Popular Baby Names

Home
>
Babies & Toddler
>
Popular Baby Names

Popular Baby Names

Are you looking for cute baby names? This article explains the meaning and history of the 50 most popular baby names in the United States this year.

25 Most Popular Names for BOYS

1 (most popular). Jacob is a biblical name, which has its origins in the Hebrew language.

Jacob means 'supplanter' or 'one who grasps the heel;' this is because the biblical Jacob was born holding his twin brother's heel.

2. Michael is a biblical name, which means 'who is like God.' The bearer of this name in the bible is the leader of heaven's armies, and so is considered the patron saint of soldiers.

3. Joshua is from the Hebrew language, and means 'savior.' In the bible Joshua was chosen to lead the Isrealites as the successor to Moses.

4. Matthew is a biblical name, meaning 'given,' or 'reward.' Matthew was one of the 12 apostles, and wrote the first Gospel in the New Testament regarding the life of Jesus.

5. Andrew is a biblical name which means 'manly' and 'brave.' In the bible Andrew was the first apostle, and is the patron saint of Scotland and of Russia.

6. Joseph is a biblical name meaning 'addition,' or 'increase.'

7. Ethan is the name from the Old Testament. It means 'solid, strong,' and 'constancy, enduring.'

8. Daniel means 'God is my judge.' In the Old Testament Daniel was a prophet.

9. Christopher is a Latin name, and it means 'bearing Christ,' or 'he who holds Christ in his heart.' When Jesus was a child, Saint Christopher is believed to have carried him across a river.

10. Anthony is a Latin name which means 'flower,' from the Greek word anthos, or 'priceless.'

11. William has its origins in the German language, and means 'helmet, protection.' This is also the first name of Mr. Shakespeare.

12. Ryan is an Irish name in origin, which means 'little king

13. Nicholas is a Greek name which means 'the people's victory.' St. Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus, is the patron saint of children and merchants.

14. David is a Hebrew name meaning 'beloved,' or 'dear.' In the Old Testament David was the second king of Israel.

15. Tyler is derived from an Old English surname which was used to denote one's occupation as a 'tile layer.'

16. Alexander is derived from the Greek. It means 'defender of men.'

17. John is a biblical name; owned by John the Baptist and John the apostle. John means 'gracious,' or 'mercy of the Lord.'

18. James is a Hebrew name, and a derivative of the common name Jacob. James means 'to supplant.'

19. Dylan is a Welsh name and means 'sea,' or 'Son of the wave.'

20. Zachary is an English variant on the Hebrew name Zachariah, which means 'remembered by God.'

21. Brandon is an English name of a place, which meant 'hill covered with broom;' broom is a weed. Brandon is also a variant of the Irish name Brendan, which either means 'prince,' or 'stinking hair.'

22. Jonathan is a biblical name which means 'given of God.'

23. Samuel is a Hebrew name, held by a prophet in the Old Testament. It means 'God has heard.'

24. Christian meand 'follower of Christ,' and has origins in many languages and cultures.

25. Benjamin is a Hebrew name appearing in the Old Testament; it means 'son of the right hand.'

25 Most Popular Names for GIRLS

1. Emily has its origins in Latin, and means 'industrious' in French and German as well.

2. Emma has German and English origins, and means 'whole,' or 'universal' in both languages.

3. Madison is an English surname derived either from the name Matthew, meaning 'gift,' or is derived from the name Matilda, meaning 'strong fighter.'

4. Hannah is a Hebrew name which means 'gracious,' and 'merciful.'

5. Olivia is a derivative of the Latin word 'olive,' which is a symbol of peace.

6. Abigail is a Hebrew name meaning 'Father's joy.'

7. Alexis is from the Greek; it means 'helper,' or 'defender.'

8. Ashley is an English name that means 'she dwells in the ash tree grove.'

9. Elizabeth is a biblical name; the mother of John the Baptist in the New Testament. Elizabeth means 'oath of God.'

10. Samantha is a feminine form of the name Samuel. Samantha means 'listener.'

11. Isabella means 'devoted to God' in Hebrew. It is also supposed to be a Spanish variant on the name Elizabeth.

12. Sarah is the biblical wife of Abraham and mother Issac, the name Sarah means 'princess.'

13. Grace is an English name meaning 'God's favor.'

14. Alyssa, according to the Greek tradition, means rational.

15. Lauren means 'from the place of Laurel trees,' which in Greek culture are symbols of honor and victory.

16. Kayla means 'keeper of the keys,' or 'pure' in both English and Greek.

17. Brianna is from Celtic, meaning 'she who ascends,' or 'strong.'

18. Jessica has Shakespearean origins, first appearing in its modern form in the play 'The Merchant of Venice.'

19. Taylor was an English surname denoting the occupation of tailor.

20. Sophia is from the Greek, and means 'wise.'

21. Anna was used in the Native American Algonquin tribe to mean 'mother,' and also holds the meaning 'grace' in many languages, including Russian.

