Choosing a baby's name is one of the biggest decisions parents can make. Numerous books and websites provide a name's origin, meaning, and likely nicknames. Names also follow trends, like fashion, and borrow from popular characters in movies and literature or from celebrity pages.
In the United States, the Social Security Administration has tracked baby names since the 1880s, when John, William, and James were the most popular boys' names, and Mary, Anna, and Emma rounded out the top three on the girls' side.
The trend towards more traditional or timeless names persisted way into the mid-20th century. In the 1950s, James remained in the top three, along with Michael and Robert. For girls, Mary, Linda, and Patricia were the most popular. It wasn't
until the 1970s that Mary dropped out of the top three for girls, and a new entry, Amy, came in at number two for the decade.
According to the Social Security Administration, over the last hundred years, from 1926 to 2025, the three most popular boys' names have been John, William, and James, and for girls, Mary, Anna, and Margaret.
Top 10 Baby Names in California
While the most frequently used names in the United States and those in California share similarities, some differences reflect the Golden State's diverse population.
Here are the 10 most popular names for both boys and girls in 2025.
Nation's most popular baby names in 2025
The Social Security Administration released the most popular names for 2025 in the United States, the last year it has listed this information. Here are the top 10 names for both boys and girls.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Did your name make the cut? Popular California baby names of revealed
