Baby Name Trends 2027: Boy Names, Girl Names and the Styles Rising Next
A dated, data-led look at where baby names are heading into 2027, built on Social Security Administration counts: the 2025 top 10, the names climbing fastest, popular boy and girl names by origin (Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese and Korean), unique picks, and a practical way to choose and test a name.
What parents should know
- Liam and Olivia were the most popular US baby names in 2025, the seventh straight year both held the top spot (SSA, May 8, 2026).
- Charlotte moved to No. 2 for girls, ending Emma's six-year run. Ava dropped out of the girls' top 10 and Eliana debuted at No. 10.
- The fastest-rising 2025 names were Kasai for boys (up 1,108 places to No. 639) and Klarity for girls.
- In SSA's national files, Luca jumped from No. 87 (2019) to No. 23 (2024), Enzo from No. 219 to No. 74 and Gianna from No. 79 to No. 23. Italian names are one of the clearest multi-year trends.
- Some former favorites are cooling: Jaxon fell from No. 42 to No. 96 and Aubrey from No. 46 to No. 130 between 2019 and 2024.
- SSA ranks every spelling separately. Sophia (No. 5) and Sofia (No. 9) were both in the 2025 girls' top 10, so a sound can be more common than any one spelling suggests.
The 2025 top 10 boy and girl names (the baseline for 2027)
SSA builds its list from Social Security card applications filed at birth and releases the top 1,000 names each year around Mother's Day. The 2025 list came out on May 8, 2026, and it is the starting point for any 2027 forecast.
The top barely moved. SSA says Liam, Noah, Oliver and Theodore held the top four boy spots, while Charlotte climbed to No. 2 for girls and Eliana debuted at No. 10.
| Rank | Boy name | Girl name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liam | Olivia |
| 2 | Noah | Charlotte |
| 3 | Oliver | Emma |
| 4 | Theodore | Amelia |
| 5 | Henry | Sophia |
| 6 | James | Mia |
| 7 | Elijah | Isabella |
| 8 | Mateo | Evelyn |
| 9 | William | Sofia |
| 10 | Lucas | Eliana |
Baby name trends for 2027: what the data says is rising
A forecast is only as good as its trend line, so we compared SSA's 2019 and 2024 national files. These are the patterns with real multi-year momentum. They are our reading of SSA data, not a guarantee of 2027 ranks.
Trend 1: Italian names keep climbing
Luca rose from No. 87 to No. 23 for boys and Enzo from No. 219 to No. 74. For girls, Gianna rose from No. 79 to No. 23 and Aurora from No. 39 to No. 16. Expect more Italian picks in 2027.
Trend 2: Short vintage names
Theo climbed from No. 195 to No. 80 and Arlo from No. 271 to No. 146. On the girls' side, Millie went from No. 240 to No. 86, Maeve from No. 244 to No. 75 and Margot from No. 306 to No. 126.
Trend 3: Spanish names in the top tier
Mateo rose from No. 26 in 2019 to No. 7 in 2024 and was No. 8 in 2025. Santiago climbed from No. 70 to No. 29 and Thiago from No. 184 to No. 55.
Trend 4: Strong, rugged boy names
Walker went from No. 230 to No. 82 and Atlas from No. 226 to No. 101, two of the biggest climbs among today's top 150 boy names.
Trend 5: New spellings and word names
SSA's fastest-rising girl names in 2025 were Klarity, Rynlee, Ailanny, Naylani and Madisson; for boys, Kasai, Akari, Eziah, Jasai and Neithan. In the 2024 file, Ailany jumped from No. 2,196 to No. 101 and Wrenley from No. 1,216 to No. 149.
Cooling off
Among 2019's top 50, Jaxon (No. 42 to 96), Mason (9 to 42), Aubrey (46 to 130) and Bella (50 to 109) fell the most by 2024. A falling name can be a smart pick if you want something familiar but less common in your child's class.
Popular boy names and girl names by origin
Searches for Japanese, Korean, Italian, Arabic and Spanish names are common, so here is how well-known names from each tradition actually rank in the US. Origins are general notes; many names are used across several cultures, and SSA does not record origin.
Italian names
Boys: Luca, Enzo, Leonardo, Lorenzo, Giovanni and Matteo. Girls: Aurora, Gianna, Mila, Elena, Valentina and Lucia.
Spanish names
Mateo, Santiago, Gael and Emiliano lead for boys; Sofia, Camila, Luna and Catalina for girls. Spanish surnames are often used as first names too; check how the full name sounds in both languages.
Arabic names
Amir, Zayn, Omar and Hassan for boys; Layla, Aaliyah, Amira and Inaya for girls. Amira and Inaya are among the faster climbers.
Japanese and Korean names
Few Japanese or Korean names reach the US top 1,000, which makes them distinctive. Kai (also Hawaiian and other origins) and Kenzo are the best-known Japanese-associated boy names; Hana, Mina and Yuna appear for girls and are used in both Japanese and Korean. Akari was one of 2025's fastest-rising boy names.
