The Social Security Administration (SSA)’s list of the most popular boy names of the year is here! Liam holds the #1 spot for the ninth year in a row, with Noah right behind him at #2 for just as long. The top names stayed roughly the same, with names in spots 5-10 shuffling by one position—James moved up a spot, Henry slid down, and Lucas slipped to #10. The bigger shakeup came just outside the Top 10: Elias, Luca, Hudson, and Leo broke into the Top 20, bumping out Daniel, Michael, Ethan, and Asher.
Every year, the SSA pulls together its ranking of the most popular boy and girl names given to the prior year’s crop of newborns. The SSA baby name list is usually released right before Mother’s Day, using compiled data from the previous year’s United States Social Security applications.
If the popularity of a name gives you pause, consider that even the #1 name only accounts for 1% of babies born that year. Your son won’t be one of many—popular names today are far less dominant than they were a generation ago.
This year’s fastest-rising boy names are also worth a closer look: Kasai, Akari, Eziah, Jasai, and Neithan are climbing the charts fast. They’re nothing like the names we’ve seen trend before.
Ready to find your new favorite baby name? Scroll down for the full list of the 1,000 most popular baby boy names of 2026, plus trends shaping what parents are choosing right now.
Looking for the most popular girl names of the year? Click here!
The 20 Most Popular Baby Boy Names of 2026
1. Liam
Origin | Meaning: Irish | Strong-willed warrior and protector
Change in rank: Holds his place as the most popular boy’s baby name for a ninth year in a row.
2. Noah
Origin | Meaning: Hebrew | Rest and comfort
Change in rank: Holds his place as the second most popular boy’s baby name for a ninth year in a row.
3. Oliver
Origin | Meaning: Old Norse | Ancestor’s descendant
Change in rank: Stayed the same.
4. Theodore
Origin | Meaning: Greek | Gift of God
Change in rank: Stayed the same.
5. Henry
Origin | Meaning: Old English | Estate ruler
Change in rank: Moved up one spot.
6. James
Origin | Meaning: Biblical | Supplanter or replacer
Change in rank: Moved down one spot.
7. Elijah
Origin | Meaning: Biblical | My God is Yahweh
Change in rank: Moved up one spot.
8. Mateo
Origin | Meaning: Latin | Gift of God
Change in rank: Moved down one spot.
9. William
Origin | Meaning: Old Germanic | With gilded helmet
Change in rank: Moved up one spot.
10. Lucas
Origin | Meaning: Latin | Bringer of light
Change in rank: Moved down one spot.
11. Benjamin
Origin | Meaning: Hebrew | Son of the right hand
Change in rank: Stayed the same.
12. Levi
Origin | Meaning: Hebrew | To join
Change in rank: Stayed the same.
13. Elias
Origin | Meaning: Hebrew | The Lord is my God
Change in rank: Moved up 12 spots!
14. Luca
Origin | Meaning: Italian | Nickname for Lucas, means bringer of light
Change in rank: Moved up nine spots!
15. Jack
Origin | Meaning: Middle English | Nickname for John, means God is gracious or common man
Change in rank: Stayed the same.
16. Sebastian
Origin | Meaning: Latin | Revered
Change in rank: Moved down two spots.
17. Hudson
Origin | Meaning: English | Son of Hudd or son of Hugh
Change in rank: Moved up five spots!
18. Samuel
Origin | Meaning: Hebrew | Name of God
Change in rank: Moved down one spot.
19. Leo
Origin | Meaning: Latin | Lion, or strength, nobility, and bravery
Change in rank: Moved up five spots!
20. Ezra:
Origin | Meaning: Biblical | Helper
Change in rank: Moved up seven spots!
