Boy names that debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 2023

lotus bud

Which boy names emerged in the U.S. baby name data in 2023 for the first time ever?

A total of 583 boy names debuted in the data last year, and the most impressive debut was made by Kaiyr. Here are the top debuts overall:

  1. Kaiyr, 40 baby boys
  2. Neteyam, 38
  3. Tulsen, 21
  4. Aire, 20
  5. Shubhdeep, 19
  6. Rhyzen, 18
  7. Aysun, 17
  8. Zakyius, 16
  9. Kalias, 15
  10. Namor, 14
  11. Takrim, 14
  12. Yeider, 14

Aire comes from a celebrity baby name-change. (In February of 2022, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott had a baby boy initially named Wolf. In January of 2023, Kylie announced via Instagram that the baby was now called Aire — pronounced just like the word air — and his name was legally changed several months later.)

Namor is a character from the 2022 movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. (He’s the cousin of Namora, whose name debuted last year as well.)

Here are some more debuts:

13 baby boysAhsaias, Azaias, Azire, Syxx
12 baby boysAmiree, Elhan, Emiri, Jacaerys, Mazieon
11 baby boysAzaylion, Chrome, Deivis, Iceland, Jahani, Jeyler, Kaizir, Kassaius, Khozen, Muhammadyasin, Rizen, Shedeur, Yeiler
10 baby boysEthic, Hassiah, Jazaire, Keyder, Masani, Shritik, Yoridan

College football player Shedeur Sanders drew people’s attention to the obscure biblical name Shedeur last year. I have to imagine a lot of the usage was in Colorado, as Shedeur is the quarterback of the Colorado Buffaloes. (His famous father, Deion Sanders, is the Buffaloes’ head coach.)

Finally, here’s a sampling of the rest of the debuts:

  • 9 baby boys: Aemond, Jesser, Kervenson, Rookie, Yefry
  • 8 baby boys: Anirved, Bakhari, Forge, Irham, Kazari, Khimir, Noen, Roic, Royalton, Thorfinn
  • 7 baby boys: Access, Daecari, Essiel, Izir, Jerze, Kaziel, Mezekiah, Nine, Omavi, Riggsley, Rza, Sullen, Varrick, Viserys, Yoakin
  • 6 baby boys: Ahzai, Aider, Bolt, Camoni, Deriam, Divino, Etson, Everyx, Jakoa, Kotah, Leonhart, Maazin, Murillo, Nkai, Olympus, Richarlison, Rifton, Safa, Valens
  • 5 baby boys: Alador, Atigun, Bayou, Bregman, Camino, Damazi, Dawensley, Endry, Ezdan, Franciel, Gudiel, Hazer, Islo, Jhonjairo, Kasden, Menua, Mictlan, Nyte, Oviyan, Pine, Remzi, Sviatoslav, Tecuani, Trophy, Widley, Yasani, Zusha

Thorfinn is a character in the Japanese anime Vinland Saga, and Varrick might come from a character in The Legend of Korra.

Rza comes from celebrity baby RZA, the son of Rihanna and ASAP Rocky. He was born in May of 2022, but his name — inspired by Wu-Tang rapper RZA, whose stage name is pronounced RIZ-uh — wasn’t revealed until May of 2023.

Viserys comes from a character in the TV series House of the Dragon.

Murillo and Richarlison are professional soccer players (both originally from Brazil).

Bregman is likely from baseball player Alex Bregman, who helped the Houston Astros win the World Series in late 2022. My guess is that the usage was mostly (perhaps entirely?) in Texas.

(A few extra facts: Atigun is a river in Alaska, Mictlan is the “land of the dead” in Aztec mythology, and Tecuani is a Nahuatl word often translated as “jaguar,” though it can refer to any non-human creature that bites.)

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

Sources: SSA, Wikipedia, Online Nahuatl Dictionary

Image: Adapted from LotusBud0048a (public domain) by Frank “Fg2” Gualtieri

Girl names that debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 2023

lotus bud

Which girl names emerged in the U.S. baby name data in 2023 for the first time ever?

A total of 659 girl names debuted in the data last year, and the most impressive debut was made by Rumani. Here are the top debuts overall:

  1. Rumani, 88 baby girls
  2. Cimani, 67
  3. Naiari, 66
  4. Azaylie, 39
  5. Nizaraly, 38
  6. Seoni, 37
  7. Aryya, 22
  8. Aluney, 21
  9. Yanaisy, 21
  10. Yuleini, 19
  11. Yameiry, 18
  12. Deriany, 17
  13. Adalett, 16
  14. Alicent, 15
  15. Waziha, 15
  16. Dayali, 14
  17. Ketzali, 14

Aluney’s appearance is likely related to the rise of Eluney last year, and Alicent comes from a character in the TV series House of the Dragon (the Game of Thrones prequel).

