The Social Security Administration just released the most popular baby names for 2025, and they reveal an unfortunate trend.
Girls’ names lean toward elegance and tradition — names our grandmothers and great-grandmothers had. Olivia remained No. 1 for the seventh year, followed by Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Evelyn, Sofia and Eliana.
Boys’ names are split between tradition and the rejection of it. Liam and Noah took the top two spots, followed by Oliver (3), Theodore (4), Henry (5), James (6), William (9) and Lucas (10).
Elijah (7) and Mateo (8) are interesting choices. Elijah is the strong biblical prophet’s name. Mateo is the Spanish form of Matthew, meaning “gift of God.” Mateo is most popular among Hispanic families but is also growing among parents of all backgrounds.
Beyond the top 10 girls’ and boys’ names, the real story is that many parents are rejecting tradition in favor of new age concepts influenced by mythology, other cultures and a desire to make up entirely new names.
The fastest-rising girls’ names include Klarity (a modern spelling of “clarity,” evoking brightness and light), Rynlee (a soft, invented name), Ailanny (a Hawaiian-inspired name, meaning high chief or shining light), Naylani (Hawaiian for heavenly or sky) and Madisson (an intentional misspelling of Madison).
The fastest-rising boys’ names include Akari (“light”), Eziah (a version of Isaiah, meaning “God is salvation”) and Jasai (“healer”).
Why the unusual names?
Some parents think it will help their children stand out or gain some advantage in a competitive social media age — a naming trend that started kicking into high gear a little over 20 years ago when parents began obsessing over what to name their kids.
Ever since, some parents have been spending up to $30,000 to hire nameologists, spiritualists and advertising brand experts to arrive at the perfect name.
The interesting truth is that traditional children’s names — common biblical or family member names — became common in the 1880s, because parents, many of them immigrants, wanted their children to blend in, not stand out.
