Liam and Olivia revealed as the most popular US baby names for 2020
Liam and Olivia revealed as the most popular US baby names for 2020 as parents opted for classic monikers amid the pandemic – while Karen continued to plummet in popularity
- Liam and Olivia are the most popular US baby names for the second year running
- Data was released by the SSA on Friday, revealing almost 20,000 Liams were born in the US in 2020, while there were close to 18,000 Olivias
- Parents preferred to stick with classic names amid the uncertainty of the pandemic; Noah, Oliver, Emma and Ava were also hot choices
- Meanwhile, the name Karen continued to plummet in popularity after becoming a derogatory nickname to describe an entitled white woman
The Social Security Administration have announced that Liam and Olivia were the most popular baby names in 2020.
The full list of data was released by the SSA on Friday and reveals that 19,659 baby boys named Liam were born last year, while 17,535 baby girls named Olivia were welcomed into the world.
‘It appears parents chose to stick with the familiar during an unprecedented time, with the top three names for both girls – Olivia, Emma, and Ava – and boys – Liam, Noah, and Oliver – remaining the same for the second year in a row,’ a press release from the government organization read.
The Social Security Administration have announced that Liam and Olivia were the most popular baby names in 2020
Other classic boys names continued to stay in vogue in 2020, with Elijah, William, James, Benjamin and Lucas all staying in the top 10 for the second year running.
Traditional monikers Henry and Alexander were new entries in the top 10, replacing Mason and Ethan, which have slipped in popularity.
But while some traditional boys names stay popular with parents, others have plummeted in popularity.
In 2000, the top 10 names for baby boys in America were Jacob, Michael, Matthew, Joshua, Christopher, Nicholas, Andrew, Joseph, Daniel and Tyler.
In 2020, none of those names made the top 10 list, and a majority of them were not even featured in the top 50.
Nicholas, for instance, went from being the most sixth most popular name in the year 2000 to 87th in 2020.
The top three names for girls – Olivia, Emma, and Ava – and boys – Liam, Noah, and Oliver – remained the same for the second year in a row
The full list of data was released by the SSA on Friday, and reveals there has been little change with parents’ preferences from the previous year
In 2020, there were no new entries to the top 10, with Olivia, Emma, Ava, Sophia, Amelia, Isabella, Mia, Evelyn and Harper all featuring for the second consecutive year.
But while those names may now appear to be safe choices, none of them were very popular with parents just two decades ago.
In 2000, the top ten names for baby girls were Emily, Hannah, Madison, Ashley, Sarah, Alexis, Jessica, Elizabeth and Taylor.
Now, the tables have turned, and those names are plummeting in popularity year by year.
Ashley, Alexis and Taylor, for example, have all fallen out of the top 100.
Additionally, the name Karen continues to decline in popularity after it became used a derogatory nickname for a entitled white woman.
In the year 2000, Karen was the 153rd most popular name for a baby girl.
This year, it tumbled to 831st place, down from 660 last year.
Names that were popular for new parents in the year 2000 are now markedly different for both boys and girls born today
