When it comes to choosing a baby name, studying the Social Security Administration (SSA) website might not make your initial list of to-dos. But each year, this organization pulls together the list of the most popular baby boy names given to the prior yearâs crop of newborns, making it a useful place to read up on well-loved names for little ones. The SSA baby name list is usually released right before Motherâs Day using compiled data from the previous yearâs United States social security applications.
If the popularity of a name gives you pause, consider that even the top baby names account for only a small percentage of each yearâs newborns. For example, Liam, the top boy baby name for the seventh year in a row, only accounted for 1.1 percent of all babies born last year. So while your child wonât have the worldâs most unique baby name, they wonât get lost in a sea of kids with the same name either. Climbing up the charts for the year are Mateo, Ezra, Maverick (Top Gun fans rejoice!) and Leo (maybe owing to Lionel Messiâs arrival in the US!).
Whether youâre at the start of your naming journey, or in the throes of decision fatigue, take a moment to read through the monikers parents around the U.S. gave to their baby boys last year. Below, check out the 50 most popular baby boy names of 2024 that are sure to inspire the most popular baby boy names of 2025, too.
The 20 Most Popular Baby Boy Names of 2024
1. Liam: This Irish name is seeing its seventh year at the top of this list, and it means âstrong-willed warrior and protector.â
2. Noah: Of Hebrew origin, meaning ârestâ and âcomfort.â
3. Oliver: Comes from old Norse, meaning âancestorâs descendant.â
4. James: A biblical name meaning âsupplanterâ or âreplacer.â
5. Elijah: A biblical name meaning âMy God is Yahweh.â
6. Mateo: Of Latin origin, Mateo means âgift of God.â
7. Theodore: Now in the top 10 list for the second year and of Greek origin, Theodore means âGift of Godâ and comes with the cute nickname Theo or Teddy.
8. Henry: This English name means âestate ruler.â
9. Lucas: Of Latin origin, meaning âbringer of light.â
10. William: A traditionally English name, it means âWith Gilded Helmet.â
11. Benjamin: Son of the south, or son of the right hand.
12. Levi: Of Hebrew origin, it means to âjoin.â
13. Sebastian: This name jumped from 19 in 2021 to 13 in 2022! Of Latin origin, Sebastian means ârevered.â
14. Jack: Jack was originally a nickname for the names John and James, but has grown in popularity as a given name over the last century.
15. Ezra: Ezra is a name of Biblical origin meaning âhelper.â
16. Michael: A biblical name meaning âone who is like God.â
17. Daniel: Another biblical name, meaning âGod is my judge.â
18. Leo: Leo comes from the latin word for âlionâ and can mean âbrave personâ or âlion-hearted.â
19. Owen: A new name to the top 20 list, the moniker means ânoble-bornâ and âyoung warrior.â
20. Samuel: Of Hebrew origin meaning âname of God.â
The Most Popular Baby Boy Names 21-50
21. Hudson
22. Alexander
23. Asher
24. Luca
25. Ethan
26. John
27. David
28. Jackson
29. Joseph
30. Mason
31. Luke
32. Matthew
33. Julian
34. Dylan
35. Elias
36. Jacob
37. Maverick
38. Gabriel
39. Logan
40. Aiden
41. Thomas
42. Isaac
43. Miles
44. Grayson
45. Santiago
46. Anthony
47. Wyatt
48. Carter
49. Jayden
50. Ezekiel
Baby Boy Name Trends of 2024
You can always spot some boy name trends while reading through the top 1000 baby boy names. For example, in 2024 social media and pop culture played a big part in some of the fastest rising names. Eiden is one of the fastest rising names for boys of the year, which the SSA attributes to the succecss of TikToker Wyatt Eiden. The 2022 movie release of Top Gun Maverick still continues to influence with the boy name Maverick still hitting the top 20 of this list. While millennial parents may be taking inspo from the Karate Kid Netflix reboot Cobra Kai with the name Chozen, which is the second fastest rising baby boy name of the year.
The Top 5 Fastest-Rising Baby Boy Names of 2024
This year, the Social Security Administration also ranked the top five fastest-rising boysâ names in 2024:
1. Izael: With Hebrew roots, Izael means âAll powerful beingâ
2. Chozen: A powerful name and a cute moniker for your familyâs âchosenâ little oneâand another gender-neutral option. This name means âselected.â
3. Eiden: This is a modern take on the name Aidan, meaning âlittle fire.â
4. Cassian: Of Roman origin, meaning âyouth.â
5. Kyren: This name is of Persian origin and means âharsh ruler,â âroyalty,â or ânobility.â
Read More: The Top Baby Girl Names of 2024