New research from has revealed the most popular baby names in the US and Canada.
Choosing the perfect baby’s name is a difficult task, with many parents looking for inspiration from celebrities, books, and the Internet. With over 10,000 babies being born per day in America, online casino Betway decided to assist parents by analyzing Google Trends data across all 50 US states and key Canadian cities to establish the most popular boy and girl baby names in North America.
The following table ranks each baby boy’s name, analyzed in order of highest to lowest Google Trends score, along with the number of states in which it ranks as the most popular name choice.
Boys:
Rank | Name | Avg. Google Trends Score | #1 Choice in States |
1 | Jack | 76 | 14 |
2 | Elijah | 74 | 11 |
3 | Liam | 72 | 8 |
4 | James | 70 | 2 |
5 | Oliver | 66 | 2 |
6 | Levi | 63 | 2 |
7 | Daniel | 60 | 0 |
8 | Benjamin | 59 | 4 |
9 | Noah | 49 | 1 |
10 | William | 46 | 1 |
11 | Henry | 41 | 1 |
12 | Lucas | 40 | 1 |
13 | Sebastian | 33 | 2 |
14 | Theodore | 22 | 2 |
15 | Mateo | 9 | 2 |
Jack is the most favorite baby name with an average Google Trends score of 76, claiming the top spot for choice in 14 different US states. Elijah follows closely behind in a respectable second place, boasting an average Google Trends score of 74 and being the top choice in 11 US states.
Mateo struggled to build traction, finishing bottom of the rankings, with an average Google Trends score of just 9 and only the most popular choice in California and New Mexico.
The following table ranks each baby girl’s name, analyzed in order of highest to lowest Google Trends score, along with the number of states in which it ranks as the most popular name choice.
Girls:
Rank | Name | Avg. Google Trends Score | #1 Choice in States |
1 | Scarlett | 85 | 33 |
2 | Olivia | 69 | 3 |
3 | Emma | 68 | 1 |
4 | Sofia | 63 | 4 |
5 | Sophia | 61 | 1 |
6 | Evelyn | 60 | 1 |
7 | Mia | 55 | 1 |
8 | Luna | 52 | 1 |
9 | Camila | 52 | 1 |
10 | Ava | 40 | 1 |
11 | Amelia | 39 | 1 |
12 | Harper | 39 | 1 |
13 | Elizabeth | 33 | 1 |
14 | Isabella | 32 | 1 |
15 | Charlotte | 6 | 1 |
Scarlett was the runaway winner, boasting an average Google Trends score of 85 and cementing their place on the podium by being the number one choice in 33 states.
In fourth and fifth place, it was a battle of the name spelling preferences, ‘Sofia’ vs ‘Sophia’. Despite the name pronunciation remaining the same, Sofia was the preferred spelling, with an Average Google Trends score of 63, claiming the number one spot in four states. Meanwhile, Sophia had an Average Google Trends score of 61 and was the number one choice in only West Virginia.
Charlotte finished in last place with an average Google Trends score of 6, selected only by North Carolina as their favorite. Residents of North Carolina are loyal to their state, with Charlotte being their largest city and favorite baby name.
Looking over the names Canadian parents prefer for their kids, based on the research Harper is the most popular girl baby name in all the cities listed in the data. However, other names, such as Emma, Amelia, and Charlotte rank high as well. For boys, Jack and Noah are ranked high as the most popular boy names in most cities.
Specifically, the data reveals that:
- Toronto: The most popular baby names in Toronto are Harper for girls and Jack for boys.
- Vancouver: The most popular baby names in Vancouver are Harper for girls and Henry for boys.
- Montreal: The most popular baby names in Montreal are Harper for girls and James for boys.
- Ottawa: The most popular baby names in Ottawa are Harper for girls and James for boys.
- Calgary: The most popular baby names in Calgary are Harper for girls and James for boys.
- Quebec City: The most popular baby names in Quebec City are Harper for girls and James for boys.
There are several things to consider when having a baby – but while some people have things all sorted on the name front before even conceiving, others may be looking for a unique moniker for their little one. Of course, the above are just snapshots in time. As trends evolve and cultures blend, the baby’s name landscape will continue to shift. But one thing remains constant: the love and care poured into each precious name, chosen to celebrate the miracle of a new life.
Sources:
All data for the most popular baby name in every state was sourced from Google Trends: https://trends.google.com/trends/ – https://www.names.org/lists/most-popular/this-year/
Babies born per day in the US: https://data.unicef.org/how-many/how-many-babies-are-born-each-year-in-the-us/
The names that were analyzed were sourced from the following article: https://www.babycenter.com/baby-names/most-popular/top-baby-names-2024