The most popular name for boys and for girls remained the same this year, while the fastest-growing names came from pop culture references.
There are still a lot of babies being named Emma and Liam — the two remained at the top for most popular in 2018.
This is the fifth time Emma has been at the top of the list for girls and the second time Liam has topped the list for the boys, according to the Social Security Administration, which keeps track of baby names and supplies a list of the popular names each year.
Trending names outside the top 10 included Meghan as the fastest-rising girls’ name, moving 701 spots to number 703 from number 1,404 in 2017. The SSA says that this jump likely speaks to the popularity of Meghan Markle, an American who joined the royal family when she married Prince Harry in 2018.
With the final season of “Game of Thrones” underway, the series was inspiring for some parents when it came to naming their children. The name Yara, probably named after the character Yara Greyjoy, voyaged 314 spots from number 986 in 2017 to number 672 in 2018 on the girls’ side.
For the boys, Genesis was the fastest-rising name for 2018, shuffling his way 608 spots to number 984 from number 1,592 in 2017.
Jacob and Abigail fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 1992 and 2000, respectively.
Lucas made the list of the top 10 for the first time ever in 2018, while Harper made its way back onto the list.
Here are the top 10 boys and girls names for 2018:
Boys:
- Liam
- Noah
- William
- James
- Oliver
- Benjamin
- Elijah
- Lucas
- Mason
- Logan
Girls:
- Emma
- Olivia
- Ava
- Isabella
- Sophia
- Charlotte
- Mia
- Amelia
- Harper
- Evelyn
To see the complete list of baby names for 2018 as compiled by the Social Security Administration, visit their website.
Social Security began compiling the baby name list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. The names are gathered at the time of a child’s birth, when parents supply the name to the agency when applying for a child’s Social Security card.
