Baby in hospital bassinet. (Orange County Register file photograph)
This year’s second round of data on U.S. baby names gives a state-by-state breakdown, revealing the particularly California choices.
The state lists follow the Social Security Administration’s release of nationwide name data for 2024, which had Liam in the top place for boys and Olivia for girls.
In California, the top name for boys is also Liam; for girls it’s Mia (No. 5 in the U.S.). But several of the top 25 in the state were more than 10 places ahead of their position on the national list:
| Boys’ name | Calif rank | US rank |
|---|---|---|
| Santiago | 4 | 29 |
| Julian | 6 | 30 |
| Ezekiel | 13 | 54 |
| Alexander | 15 | 27 |
| Angel | 22 | 63 |
| Girls’ name | Calif rank | US rank |
|---|---|---|
| Gianna | 10 | 23 |
| Aria | 14 | 26 |
| Valentina | 17 | 47 |
| Mila | 18 | 33 |
| Elena | 21 | 45 |
On the flip side, these names were markedly less popular in California than in the nation as a whole:
| Boys’ name | US rank | Calif rank |
|---|---|---|
| Theodore | 4 | 21 |
| James | 5 | 24 |
| Henry | 6 | 29 |
| William | 10 | 41 |
| Jack | 15 | 51 |
| Samuel | 17 | 36 |
| Asher | 20 | 60 |
| John | 21 | 83 |
| Girls’ name | US rank | Calif rank |
|---|---|---|
| Harper | 12 | 50 |
| Emily | 13 | 25 |
| Eleanor | 14 | 46 |
| Hazel | 19 | 34 |
| Nora | 22 | 55 |
California has been the bellwether for some names that jumped in popularity nationwide in recent years. Mateo was No. 4 in California back in 2018, when it was No. 37 in the United States; last year, it was No. 3 in California, No. 7 in the U.S. And Camila, for several years a top 5 pick in California, has now risen to 11th nationwide.
Originally published at Bay Area News Group