Looking for more of the best baby names? Start here:
- The Most Popular Baby Names by State
- The Most Popular Baby Names by Decade
- Unique Baby Boy Names You Won’t Hear In Every Classroom
- Cool Boy Names for a New Little Dude
The Top 5 Fastest-Rising Baby Boy Names of 2026
This year, the Social Security Administration also ranked the top five fastest-rising boys’ names of the year:
1. Kasai: Of Japanese origin and means fire or flame.
2. Akari: Also of Japanese origin, Akari means light or brightness.
3. Eziah: Eziah is of Hebrew origin and means “God is salvation.”
4. Jasai: This name is a variation of Hebrew names meaning “God will add” or “to save.” It’s similar to Joshua.
5. Neithan: A modern interpretation of the name Nathan meaning “Gift of God.”
Baby Boy Name Trends of 2026
You can always spot some baby name trends while reading through the 1,000 most popular baby boy names. It’s interesting that many of the names in the Top 20 most popular boy names remain the same from last year, just in a different order. However, this year saw a good amount of change in the lower half of the Top 20. Elias, Luca, Hudson, and Leo made their way into the Top 20 this year. While Daniel, Michael, Ethan, and Asher lost their top spots.
Trends we’re spotting are that names of Hebrew or Latin origin remain at the top of the list like Noah, Mateo, Luca, and Lucas. Also, fast-rising names like Daniel, Michael, and Ethan suggest a return to classic baby names.
While those classic names snuck into the Top 20 most popular boy names, the names increasing in popularity over the last year are definitely new.
About the SSA Most Popular Baby Names List
Every year, the Social Security Administration releases its list of the most popular boy and girl names of the year. This list is compiled from birth certificates and social security applications data from the previous year.
The SSA baby name list is released the Friday before Mother’s Day. You can also search through the whole SSA database for name data over the last 100 years. You can search for name popularity by state, decade, and even see a name’s popularity changes over time.
The Top 1,000 Most Popular Baby Boy Names
- Liam
- Noah
- Oliver
- Theodore
- Henry
- James
- Elijah
- Mateo
- William
- Lucas
- Benjamin
- Levi
- Elias
- Luca
- Jack
- Sebastian
- Hudson
- Samuel
- Leo
- Ezra
- Michael
- Daniel
- John
- Ethan
- Julian
- Santiago
- Cooper
- Asher
- Joseph
- Alexander
- Owen
- Matthew
- Luke
- Thomas
- David
- Jackson
- Gabriel
- Wyatt
- Mason
- Bennett
- Dylan
- Roman
- Jacob
- Miles
- Carter
- Anthony
- Isaac
- Charles
- Maverick
- Thiago
- Grayson
- Wesley
- Logan
- Josiah
- Weston
- Waylon
- Isaiah
- Caleb
- Rowan
- Beau
- Ezekiel
- Aiden
- Nathan
- Brooks
- Nolan
- Joshua
- Angel
- Christopher
- Lincoln
- Jayden
- Silas
- Enzo
- Andrew
- Adrian
- Atlas
- Cameron
- Everett
- Walker
- Axel
- Aaron
- August
- Theo
- Ian
- Adriel
- Luka
- Gael
- Arthur
- Jeremiah
- Jonathan
- Micah
- Leonardo
