Popularity contest
The Social Security Agency released the 2023 update of its 1,000 most popular baby names in America list on Friday, with 2 very familiar names clinching the #1 spots again: Olivia won out for the baby girls for the 5th year in a row, while Liam topped the male chart for a staggering 7th consecutive year.
The agency has been compiling the annual ranking for almost 3 decades now, using data from applications for Social Security cards that date back to 1879, meaning that there’s a whopping 144 years’ worth of data to dig into — something of a dream for us at Chartr.
What’s in a name
From 19th Century mainstays such as Ernest and Bertha, all the way to 2023’s fastest risers like Chozen or Kaeli (which saw surges inspired by a Netflix hit and a TikTok influencer, respectively), baby names reveal a lot about the cultural moment we’re in. Indeed, some parents who are feeling particularly uninspired when it comes to picking out a name for their newborns are reportedly enlisting expensive consultants, who charge up to $500 for a set of name recommendations, to help them in their quest to find the perfect moniker.
Check out the full list of the top 1,000 baby names.