Boy names by origin: SSA ranks
| Name | 2019 rank | 2024 rank | Babies in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luca (Italian) | 87 | 23 | 7,959 |
| Mateo (Spanish) | 26 | 7 | 11,302 |
| Santiago (Spanish) | 70 | 29 | 7,407 |
| Enzo (Italian) | 219 | 74 | 4,548 |
| Kai (Japanese, Hawaiian) | 100 | 76 | 4,276 |
| Amir (Arabic) | 131 | 95 | 3,625 |
| Lorenzo (Italian) | 146 | 116 | 3,044 |
| Zayn (Arabic) | 340 | 249 | 1,424 |
| Kenzo (Japanese) | 727 | 586 | 485 |
| Hassan (Arabic) | 753 | 649 | 425 |
| Jun (Korean, Chinese) | 4,884 | 2,965 | 42 |
Girl names by origin: SSA ranks
| Name | 2019 rank | 2024 rank | Babies in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia (Spanish, Italian) | 17 | 10 | 8,094 |
| Camila (Spanish) | 15 | 11 | 7,608 |
| Aurora (Italian, Latin) | 39 | 16 | 6,917 |
| Gianna (Italian) | 79 | 23 | 6,097 |
| Layla (Arabic) | 23 | 37 | 5,305 |
| Valentina (Italian, Spanish) | 65 | 47 | 4,438 |
| Amira (Arabic) | 283 | 136 | 2,176 |
| Mina (Korean, Japanese, others) | 683 | 608 | 493 |
| Hana (Japanese, Korean, Arabic) | 820 | 708 | 395 |
| Inaya (Arabic) | 1,424 | 760 | 370 |
| Yuna (Japanese, Korean) | 1,422 | 1,074 | 231 |
Unique, popular or classic: pick your lane
- Popular: the SSA top 10 above. Easy to spell and say; your child may share it with classmates.
- Classic: James was the most-used boy name of the last 100 years in SSA data (about 4.5 million boys, 1926-2025) and Mary the most-used girl name. Classics such as Henry, Eliza (No. 118 in 2024) and Isabel (No. 167) rarely feel dated.
- Unique but recognizable: names ranked roughly 300 to 1,000, such as Aurelia (No. 642 in 2019 to No. 334 in 2024) or Francesca (No. 314), feel distinct without constant spelling corrections.
- Very unique: names outside the top 1,000 or new spellings. Check how often you will need to spell it out, and whether it is climbing fast enough to be common by school age.
How to choose a name: a step-by-step process
- Each partner writes 10 to 20 names privately, then swap lists and cross off anything either of you vetoes.
- Group what is left by style (classic, vintage, short, Italian, family name) to see what you both like.
- Look up each finalist on SSA's Popularity of a Name tool to see its trend, and check every spelling.
- Cut to 3 to 5 names and run the checks below. Then live with your top two for a week or two; it is fine to wait until you meet your baby.
Pitfalls to check before you commit
Initials
Write first, middle and last initials together, with and without the middle name, and look for words or awkward abbreviations.
Spelling and pronunciation
Ask a few people to read the name cold and spell it after hearing it. If most get it wrong, your child will be correcting people often.
Nicknames
List every short form classmates could invent. If you dislike the obvious nickname, it will probably appear anyway.
Surname and siblings
Say the full name out loud and watch for rhymes or a first name ending in the sound your surname starts with. Say siblings' names together the way you will at dinner; very similar names get mixed up.
Family and cultural fit
Check how the name is said and what it means in every language your family speaks. Honoring a relative with a middle name is a common compromise. Check your state's birth certificate rules for accents or hyphens; SSA's data removes hyphens and spaces.
After you choose: using your baby's name
Babies learn their name through repetition. The CDC's milestone checklist says most babies look when you call their name by 9 months, so use it often during feeds, changes and play.
If your baby does not respond to their name by around 9 months, or you have hearing or development concerns, talk with your pediatrician and ask about developmental screening.
Frequently asked questions
What will the most popular baby names be in 2027?
No one knows yet; SSA publishes each year's list the following May. Based on SSA's 2025 list, Liam and Olivia are the safest bets to stay near the top, while names with strong momentum include Luca, Enzo, Theo, Mateo, Gianna, Aurora, Maeve and Millie.
What is the most popular boy name?
Liam was No. 1 for boys in SSA's 2025 list, followed by Noah, Oliver, Theodore and Henry.
What is the most popular girl name?
Olivia, for the seventh year in a row in 2025. Charlotte rose to No. 2, followed by Emma, Amelia and Sophia.
What are the fastest-rising baby names?
SSA's fastest risers in 2025 were Kasai, Akari, Eziah, Jasai and Neithan for boys and Klarity, Rynlee, Ailanny, Naylani and Madisson for girls.
What are popular Italian baby names?
In SSA's 2024 data, Luca (No. 23), Enzo (No. 74) and Leonardo (No. 84) led for boys, and Aurora (No. 16), Gianna (No. 23) and Mila (No. 33) for girls.
How do I check how popular a name is?
Use SSA's Popularity of a Name tool at ssa.gov/oact/babynames. It shows a name's rank by year back to 1880. Check each spelling separately.
Is it bad to choose a very popular name?
No. Popular names are easy to spell and say; the trade-off is your child may share it with classmates.
Keep reading
Sources
This guide was checked against the current guidance below. Medical and safety recommendations can change; use the linked source and your child's clinician for decisions specific to your family.
- Social Security Administration: Olivia and Liam top America's most popular baby names for the seventh straight year (press release, May 8, 2026)
- Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names (top 10 of 2025, Popularity of a Name, names by year, national data file)
- Social Security Administration: Top names over the last 100 years (1926-2025)
- Social Security Administration: Background information and data qualifications for popular names
- CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early.: Milestones by 9 months