- Robert
- Kai
- Emiliano
- Jose
- Christian
- Eithan
- Archer
- Ryan
- Myles
- Adam
- Parker
- Colton
- Eli
- Amir
- Dominic
- Vincent
- Xavier
- Damian
- Easton
- River
- Nicholas
- Austin
- Jace
- Jaxon
- Harrison
- Lorenzo
- Callum
- Milo
- Graham
- Emmett
- Sawyer
- Giovanni
- Carson
- Dean
- George
- Landon
- Jonah
- Jasper
- Hunter
- Jordan
- Calvin
- Ryder
- Malachi
- Kayden
- Stetson
- Jameson
- Leon
- Declan
- Nathaniel
- Beckett
- Zion
- Dawson
- Luis
- Charlie
- Matteo
- Elian
- Arlo
- Greyson
- Carlos
- Elliot
- Bryson
- Evan
- Emilio
- Jude
- Jaxson
- Colter
- Diego
- Juan
- Elliott
- Hayden
- Hayes
- Ivan
- Ace
- Jason
- Connor
- Jayce
- Beckham
- Jett
- Matias
- Barrett
- Braxton
- Jesus
- Nico
- Felix
- Antonio
- Nicolas
- Judah
- Emmanuel
- Max
- Tucker
- Cole
- Ryker
- Jesse
- Amari
- Aziel
- Peter
- Rhett
- Maxwell
- Callan
- Alan
- Chase
- Legend
- Tate
- Alejandro
- Knox
- Ashton
- Jaziel
- Rory
- Andres
- Caden
- Tatum
- Timothy
- Kingston
- Camden
- Finn
- Messiah
- Riley
- Abraham
- Maddox
- Victor
- Miguel
- Malakai
- Zayden
- Bentley
- Zachary
- Baker
- Rafael
- Joel
- Tyler
- Kevin
- Griffin
- Oscar
- Edward
- Cohen
- Kairo
- Callahan
- Grant
- Brayden
- Simon
- Abel
- Alex
- Justin
- Richard
- Patrick
- Brody
- Kaiden
- Dallas
- Muhammad
- Warren
- Adonis
- Milan
- Ellis
- Kyrie
- Mark
- Shepherd
- Ronan
- Cade
- Louis
- Lane
- Harvey
- Walter
- Zayn
- Emerson
- Nash
- Crew
- Ayden
- Marcus
- Xander
- Omar
- Brandon
- Paul
- Ismael
- Kayson
- Bodhi
- Bowen
- Saint
- Cyrus
- Koa
- Karter
- Steven
- Malcolm
- Eric
- Javier
- Bodie
- Maximus
- Otto
- Shiloh
- Benson
- Maximiliano
- Atticus
- Jensen
- Tobias
- Derek
- Colt
- Kash
- Cash
- Lukas
- Lennox
- Ares
- Avery
- Jeremy
- Reid
- Kenneth
- Kaleb
- Kohen
- Holden
- Sonny
- Preston
- Clayton
- Archie
- Romeo
- Gavin
- Angelo
- Luciano
- Ali
- Remington
- Dante
- Tristan
- Banks
- Colson
- Mathias
- Eliam
- Sullivan
- Israel
- Blake
- Zyaire
- Cody
- Dakota
- Casey
- Brady
- Francisco
- Jorge
- Zane
- Niko
- Aidan
- Dariel
- Kaden
- Phoenix
- Josue
- Cruz
- Sutton
- Finley
- Orion
- Martin
- Bryan
- Gideon
- Paxton
- Brian
- Marshall
- Cairo
- Jax
- Colin
- Wade
- Russell
- Sterling
- Wells
- Ezequiel
- Kade
- Leonel
- Ibrahim
- Damien
- Santino
- Hendrix
- Joaquin
- Briggs
- Bryce
- Titus
- Franklin
- Spencer
- Jaylen
- Cristian
- Anderson
- Kaizen
- Onyx
- Erick
- Kyaire
- Andre
- Miller
- Marco
- Manuel
- Matthias
- Grady
- Forrest
- Kayce
- Desmond
- Clark
- Hugo
- Daxton
- Ricardo
- Lawson
- Winston
- Stephen
- Khalil
- Cesar
- Baylor
- Fernando
- Elio
- Kieran
- Iker
- Kamari
- Jay
- Ari
- Raphael
- Raymond
- Jared
- Zander
- Edwin
- Marcelo
- Kashton
- Kian
- Kylo
- Bradley
- Kyler
- King
- Leandro
- Augustus
- Remy
- Hector
- Eduardo
- Koda
- Rhys
- Hank
- Cayden
- Kaysen
- Rylan
- Conrad
- Killian
- Reed
- Francis
- Jaden
- Solomon
- Boone
- Julius
- Lucca
- Isaias
- Tadeo
- Lian
- Nehemiah
- Pablo
- Wilder
- Raiden
- Lewis
- Travis
