clara399Kahani300% (3-way tie)
24Chloe398Maryori300% (3-way tie)
25Amelia388Maysen287%

Lainey, one of the fastest-rising girl names of 2023, is still on the rise thanks to country singer Lainey Wilson.

Scottie may have been influenced by Scotty Lyon, a young female character on the show Fargo.

And Baela was probably influenced by Baela Targaryen of the show House of the Dragon.

If you can explain any of the other rises, please leave a comment!

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Turkey-2036 by Dennis Jarvis under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Popular baby names in the United States, 2024

Flag of the United States
Flag of the United States

Earlier today, the SSA released the 2024 U.S. baby name data. The top two names in the nation are Olivia and Liam, yet again.

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

Girl names

  1. Olivia, 14,718 baby girls
  2. Emma, 13,485
  3. Amelia, 12,740
  4. Charlotte, 12,552
  5. Mia, 12,113
  6. Sophia, 12,088
  7. Isabella, 10,770
  8. Evelyn, 9,116
  9. Ava, 8,662
  10. Sofia, 8,094

Boy names

  1. Liam, 22,164 baby boys
  2. Noah, 20,337
  3. Oliver, 15,343
  4. Theodore, 12,011
  5. James, 11,793
  6. Henry, 11,547
  7. Mateo, 11,302
  8. Elijah, 11,171
  9. Lucas, 10,703
  10. William, 10,596

In the girls’ top 10, Sofia replaced Luna.

The boys’ top 10 consists of the same ten names.

Here are the rest of the names in the top 50 (for both genders):

RankGirl namesBoy names
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50		Camila, 7,608
Harper, 7,370
Luna, 7,135
Eleanor, 7,127
Violet, 6,972
Aurora, 6,917
Elizabeth, 6,878
Eliana, 6,423
Hazel, 6,401
Chloe, 6,385
Ellie, 6,306
Nora, 6,128
Gianna, 6,097
Lily, 6,093
Emily, 5,955
Aria, 5,935
Scarlett, 5,894
Penelope, 5,741
Zoe, 5,719
Ella, 5,685
Avery, 5,632
Abigail, 5,499
Mila, 5,472
Lucy, 5,396
Isla, 5,367
Ivy, 5,323
Layla, 5,305
Lainey, 5,147
Nova, 5,044
Grace, 5,002
Willow, 4,653
Riley, 4,644
Emilia, 4,634
Naomi, 4,605
Elena, 4,567
Madison, 4,563
Valentina, 4,438
Victoria, 4,267
Stella, 4,264
Delilah, 4,240		Benjamin, 9,814
Levi, 9,513
Ezra, 8,774
Sebastian, 8,562
Jack, 8,434
Daniel, 8,391
Samuel, 8,310
Michael, 8,189
Ethan, 8,170
Asher, 8,123
John, 8,047
Hudson, 7,990
Luca, 7,959
Leo, 7,793
Elias, 7,653
Owen, 7,574
Alexander, 7,517
Dylan, 7,464
Santiago, 7,407
Julian, 7,368
David, 7,317
Joseph, 7,223
Matthew, 7,078
Luke, 7,039
Jackson, 6,876
Maverick, 6,615
Miles, 6,611
Wyatt, 6,581
Thomas, 6,576
Isaac, 6,498
Jacob, 6,496
Mason, 6,471
Gabriel, 6,379
Anthony, 6,326
Carter, 6,267
Logan, 6,267
Aiden, 6,243
Grayson, 6,211
Caleb, 5,766
Cooper, 5,699

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

Each year, the list also reveals the names that increased the most in popularity. Among those rising in popularity for girls, Ailany, which means ‘chief’, topped the list. The boys’ name Truce, which means ‘peace’, rose an incredible 11,118 spots from last year’s position, cracking the top 1,000 at number 991 overall.

Interestingly — and, as this quote kind of implies — the SSA’s Change in Popularity page now covers ranking differences across all the data (not just differences within the top 1,000).

I’ll write more posts about the new names over the next few days…

Sources: Popular Baby Names – SSA, Olivia and Liam Remain Most Popular Baby Names for 2024

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

What gave the baby name Yoel a boost in 1979?

Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum (1888-1979)
Yoel Teitelbaum

According to the U.S. baby name data, the Hebrew name Yoel was one of the fastest-rising baby names in the nation in 1979. A year later, the name — which was mostly being used in the state of New York — entered the boys’ top 1,000 for the very first time.

Boys named Yoel (U.S.)Boys named Yoel (NY)
198199 [rank: 898th]91 [rank: 180th]
1980127 [rank: 779th]120 [rank: 141st]
19797569 [rank: 228th]
1978129 [rank: 820th]
19778.

Yoel’s English equivalent, Joel, also made gains in 1979 and 1980. Again, the increase was largely attributable to usage in New York.

Boys named Joel (U.S.)Boys named Joel (NY)
19814,540 [rank: 65th]529 [rank: 45th]
19804,566 [rank: 67th]614 [rank: 41st]
19794,215 [rank: 71st]401 [rank: 53rd]
19783,809 [rank: 74th]214 [rank: 81st]
19773,823 [rank: 73rd]209 [rank: 80th]

So what was inspiring parents (particularly those in New York) to use the name?

The death of Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum in August of 1979.

Teitelbaum — whose first name was often transcribed “Joel” — had been the the leader of the New York City-based Satmar Hasidic sect since the 1940s.

Teitelbaum was born in Eastern Europe in 1887. In the mid-1930s, he was appointed chief rabbi of the town of Szatmár (which was traded between Hungary and Romania during the first half of the 20th century).

After World War II, Teitelbaum emigrated to the United States and re-established the Satmar sect in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. The sect was ultra-conservative, isolationist, and anti-Zionist. It grew steadily over the ensuing decades.

In the mid-1970s, the Satmars established a village called Kiryas Joel (“City of Joel”) about 50 miles to the north (i.e., away from the temptations of the city). A few years later, Yoel Teitelbaum’s funeral — which was attended by tens of thousands of people — was held in the village that bore his name.

Speaking of his name, it comprises two elements, the first of which refers to Yahweh and the second of which means “god.” (Fun fact: The name Elijah is essentially made up of the same two elements, but in reverse order.)

What are your thoughts on the name Yoel? How about Joel?

P.S. The 1994 death of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the leader of another New York City-based Hasidic group, also influenced U.S. baby names…

Sources:

Image: Joel Teitelbaum (public domain)