Olivia and Noah remain America’s top baby names for 2026, while Eliana surges to second place for girls. BabyCenter’s annual rankings, released on October 20, 2026, reveal mounting pop culture influence from television, hockey dramas, and Westerns, alongside a distinct trend toward longer names and classic initials.
America’s favorite newborn names are holding firm at the absolute summit, but the ground right beneath them is moving fast. Noah and Olivia held onto the top spots as the country’s most popular baby names. The parenting site released its rankings on Tuesday, October 20, drawing on information from more than 350,000 babies born in 2026 to parents registered on the BabyCenter app.
According to digital parenting resource BabyCenter, which tracks names using proprietary data from more than 350,000 babies born in 2026 to parents registered on its app, the biggest surprise of the year belongs to a fast-rising contender. Because parents submit moniker choices as they happen, BabyCenter is able to identify emerging naming patterns ahead of the official annual data release by the Social Security Administration, the platform pointed out.
Eliana Climbs To Second As Top 10 Lists Hold Steady
Eliana jumped to No. 2 among girls’ names after debuting at No. 7 last year, positioning itself as a direct challenger to Olivia’s long-running dominance.
Eliana’s meteoric rise to become the second most popular name for girls
Steph Coffield, baby name adviser for BabyCenter
Coffield noted that if current momentum holds, Eliana could take the top spot next year. The complete top 10 lists for 2026 highlight both familiar mainstays and notable movements. After Olivia on BabyCenter’s most recent rankings are Eliana, Amelia, Charlotte, and Sophia—all of which were among the 10 most popular girls’ names for newborns last year. For boys, the five most popular names remained unchanged for the third straight year.
| Rank | Girls’ Names | Boys’ Names |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olivia | Noah |
| 2 | Eliana | Liam |
| 3 | Amelia | Oliver |
| 4 | Charlotte | Elijah |
| 5 | Sophia | Mateo |
| 6 | Isabella | Lucas |
| 7 | Emma | Elias |
| 8 | Aurora | Levi |
| 9 | Evelyn | Ezra |
| 10 | Mia | Leo |
Elias entered the boys’ top 10 for the first time, jumping eight spots to No. 7, while Leo returned to the top 10 after falling out the previous year. For girls, Evelyn reclaimed a spot in the top 10 for the first time since 2023, pushing Ellie down to No. 11.
TV Dramas and Westerns Influence Baby Name Choices
Parents are looking straight to the screen when naming their newborns. Television dramas set in the world of hockey, including “Off Campus” and Heated Rivalry,
have contributed to the rise in popularity of names such as Garrett, Eli, Bo, and Jules.
The enduring pull of “Yellowstone,” complete with cowboy hats, boots, and country-style dancing, continues to steer nursery decisions, with its influence spilling over into the world of baby names. Stetson climbed 46 positions to No. 95, entering BabyCenter’s top 100 for the first time. Walker rose 19 places, Callahan advanced 88, Wilder climbed 107, and Gunner gained 151 positions, riding the same wave.
Inspired by the cinematic release of “The Odyssey,” ancient Greek themes are also experiencing widespread enthusiasm. Atlas gained five spots, Orion and Troy both climbed nine, Ares advanced 32 positions, Evander jumped 128, and Perseus surged 249, while female counterparts like Iris, Lydia, and Daphne gained 18, 38, and 42 spots respectively.
Following the announcement of an upcoming documentary dedicated to “Gilmore Girls,” classic syndication viewings of the program have driven a noticeable surge for monikers linked to the fictional locale of Stars Hollow. Lorelai rose 12 positions, Rory gained 31, Christopher advanced four places, Luke seven, Richard 29, and Dean 31 among boys.
Letter Preferences Favor E And J While Names Grow Longer
Structural preferences are shifting toward more elaborate nomenclature. “E” is the most popular initial for girls, with names beginning with the letter making up 15% of the top 100 girl names. The E names are having a moment well beyond the top 10, as Elsie rose 23 spots, Evangeline 50, Elodie 87, Elaine 143, and Esme a whopping 222. Among boys, “J” leads the pack, representing 14% of top names in the top 100, while Josiah surged 33 spots to No. 21, Jeremiah climbed 28 spots to reach No. 60, and Jaxon, Jaxson, and Jasper all hold spots in the top 100.
Names are also stretching out in length.
Magnolia Debuts In Top 100 As Taylor Falls Out
Fresh faces cracked the top 100 this year. Magnolia debuted as the only new girls’ entry at No. 88, jumping 40 spots. Historical government data indicates that Magnolia secured a spot among the 1,000 most common newborn girl monikers annually between 1900 and 1938, as well as in 1940, before disappearing from the rankings until its 2013 return. On the boys’ side, Milo climbed 41 spots to No. 89, Stetson rose 46 spots to No. 95, and Archer moved up 23 spots to No. 96, while Dean reached the top 100 for the first time this century, coming in at No. 100.
Longtime favorites are tumbling out of favor. An analysis by BabyCenter revealed that Leah, Brooklyn, Christian, and Ryan have exited the top 100 for the initial time since the platform began tracking these statistics. For girls, Leah dropped 22 spots to No. 102 and Brooklyn fell 29 spots to No. 116. Among boys, Christian slipped 31 spots to No. 119 and Ryan plunged 64 spots to No. 146. Between Taylor Swift’s wedding, Taylor Farms’ lettuce recalls, and two celebrities also named Taylor having babies with the middle name Taylor, BabyCenter concluded that parents are over it, causing the name Taylor to fall 24 places to 399th place among girls and drop by 262 places to 1,093rd place among boys, making it fall out of the top thousand names for the first time.
The Social Security Administration won’t release its full rankings until spring.
