Choosing a name is one of the very first gifts you give your child, a word they will carry for a lifetime. So it is no surprise that every spring, expecting parents eagerly wait for one particular list to drop.

Each year, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) releases the official ranking of the most popular baby names, based on Social Security card applications submitted at birth. With around 3.6 million applications behind the 2025 data, it is the most reliable snapshot we have of what American parents are actually naming their children.

So whether you are still searching for "the one," curious how your favorite ranks, or simply love a good name story, here is the full top 10 for 2025, along with the meaning behind each name.

Top 10 Most Popular Boy Names of 2025

For the ninth year in a row, one name held the crown.

1. Liam – an Irish name and a short form of William, meaning "strong-willed warrior" or "resolute protector." Liam has topped the chart since 2017.
2. Noah – from Hebrew, meaning "rest" and "comfort," a gentle, peaceful name with timeless appeal.
3. Oliver – rooted in the Latin word for "olive tree," a long-standing symbol of peace and friendship.
4. Theodore – from the Greek for "gift of God." It comes with two of the friendliest nicknames around: Theo and Teddy.
5. Henry – of Germanic origin, meaning "ruler of the household," a name carried by kings for centuries.
6. James – a timeless classic derived (via Jacob) from Hebrew, often interpreted as "one who follows."
7. Elijah – from Hebrew, meaning "the Lord is my God," strong and with deep roots.
8. Mateo – the warm, melodic Spanish form of Matthew, meaning "gift of God."
9. William – Germanic in origin, meaning "resolute protector," and the source of the No. 1 name, Liam.
10. Lucas – from Latin, associated with "light," bright and easy to love.

Top 10 Most Popular Girl Names of 2025

On the girls' side, the No. 1 spot has now stayed the same for seven straight years.

1. Olivia – from the Latin for "olive tree," a symbol of peace, famously popularized by Shakespeare.
2. Charlotte – a graceful French name meaning "free woman," the feminine form of Charles.
3. Emma – of Germanic origin, meaning "whole" or "universal."
4. Amelia – from Germanic roots meaning "work," often read as "industrious" or "hardworking."
5. Sophia – from the Greek word for "wisdom."
6. Mia – short and sweet, with meanings including "mine" and "beloved," and ties to the name Maria.
7. Isabella – a romantic form of Elizabeth, meaning "pledged to God."
8. Evelyn – an English name often linked to the idea of a "wished-for child."
9. Sofia – the Greek "wisdom" once again, in its equally beloved alternate spelling.
10. Eliana – from Hebrew, meaning "my God has answered," and the newest arrival to the 2025 top 10.

What Changed in 2025?

While the very top of the list looks familiar, a few shifts caught everyone's attention. Charlotte climbed to No. 2, ending Emma's six-year run as the girls' runner-up. Ava dropped out of the top 10 entirely, and Eliana debuted at No. 10 to take its place. The boys' top 10, meanwhile, featured the same names as the year before, just with a little reshuffling.

Here is the most interesting trend of all: the top 10 names accounted for only about 7.4% of boys and 6.4% of girls born in 2025. Fifty years ago, the top 10 covered far more. In other words, parents today are more adventurous than ever, spreading their choices across a wonderfully wide range of names.

Names on the Rise

Beyond the top 10, the SSA also tracks the names climbing fastest, and they tell a story of creativity and global influence. Kasai, meaning "fire" in both Japanese and Swahili, was the year's biggest jump, soaring more than 1,100 spots. Akari, a name with Japanese roots, means "light" or "brightness." And Klarity, a fresh, modern spelling of the word "clarity," was the fastest-rising girls' name.

The takeaway? Classic names still rule the top, but just below them, parents are getting beautifully inventive.

From a Beautiful Name to a Lasting Keepsake

Once you have chosen the perfect name, there is a lovely way to celebrate it, and to help your little one fall in love with it.

A personalized wooden name puzzle turns your child's name into a colorful, hands-on toy. At Busy Puzzle, every name puzzle is made to order, and you choose exactly which colors the letters are painted in, so it can match the nursery perfectly. The chunky letters lift out of their cut-out spaces like real puzzle pieces, making them a wonderful Montessori-style tool for fine motor skills and, later on, learning to spell. You can even add a little extra figure, an animal or a car, alongside the name.

Want something with a bit more wow? Our animal name puzzles pair the personalized name with a set of charming animal pieces, four to choose from as standard, or eight for an even bigger, more detailed board, each with the animal's name elegantly engraved.

And for a piece that doubles as nursery décor, a large custom name sign in a range of sizes, fonts, and colors looks beautiful hanging above the crib.

Because each piece is personalized, a name puzzle makes an unforgettable gift for a baby shower, a new arrival, or a first birthday. It is the kind of present parents keep long after the toys are outgrown. For more gift inspiration, take a look at our guide to first birthday gift ideas.

Find Your Favorite

Whether your heart is set on a timeless classic like Liam or Olivia, or you are drawn to a rising star like Akari, the most important thing is that the name feels right for your family. And when you have found it, we would love to help you celebrate it with a handmade wooden name puzzle, personalized just for them.

Baby name rankings are based on official 2025 data published by the U.S. Social Security Administration.