Hottest Baby Name Trends of 2022

Top Baby Names and Trends of 2022 Revealed

Friday, The Social Security Administration (SSA) released its list of the most popular names of babies born in the United States last year. The team at Listophile analyzed the data to reveal some interesting baby name trends.

Top Baby Names – Olivia and Liam… Again

Olivia and Liam were once again the most popular baby names in the U.S. Liam has held the top spot for boys for the past six years, while Olivia has been the top choice for girls for the last four years.

The boy’s name Liam became even more widespread in 2022. The instances of the name registered with the SSA increased from 20,272 in 2021 to 20,456 in 2022.

On the other hand, instances of the name Olivia decreased from 17,728 in 2021 to 16,573 in 2022 (a net drop of 6.73%), yet still maintained the number one girl’s spot.

Biggest Impact on Top 10 Baby Names – Luna

Luna made the biggest impact on the top 10 baby names of 2022, rising from number 11 to number 10, replacing Harper, which had decreased in popularity over the last several years.

The popularity of Luna has steadily increased for more than two decades, finally breaking into the top 10 girl names for the first time this year.

Other top 10 girl names changes include Sophia and Isabella, who each rose one spot to 5th and 6th place, respectively. Ava saw the largest fall in the top 10 girl names, decreasing two spots to rank 7.

No new boy names entered the top 10 in 2022, although there were some shuffles in popularity. Henry was the biggest climber on the boy’s side, rising two places to number 7 – perhaps partly due to the British Prince (whose official title is Prince Henry) gaining so much notoriety in the US last year. Benjamin saw the largest fall, dropping two places to number 9. Other top 10 boy names changes include James and Elijah, which traded spots in 4th and 5th places.

SSA Top 10 Girl Name Ranking Changes 2022

Luna joined the top 10 list of girl names at the No. 10 spot for the first time, replacing Harper, which has decreased in popularity over the last several years.

SSA Top 10 Boy Name Ranking Changes 2022

Henry was the biggest climber for boys, rising two places to number 7, while Benjamin saw the largest fall, dropping two places to number 9.

Top 10 Fastest Rising Boy and Girl Names

The SSA also revealed the names that increased the most in popularity. In other words, the baby names that were trending last year:

Wrenlee was the fastest-rising girl name in the top 1,000. Compound names are two names combined into one, and compound names for girls have risen in popularity recently. Wrenlee jumped 708 spots last year, landing in place number 712. Other compound names for girls in the top 1,000 rising in popularity also include Adalee (+218), Oakleigh (+85), and Lakelyn (+60).

The largest mover in the top 1,000 boy names was Dutton. Rustic boy names have been trending recently, with the TV shows Yellowstone and 1883 propelling the boy name Dutton into the mainstream. Dutton saw a rank increase of 986 points to land in place 835. Other rustic names for boys in the top 1,000 rising in popularity include Stetson (+133) and Walker (+51).

Baby Names Trending Up ⬆

The team at Listophile analyzed the latest set of SSA data to reveal some fascinating baby names trending upwards.

God and Goddess Baby Names

Mythological gods are linked to powerful forces of wisdom, strength, and honor. Giving a child a mythological name associates them with these powerful qualities. The top trending mythological god and goddess baby names include:

Last Names as First Names

Last names as first names are surging in popularity, especially for girls. The rise of last names as first names for girls could be due to the fact that these names could be perceived as ‘strong’.

Geographical Baby Names

Continuing the rise in the popularity of geographical baby names, these travel destination names rose the fastest last year. Geographical baby names rising most in popularity include:

Nature Baby Names

Nature-inspired names are seeing a huge spike in popularity. The current trend of nature names is far more widespread and popular than the hippie subculture during the 60s and 70s. Nature-inspired names that are rising the fastest in popularity include:

Vintage Baby Names

Vintage baby names are coming back in style. The trend is so popular that there has even been a ‘100-year rule’ dubbed. This rule means that names that were popular about 100 years ago are now the ones coming back into style. Vintage baby names increasing the most in popularity include:

Baby Names Representing Love, Peace, and Harmony

While the world returned to a new normal last year, the baby names we chose for our children reflected the after-effects of the pandemic and social justice movement. Baby names representing love, peace, and harmony were trending up:

The Duke & Duchess of Sussex Family

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have certainly been in the news lately, making headlines both sides of the pond. The baby names Harry, Archie, and Lilibet all rose in popularity last year. The baby name Meghan however, tanked in popularity, down nearly 20% year over year.

Top 100 Baby Names 2022

Top 100 most popular baby names for boys and girls in the United States, as ranked by the SSA:

Author: The Listophile Team
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