22. Victoria was the Roman goddess of victory, and the name consequently means 'victorious.'

23. Natalie is derived from the Latin, and means 'born at Christmas.'

24. Chloe means 'green shoot' in Greek. The name also appears in the bible.

25. Sydney means 'from Saint-Denis,' or 'wide-island.' The name has traceable origins in French and in English.

Monica Nelson writes articles that answer womens health questions such as what are common pregnancy symptoms, which pregnancy tests are more accurate, what are popular baby names which weightloss programs really work, and other topics of interest to women.

In The News:

Independent Online
Why does a baby cry?
Independent Online
Over the years, there have been many advocates of leaving babies and toddlers to cry. Mothers were told their babies were just “exercising their lungs” or that continually picking up a crying baby would “spoil” it. More recently spells of crying have ...

Baby Prince Harry's 1984 Christening Ravaged By Rowdy Toddler Prince William ...
Huffington Post
Two toddlers running around for a minute or two. they were babies themselves. William couldn't have been more than two. Typical behavior for any two year old, and his dad did pick him up a couple of times.He wasn't screaming or anything or hitting ...

and more »

Gloucester County Times - NJ.com
Baby Instructions: Help! My toddler is having a meltdown
Gloucester County Times - NJ.com
So when you see your toddler do something just like you, know in your heart that you are doing a great job. Blythe Lipman is the president of Baby Instructions. She is passionate about babies, toddlers and their parents. After working in the field for ...

and more »

1100 enter Baby and Toddler of the Year competition
This is Hull and East Riding
MORE than 1100 proud sets of parents have entered their children into the Mail's Baby and Toddler of the Year competition. Photographers at St Stephen's shopping centre were overrun with parents trying to squeeze their children in across the weekend, ...

BABY TALK: Cleaning baby's teeth
Bradenton Herald
When you are bathing your baby you can wrap a soft wet cloth around your finger and gently rub your baby's gums. This will feel good to your baby as well as get him used to having his gums rubbed. Babies start the teething process around 3 1/2 months.

and more »

BlogHer (blog)
9 Ways Sign Language Can Benefit Your Toddler (and You!)
BlogHer (blog)
Katie goes into great detail about they whys of how sign language can benefit your toddler -- and you. -Jenna] 1. Sign language provides the ability to communicate earlier than speech You probably already know that babies and toddlers are able to ...

Daily Mail
Many Moms Don't Know Their Babies Are Overweight
WebMD
By Denise Mann May 8, 2012 -- Many moms of chubby toddlers don't realize their babies are large for their age, and this misperception may be setting the stage for their tots to grow up to be overweight or obese, a new study shows.
Most Moms Wrong About Babies' Body SizeHuffington Post
Most Mothers Can't Tell Their Toddlers are Overweight13WHAM-TV
Mothers cling to chubby ideal for toddlers: studyHealthNews
Press TV -Daily Mail
all 39 news articles »

Exmouth Journal
Toddler fun at Exmouth Festival
Exmouth Journal
On the Wednesday it will be 'Bumps and Baby', a relaxed session for families expecting or with new babies. On the Thursday there will be 'Little Explorers' , a fun, sensory play for babies and toddlers upto aged two using low cost every day resources.

Kansas City Star
VIDEO: Why I breast-feed my toddler
Kansas City Star
About three-quarters of US mothers say they breast-feed during their baby's first days and weeks of life. Then it drops off fast. But by 2020, the nation's health goals call for more than a quarter of babies to be exclusively breast-fed through their ...

and more »

Daily Pilot
Saige Nicole's owner to receive national award
Daily Pilot
The Costa Mesa store owner got misty-eyed when talking about her 17-year-old daughter, Saige Nicole, whose name was used for Navarro's baby and toddler boutique in 2006. "It's so wonderful when she comes to me after she's seen an article on the store ...

Google News