Here are some more debuts:

13 baby girlsAesira, Anant, Biani, Izariya, Jazaely, Nazaia, Shrivi, Zelyiana
12 baby girlsAxyla, Mariham, Storiee
11 baby girlsAhlora, Ishira, Jaretssy, Keyorie, Nehmat, Rhayn, Savanni, Sheynnis, Solomiia, Xanthi, Yelenny
10 baby girlsAhzuri, Ailiany, Aquetzali, Barkat, Ezriah, Ifora, Maisleigh, Marliya, Mulanii, Oveah, Rhaena, Riani

Jaretssy (as with Aluney/Eluney) can be attributed to the rise of Jaretssi last year, and Sheynnis comes from Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua, who was crowned Miss Universe 2023 last November.

Finally, here’s a selection of the rest of the debuts:

  • 9 baby girls: Azary, Croia, Hrida, Khemani, Truveya, Tsireya
  • 8 baby girls: Adalette, Dalahni, Digiannia, Elunay, Eylen, Jophiel, Mare, Milki, Navvy, Oleander, Rouss, Xenobia, Yahlani
  • 7 baby girls: Aemma, Aleinad, Chimnora, Ezeriah, Freydis, Jasoni, Kaelli, Khalanni, Namora, Poetic, Renzi, Ruemani, Seonie, Shlay, Zeylani
  • 6 baby girls: Ahado, Bibihawa, Chantzy, Dalanni, Elswyth, Heysell, Iluminada, Itotiani, Kayeli, Leihana, Native, Oslin, Raphtalia, Rosemina, Ryza, Salix, Whiskey, Wood, Zarissa
  • 5 baby girls: Alluka, Aomi, Bethesda, Calliandra, Calluna, Doxa, Dune, Elloa, Energy, Gaeli, Greyshell, Hades, Haumea, Iyris, Jashly, Kavery, Marycollins, Millaray, Muxi, Peridot, Rahmani, Remirose, Roulette, Sarvi, Trulove, Tsumugi, Ungwa, Viper

Tsireya is a character from the 2022 movie Avatar: The Way of Water, and Namora is a character from the 2022 movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Digiannia must come from Colombian influencer/singer Digiannia “Digi” Lanca.

Raphtalia is a character in the Japanese manga/anime The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Tsumugi might come from a character in the Japanese video game franchise Danganronpa.

Ryza could be based on RZA, which was used as a (male) baby name by Rihanna and ASAP Rocky recently.

(A few extra facts: Iluminada means “illuminated” in Spanish, Ungwa means “blood” in Hopi, and Itotiani is derived from the Nahuatl word itotia, which refers to dancing. Willow trees are of the genus Salix, heather is of the genus Calluna, and various “powder puff plants” are of the genus Calliandra.)

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

Sources: SSA, Wiktionary, Online Nahuatl Dictionary

Image: Adapted from LotusBud0048a (public domain) by Frank “Fg2” Gualtieri

Boy names that returned to the U.S. baby name data in 2023

young leaves

In 2023, which boy names re-emerged most impressively in the U.S. baby name data (after an absence of at least one year)?

Here are the top 10+ boy-name returns:

  1. Yamari, 55 baby boys
  2. Khmari, 24
  3. Amell, 21 (tie)
  4. Jozhiel, 21 (tie)
  5. Nachmen, 18 (tie)
  6. Riftyn, 18 (tie)
  7. Jaydence, 17
  8. Dagim, 16 (tie)
  9. Jehiel, 16 (tie)
  10. Adriell, 15 (5-way tie)
  11. Kamsiyochukwu, 15 (5-way tie)
  12. Leniel, 15 (5-way tie)
  13. Rhettlee, 15 (5-way tie)
  14. Wyndham, 15 (5-way tie)

The return that caught my eye was a little lower on the list — Shohei, given to 13 baby boys last year (after being absent from the data for more than two decades). I’m surprised that the first name of baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani didn’t return a year (or two) earlier than 2023, actually.

If you can think of a likely explanation for any of the returns listed above, please leave a comment!

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from First leaves Novosibirsk Siberia 24.04.2012 by Mikhail Koninin under CC BY 2.0.

Girl names that returned to the U.S. baby name data in 2023

young leaves

In 2023, which girl names re-emerged most impressively in the U.S. baby name data (after an absence of at least one year)?

Here are the top 10+ girl-name returns:

  1. Lylla, 59 baby girls
  2. Azhani, 34
  3. Xalia, 32
  4. Merlina, 27
  5. Daia, 24 (tie)
  6. Mazuri, 24 (tie)
  7. Makaiah, 23
  8. Aneley, 21 (tie)
  9. Kridha, 21 (tie)
  10. Keighley, 19 (tie)
  11. Simora, 19 (tie)

Lylla corresponds to an anthropomorphic otter character from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).

Merlina may have been influenced by the Spanish-language TV series Merlina — which is simply the English-language TV series Wednesday translated into Spanish. (The main character, Wednesday Addams, was renamed “Merlina” for Latin American audiences, but “Miércoles” for viewers in Spain.)

Another girl name that re-emerged in the data in 2023 was Eclipse, no doubt inspired by the solar eclipse last October.

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

Sources: SSA, Reddit

Image: Adapted from First leaves Novosibirsk Siberia 24.04.2012 by Mikhail Koninin under CC BY 2.0.