- Frederick
- Moshe
- Malik
- Mario
- Jasai
- Sylas
- Sergio
- Chance
- Jalen
- Valentino
- Apollo
- Uriel
- Prince
- Dalton
- Bo
- Yusuf
- Kane
- Rome
- Karson
- Oakley
- Pedro
- Sage
- Jake
- Johnny
- Rocco
- Reece
- Esteban
- Lucian
- Mack
- Soren
- Ayaan
- Kameron
- Quinn
- Fabian
- Alijah
- Musa
- Kyson
- Azariah
- Zayne
- Ford
- Tanner
- Royal
- Samson
- Noel
- Cassian
- Ruben
- Makai
- Adan
- Asa
- Kasen
- Hezekiah
- Edgar
- Nasir
- Rowen
- Sean
- Arjun
- Caspian
- Rodrigo
- Collin
- Leland
- Armani
- Donovan
- Alessandro
- Jasiah
- Brantley
- Royce
- Damon
- Odin
- Zaire
- Ronin
- Pierce
- Gunner
- Cillian
- Johnathan
- Kyle
- Leonidas
- Alonzo
- Corbin
- Alexis
- Frank
- Moses
- Callen
- Marcos
- Denver
- Kobe
- Lawrence
- Truett
- Tripp
- Chozen
- Gianni
- Roy
- Finnegan
- Mohamed
- Philip
- Azriel
- Ridge
- Tyson
- Rio
- Troy
- Scott
- Kendrick
- Bruce
- Eiden
- Zachariah
- Dorian
- Kaison
- Hamza
- Akari
- Cal
- Eden
- Augustine
- Erik
- Fletcher
- Devin
- Ozzy
- Eliseo
- Emir
- Jeffrey
- Drew
- Ledger
- Chosen
- Armando
- Saul
- Ariel
- Morgan
- Porter
- Deacon
- Mohammad
- Zakai
- Garrett
- Andy
- Colsen
- Zain
- Rocky
- Jakai
- Roberto
- Enrique
- Johan
- Clay
- Emanuel
- Rhodes
- Jamari
- Jamie
- Allen
- Kylan
- Maximo
- Seth
- Atreus
- Cassius
- Kyren
- Camilo
- Eliel
- Moises
- Rayan
- Vicente
- Maximilian
- Tru
- Jamir
- Gregory
- Kolton
- Mohammed
- Louie
- Kason
- Alden
- Jonas
- Kolter
- Krew
- Caiden
- Reese
- Amiri
- Nikolai
- Lachlan
- Abdiel
- Roland
- Zaiden
- Eziah
- Kyro
- Gunnar
- Jakari
- Albert
- Colby
- Yahya
- Harlan
- Jaiden
- Westley
- Boston
- Keegan
- Dominick
- Koen
- Kylian
- Gustavo
- Hassan
- Arturo
- Danny
- Jayceon
- Kenzo
- Sincere
- Nathanael
- Zayd
- Raul
- Izaiah
- Shane
- Leonard
- Ronald
- Kasai
- Memphis
- Julio
- Amias
- Samir
- Lochlan
- Azael
- Chris
- Sam
- Anakin
- Keanu
- Uriah
- Phillip
- Otis
- Princeton
- Quincy
- Wayne
- Azrael
- Jaime
- Tommy
- Lionel
- Valentin
- Aries
- Layne
- Creed
- Mauricio
- Yosef
- Chaim
- Jaxton
- Davis
- Ahmad
- Major
- Wylder
- Benicio
- Wilson
- Vincenzo
- Houston
- Madden
- Zaid
- Gerardo
- Salem
- Trevor
- Aurelio
- Shawn
- Jasiel
- Peyton
- Taylor
- Briar
- Omari
- Dereck
- Westin
- Donald
- Tomas
- Dax
- Dexter
- Idris
- Duke
- Mac
- Sevyn
- Evander
- Marvin
- Jayson
- Bridger
- Kareem
- Ahmed
- Bryer
- Robin
- Ryland
- Dennis
- Ozias
- Julien
- Aarav
- Aron
- Carmelo
- Kenai
- Layton
- Ryatt
- Wes
- Jase
- Kamden
- Nikolas
- Ocean
- Bellamy
- Cannon
- Neithan
- Westyn
- Braylen
- Jahmir
- Lee
- Ander
- Dustin
- Amos
- Marcel
- Hugh
- Case
- Misael
- Ambrose
- Huxley
- Mylo
- Zahir
- Rudy
- Bruno
- Yehuda
- Abram
- Clyde
- Brixton
- Yousef
- Enoch
- Franco
- Bode
- Azaiah
- Forest
- Matheo
- Junior
- Chandler
- Murphy
- Noe
- Salvador
- Finnley
- Trace
- Zyair
- Dario
- Mustafa
- Ayan
- Abdullah
- Campbell
- Magnus
- Santos
- Izael
- Brayan
- Boden
- Emmitt
- Keaton
- Reign
- Asaiah
- Truce
- Harry
- Riggs
- Alvaro
- Corey
- Dutton
- Zamir
