Oliver and Evelyn Break Into Top Baby Names List in 2017

Each year, the Social Security Administration issues a listing of the top baby names for the prior year based on parents’ applications for Social Security numbers.

Emma and Liam are America’s most popular baby names for 2017. This marks the first time Liam has bested the boys, beating Noah for the top spot, and the fourth straight year for Emma.

Michael has been bumped from the top 10 for the first time since World War II, landing at number 12 this year. Emily also fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 1990. There are several new names in the top 10–Amelia and Evelyn make the list–Amelia for the first time and Evelyn for the first time since 1915. These traditional names show parents are keeping up the trend of naming daughters after grandmothers. Logan and Oliver are new for the boys, both making their first appearance on the list.

The top 10 baby names for 2017 are:

Boys                Girls

Liam                 Emma

Noah                Olivia

William             Ava

James             Isabella

Logan               Sophia

Benjamin           Mia

Mason             Charlotte

Elijah                Amelia

Oliver                Evelyn

Jacob               Abigail

The agency began compiling the baby name list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. It says each year, the list reveals the effect of pop-culture on naming trends.

Ensley was the fastest riser on the girls’ list, moving 1,461 spots to number 965, from number 2,426 in 2016. Spring has sprung, and Wells (meaning “spring”) had the biggest bloom in popularity for the boys, moving over 500 spots in 2017 from number 1,419 to 915. Perhaps these parents are fans of the hit TV show “The Bachelorette” where one of the popular contestants was named Wells.

In a clear nod to the popularity of the First Lady of the United States, new parents chose the name Melania at an increasing rate in 2017.

It looks like new parents are “Keeping up with the Kardashians” as the name Dream rose 840 spots in 2017. Rob Kardashian and Angela White, aka Blac Chyna, named their daughter Dream in late 2016. For the boys, another fast riser was Nova, who may have gotten his popularity from all those Villanova Wildcats basketball fans naming their sons in celebration of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions.