Once again, the most popular names for babies born in the United States are Liam and Olivia—2024 marks the sixth consecutive year both names topped the lists. The second most popular names, Emma and Noah, also didn’t budge. The rankings are measured by the Social Security Administration (SSA) data based on applications for Social Security cards.
According to agency data, Social Security numbers were recorded for 3,612,777 new babies, with male births (1,845,330) edging out female births (1,767,447) in 2024. That reflects an increase over 2023, which recorded 3,595,309 new babies. It reverses—just slightly—a trend of fewer births in the U.S. since the highest year on record, 2007, which welcomed 4,330,961 new babies.
Top 10 Lists
Here’s the top 10 list for boys:
- Liam
- Noah
- Oliver
- Theodore
- James
- Henry
- Mateo
- Elijah
- Lucas
- William
And here’s the top 10 list for girls:
- Olivia
- Emma
- Amelia
- Charlotte
- Mia
- Sophia
- Isabella
- Evelyn
- Ava
- Sofia
If those names look familiar, they are—the names are similar to those in 2024 with one exception: Luna dropped out of the top 10 most popular names of girls, replaced by Sofia which enters at number 10 for the first time.
For purposes of the list, variations and alternate spellings are treated as different names. That’s why Liam (1) and William (10) made the list. Ditto for Amelia (3) and Mia (5)—The Princess Diaries, anyone? (Mila (#33), Millie (#86), Lia (#187) and Amy (#228) are also considered variations of Amelia). That also explains why you’ll see both Sophia (6) and Sofia (10) on the list.
There is an exception to this rule. Name data are tabulated from the “First Name” field of the Social Security card application, which doesn’t allow for hyphens and spaces. That means Julie-Anne, Julie Anne, and Julieanne are counted as a single entry.
According to the agency, the top 1,000 names represent about 71% of all names of U.S. births in 2024. There is a slight variation when it comes to gender, with the most popular boy names representing over 75% of all names and the most popular girl names representing just under 67%.
Names included in the database are those where the year of birth, sex, and state of birth are on record, and where the given name is at least 2 characters long. And, data is restricted to births in the 50 States and District of Columbia—names from U. S. territories are not included in the national data.
Names That Changed The Most
Each year, the list also shares the names that changed the most in popularity. A change in popularity is indicated by the difference, either an increase or decrease, in ranks from one year to the next.
The names that changed the most in popularity for boys are:
- Truce
- Colsen
- Bryer
- Halo
- Azaiah
The boys’ name Truce, which means “peace”, rose 11,118 spots from last year’s position to 991 overall.
The names that changed the most in popularity for girls are:
- Ailany
- Aylani
- Marjorie
- Scottie
- Analeia
The name Ailany, which has Hawaiian origins, means “chief.”
Popular Name Lists
Social Security began compiling the baby name list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. At the time of a child’s birth, parents supply the name to the agency when applying for a child’s Social Security card, thus making Social Security America’s source for the most popular baby names.
If you head over to the site, you can find data ranging as far back as 1880. Be prepared – it’s addictive.
Applying For Social Security
The lists are compiled from names on Social Security card applications. Today, getting a Social Security number at birth is so streamlined that the application typically happens when you submit information for the birth certificate.
If you decline to get a Social Security number for your child when you submit information for the birth certificate, you can always apply later, but that’s a little more complicated and time-consuming since the Social Security Administration will have to verify your child’s birth certificate. That could be even more of a challenge if Social Security Administration offices close due to potential budget cuts (a charge that the SSA has labeled as a “false”).
You can start the process online, but if you cannot apply online, you can fill out Form SS-5. If your child is over the age of 12 when you make the application, the child has to appear in person for an interview even if you’re the person signing the application on your child’s behalf. You can find more information here.
If your child is adopted, the SSA can assign your child an SSN before the adoption is complete, but you may want to wait until the adoption is finalized. At that time, you can apply for the number using your child’s new name, with your name as parent. If you want to claim your child for tax purposes while the adoption is still pending, use IRS Form W-7A. Do not use Form W-7A if you will be able to obtain a SSN in time to file your tax return.
Benefits
Of course, unless you have a Gerber baby, the chances are slim that your little one will be headed to work immediately. So why get a Social Security number at birth? Taxes. Your child must have a Social Security number for you to claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return.
If you can’t claim your child as a dependent, you can’t claim certain tax breaks, including the earned income tax credit (EITC), the child tax credit, and the additional child tax credit. Additionally, without a Social Security number for your child, you can’t file as head of household (HOH) or qualifying widow(er) with a dependent child.
Your child may also need a number if you plan to open a bank account (including a 529 savings plan) for them, buy savings bonds for their benefit, get medical coverage or insurance for them, or apply for government services on their behalf.
Opting Out
If you don’t want a Social Security number for your child, you don’t have to get one. In particular, some folks may object to having a Social Security number assigned for religious reasons. You can request an exemption/waiver on this basis, but ironically, you must get a Social Security number. What happens, practically speaking, is that you must obtain a number solely to fill out Form 4029 for the waiver. Assuming you qualify for the exemption/waiver, you must notify SSA that this is your intention and that you do not want a card created or mailed.
Fees And Scams
There is no charge from the Social Security Administration to apply for an SSN and card. There may be a charge from a professional, like a lawyer or adoption official, to assist you with paperwork or related details. But if someone attempts to charge you for the number, you can report it to the Office of the Inspector General online or via the hotline at 1.800.269.0271 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
History And Numbers
Nearly half a billion people have received Social Security numbers since the first number was issued on December 2, 1936. That first number, SSN 055-09-0001, belonged to John D. Sweeney, Jr. of New Rochelle, New York (fun fact: Sweeney never received Social Security benefits).
The numbers on your card used to mean something—the first three digits were assigned by the geographical region where the person was residing when they obtained a number. Generally, numbers were assigned beginning in the northeast and moving westward. So people on the east coast tended to have the lowest numbers, and those on the west coast had the highest numbers. The remaining six digits in the number are more or less randomly assigned and were organized to facilitate the early manual bookkeeping operations associated with the creation of Social Security in the 1930s.
In 2011, the SSA implemented a new assignment methodology for Social Security Numbers, which uses a new randomized assignment methodology.
Social Security numbers are widely used today for various purposes, although only about 40 official uses are approved by Congress. The Social Security Act also allows state and local governments to require a Social Security number for tax and other reasons. As for the IRS? The agency didn’t begin using Social Security numbers as official taxpayer identification numbers until 1962—you can blame computers for ushering those in at the agency.
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