- Blaze
- Kyree
- Skyler
- Tony
- Alonso
- Jamison
- Remi
- Darius
- Elisha
- Barron
- Fisher
- Ray
- Jaxxon
- Teo
- Haziel
- Everest
- Crue
- Thaddeus
- Calum
- Kaisen
- Keith
- Raylan
- Zeke
- Brewer
- Dilan
- Mccoy
- Douglas
- Lennon
- Azai
- Brock
- Jones
- Rohan
- Ty
- Benedict
- Emery
- Yahir
- Jrue
- Yael
- Alberto
- Alfredo
- Dane
- Ira
- Teddy
- Jettson
- Nelson
- Yisroel
- Drake
- Flynn
- Bjorn
- Ignacio
- Jefferson
- Avi
- Rayden
- Roger
- Cayson
- Kaiser
- Dakari
- Alvin
- Yadiel
- Alfred
- Benny
- Casen
- Ben
- Coleson
- Conor
- Cason
- Jimmy
- Braylon
- Waylen
- Derrick
- Neil
- Ramon
- Bear
- Jeremias
- Santana
- Zechariah
- Evren
- Avyaan
- Rex
- Aslan
- Eddie
- Lance
- Stanley
- Conner
- Jesiah
- Zev
- Alessio
- Brycen
- Carlo
- Edison
- Adler
- Aryan
- Orlando
- Abner
- Coast
- Jedidiah
- Joey
- Ernesto
- Kylen
- Denim
- Jireh
- Eren
- Emory
- Izan
- Jagger
- Jericho
- Kolson
- Leroy
- Reuben
- Trey
- Boaz
- Shepard
- Eliezer
- Hollis
- Ishaan
- Laith
- Alistair
- Kaleo
- Lucien
- Marcello
- Foster
- Guillermo
- Kael
- Kannon
- Nael
- Axton
- Jerry
- Rey
- Scottie
- Vihaan
- Yitzchok
- Koah
- Beck
- Ezrah
- Issac
- Stone
- Leif
- Makari
- Wesson
- Aspen
- Eitan
- Frankie
- Shmuel
- Casper
- Kiaan
- Neythan
- Caius
- Darian
- Agastya
- Dillon
- Halo
- Heath
- Isa
- Judson
- Jairo
- Kreed
- Krue
- Massimo
- Syaire
- Khalid
- Rowdy
- Veer
- Eugene
- Kenji
- Salvatore
- Zymir
- Zyon
- Meir
- Ricky
- Josias
- Jon
- Agustin
- Jethro
- Mitchell
- Felipe
- Gian
- Legacy
- Damari
- Melvin
- Aldo
- Darwin
- Montgomery
- Shimon
- Wallace
- Arian
- Colten
- Mordechai
- Quentin
- Imran
- Beaux
- Harlem
- Van
- Gage
- Kaycen
- Mathew
- Quinton
- Alec
- Azlan
- Toby
- Ameer
- Byron
- Damir
- Loyal
- Anders
- Curtis
- Dominik
- Joan
- Ephraim
- Isael
- Jiraiya
- Aurelius
- Blaine
- Harold
- Joe
- Palmer
- Landry
- Oziel
- Macklin
- Kabir
- Langston
Most Popular Boy Names FAQs
What is the most popular boy name of 2026?
Liam is the most popular boy name of the year again. Liam moved into the top spot in 2017, where it’s remained for almost a decade.
What are some of the least popular boy names in 2026?
If looking for some unique boy names, Langston, Macklin, Anders, Loyal, Van, Salvatore, Harlem, and Kenji are all among the 100 least popular names on the list.
What is the fastest-rising boy name of 2026?
The two fastest-rising boy names are both of Japanese origin: Kasai, which means “fire” or “flame,” and Akari, which means “light.”
What are some alternatives to the most popular boy names of the year?
If you love Liam, Noah, or Oliver but want a more unique option, consider Callum, Jonah, Otis, or Oscar.
Roberta Correia, Editor-in-Chief
Roberta is an editor with 10+ years experience in content strategy and brand building. Before joining The Everymom she was Editorial Director at Brides and previously served as Digital Editor at Women’s Wear Daily. She grew up in Brazil and currently calls Brooklyn home with her son, Lucas.