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NEW YORK, NY (October 20, 2026) – BabyCenter, the world’s most trusted pregnancy research and baby name finder, has released its annual report on baby name popularity and trends. These findings are detailed in BabyCenter’s “Popular baby names for 2026It will open a new window” and “What will affect baby names in 2027It will open a new window.”
The most popular names this year look at Noah and Olivia, both still holding their place at number 1. For girls, Eliana is rising fast, reaching number 2 this year, while Evelyn has also taken a place in the top 10 names for girls. On the boys’ side, Elias entered the top 10 for the first time at number 7, along with Leo, who returned to the top 10 after last year. The top 100 also saw new additions: Magnolia was the latest addition to the girls’ list, while Stetson, Archer, Milo, and Dean were new to the boys’ list.
Top predictions for 2027 it also includes hockey TV drama, Greek epics, and Western aesthetics. BabyCenter’s data shows that names are on the rise for both boys and girls these days. Names starting with the letter ‘E’ are growing for girls, as are names starting with ‘J’ for boys. Parents are experiencing “Taylor fatigue” as the name drops dramatically in enrollment among girls and boys.
Most Popular Baby Names of 2026
- Eliana continues to rise in the top girl namesfrom number 14 in 2024, to number 7 in 2025, and is now clearly in the top 10 names at number 2. Its growth in popularity is amazing.
- ‘E’ is the most popular first name for girls, while ‘J’ is the most popular for boys: Names starting with the letter ‘E’ make up 15% of the top 100 names for girls. For boys, 14% of the top 100 names start with ‘J.’ This is the highest number of any initial letter in their charts.
- Evelyn has 5th place, reaching number 9, re-entering the top 10 since falling in 2024. Other popular names include Elsie (up 23 spots), Evangeline (up 50 spots), Elodie (up 87 spots), Elaine (up 143 spots), and Esme (up 222 spots).
- Josiah climbed 33 spots to No. 21 and Jeremiah climbed 28 spots to No. 60. Modern ‘J’ favorites and stylistic variations also saw strong growth, with Jaxon (No. 88), Jaxson (No. 93), and Jasper (No. 97) holding positions in the top 100.
- The data shows that names are getting longersince 29% of the top girls’ names and 31% of the top boys’ names have 7 letters or more. The longest name between them and Christopher has 11 letters.
- For boys, four names start in the top 100: Stetson, Archer, Milo and Dean (who entered the top 100 for the first time this century, after falling from Dean’s ’50-’60s peak).
- For girls, only one name made the top 100: Magnolia.
- As for the names that dropped out of the top 100 this year… we say goodbye to a few long-time favorites like Leah (down 22 spots) and Brooklyn (down 29 spots) for the girls, and Christian (down 31 spots) and Ryan (down 64 spots) for the boys.
This is based on the proprietary name of BabyCenter, derived from more than 350,000 children born in 2026 to parents registered in the BabyCenter program. Because names are sent in real time, BabyCenter can see what’s coming out before the Social Security Administration releases its annual list.
“What’s happening this year shows that parents are ready to dig up the past and appreciate the past, the past, the past,” said Steph Coffield, BabyCenter’s baby name consultant. “BabyCenter’s announcements show names from Greek mythology and The Wild West are breaking the boundaries of Gen Beta baby names. And these names are increasingly using more alphabets as more and more parents accept longer names.
What Will Affect Baby Names in 2027
From puck drops to name drops
Hockey TV stole the show this year, the year ESPN recorded its most watched NHL season. Selections from Prime Video Off Campus and Hot Race saw the names Garrett, Allie, Beau, and Jules rise in popularity as pop culture interest in hockey grew.
Ilya is a popular name that climbed more than 6,000 places to number 2,197 for boys.
Competition between Western and Mediterranean names
It is impossible to ignore the impact of the hit show Yellowstone While cowboy hats, boots, and line dancing continue to dominate pop culture, baby names this year are more in line with the Western vibe.
- Stetson rose 46 spots to secure a spot in BabyCenter’s top 100 names (at No. 95) for the first time. It is followed by Walker (19 points), Callahan (88 points), Wilder (107 points) and Gunner (151 points).
At the same time, names inspired by Greek mythology arrived on the beach in a high fashion, because of their great people and The Odyssey blockbuster.
- There is an increase in boys named Atlas (up 5 spots), Orion and Troy (both up 9 spots), Ares (up 32 spots), Evander (up 128 spots), and Perseus (up 249), while girls are called Iris (18 spots), Lydia (up 38 spots), and Daphne 4 spots (up).
Gilmore Girls empowering a new generation of girls and boys
Ahead of the newly announced records, the fall previews are driving a huge rise in Stars Hollow’s favorites, including Lorelai (rising 12) and Rory (rising 31) for girls, while Christopher (4 spots), Luke (7 spots), Richard (rising 29), and Dean (31 spots) are rising for boys.
Parents rely on “X-factor” names.
Parents are looking for classy, edgy names with the letter ‘X’ in them with more and more bold choices like Bexley, Xena, and Ximena for girls, and Braxton, Knox, Daxton, Maximilian, and Jaxson for boys.
I’m tired of ‘Taylor’
Parents are getting “Taylor fatigue,” from Taylor Swift’s wedding, to Taylor Farms lettuce remember, and even Taylors Lautner has a child (with the middle name Taylor), as the name dropped 24 spots for girls (up to No. 399) and down 262 spots for boys (up to No.
BabyCenter has been covering baby names and trends for over 20 years. If you need expert advice, reviews, or more information, BabyCenter is available upon request.
About BabyCenter, LLC
International partner in parenting. BabyCenter is the world’s most trusted pregnancy tracker and baby name finder, reaching millions of new and expectant parents every month in seven languages through its global website, mobile apps, online community, email, and social media. Our vision: a world of healthy, thriving children, and self-reliant parents. Visit us at www.ehg-pp.com for more information.
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