Expert guides, trends, and data-driven analysis on baby names.
Olivia is the #1 girl name. But what does that mean in practice? How many babies named Olivia are born each year? And how is rank #1 in 2024 different from rank #1 in 1950? We break it all down.
Hope is one of the most powerful things a name can carry. These names — from the Roman goddess of dawn to the Latin word for new — are perfect for any child who feels like a fresh start.
Choosing your baby's name is one of the most personal decisions you'll ever make. Here's how to actually do it — without losing your mind.
Our SSA database of 116,550 names reveals fascinating patterns: names starting with A dominate (4,374 names), 6-letter names are the most common, and parents consistently gravitate toward specific phonetic features. Here's the science behind why.
Hawaiian names bring the spirit of the islands to any family. Here are the most popular picks and what they mean.
Japanese names have a quiet elegance that's hard to match. Rooted in nature, philosophy, and art, they carry meanings that resonate far beyond their culture of origin — which is exactly why American parents keep discovering them.
When Frozen hit theaters in 2013, Elsa was a quietly old-fashioned name. Within a year, it was everywhere. Pop culture doesn't just entertain us — it names our children.
Some countries have opinions about your baby's name. Strong opinions. From protecting children from lifelong embarrassment to defending sacred religious titles, name bans reveal what different cultures truly value.
Myrtle once had over 136,000 bearers. Carole peaked at 8,407 in a single year. Today, neither appears in the SSA's ranked list at all. Some names don't just fade — they vanish.
In a chaotic world, giving your child a name rooted in peace is its own kind of wish. These names — from the Greek goddess Irene to the Sanskrit Shanti — carry that intention beautifully.
Every baby name is a vote. Here are the 6 voting blocs hiding in 140 years of SSA data — a marketer's segmentation of how American parents actually name.
The SSA database contains names from over 40 distinct language origins. Here's a tour of the globe's most beautiful naming traditions and which names are breaking through into American mainstream culture.