Most Popular Boy Names Unique to Every State
July 7, 2018 by Cheyenne BuckinghamFor much of U.S. history, parents weren’t very creative when it came to naming their children. Many families selected religious names for their kids. Immigrants seeking to assimilate in their new country anglicized their names and those of their children or took “American” names.
Fitting-in mattered, and that’s one of the reasons why the most popular names 100 years ago for boys were John and Michael. Times and preferences changed, with John and Michael giving way to Noah and Liam in popularity.
Since the mid-1980s, there has been a greater variety of names as parents have been seeking inspiration for their children’s names from sources as disparate as the Bible, popular culture, sports, and Eastern religions. And though not great in number, you might encounter some names in some states more frequently than others.
With that in mind, 24/7 Wall St. has created a list of boys names that are more common in a given state than they are nationally. We used data from the Social Security Administration for births from 2013 to 2017 to compile the list. 24/7 Wall St. gathered information from a variety of sources to help explain the meaning and origin of each name where possible.
Click here to see the most popular boys name unique to each state.
These unique names — or names that are more common in some states than others — reflect where certain ethnic groups settled in the United States.
The Polish name Szymon is more likely to be found in Illinois than in any other state. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Illinois has the second largest Polish-American population of any state behind New York.
The name Haidar, the Arab word for “lion,” is more common in Michigan than other states. The Arab enclave around Detroit has been a part of the Michigan community since the late 19th century.
In neighboring Minnesota, one might encounter the Muslim name Muad because of the burgeoning Somali community, the largest of any state. Somalis started arriving in Minnesota in 1992 because of unrest in Somalia.
Kamaehu, a Hawaiian name that means “strength, energy, firmness of resolution, and fixedness of purpose,” is a name that is more than 400 times more likely to be found in Hawaii than any other state. Even so, the names Noah and Liam are still far more popular than Kamaehu in Hawaii.
24/7 Wall St. used a metric called the location quotient to determine the names that are more common in a given state than they are nationally. Economists use this gauge to find out the concentration of an industry in a region compared with a bigger reference point, such as a nation. We calculated the location quotient using data from the Social Security Administration. We only considered names with more than 10 entries. The SSA only reports names with more than five occurrences in a given year to preserve the child’s anonymity. If there was a tie in location quotient, we chose the name with the highest birth number. Birth totals by state are for 2013-2017.
1. Alaska: Paxson
> Location quotient: 143.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Paxson in last 5 years: 36
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (274), James (229)
Most commonly seen as a last name, Paxson was first identified in the former Scottish county of Berwickshire. Paxson is also a small town in Alaska, about 180 miles south of Fairbanks.
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2. Alabama: Crimson
> Location quotient: 18.2 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Crimson in last 5 years: 38
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (2,107), James (1,616)
Perhaps the name Crimson was inspired by The University of Alabama’s football team, Crimson Tide.
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3. Arkansas: Chevy
> Location quotient: 6.1 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Chevy in last 5 years: 45
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (874), Mason (812)
The name Chevy has French roots and means “horseman or knight.” The car company Chevrolet is more commonly referred to as Chevy.
4. Arizona: Rigdon
> Location quotient: 11.1 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Rigdon in last 5 years: 11
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Noah (2,112), Liam (2,065)
Rigdon is thought to come from the English name, Rigden. Evidently, Rigdon was first identified as a last name in Kent, a county in southeast England.
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5. California: Gevork
> Location quotient: 7.7 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Gevork in last 5 years: 11
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Noah (13,296), Jacob (12,463)
The boy name Gevork has Greek origins. George is the English variation of the name Gevork.
6. Colorado: Breck
> Location quotient: 9.1 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Breck in last 5 years: 51
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (1,585), Noah (1,392)
Like a number of these unique boy names, Breck has been used interchangeably among both genders. Breck has both Gaelic and Old English origins and is the word for “freckled.”
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7. Connecticut: Davi
> Location quotient: 10.2 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Davi in last 5 years: 32
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Noah (1,061), Liam (963)
Davi is a Hebrew name meaning “cherished and beloved.”
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8. Delaware: Shane
> Location quotient: 4.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Shane in last 5 years: 49
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (302), Mason (286)
The name Shane has Irish roots and means “God is gracious” or “Gift from God.”
9. Florida: Marvens
> Location quotient: 12.3 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Marvens in last 5 years: 64
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (6,198), Noah (6,064)
The origin of the name Marvens is unknown. Marven, on the other hand, is an English baby name, and is a form of the more recognizable name, Mervin.
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10. Georgia: Sanchez
> Location quotient: 8.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Sanchez in last 5 years: 16
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (3,580), Noah (3,025)
Sanchez is a Spanish name, most commonly seen as a last name. The name Sanchez is derived from the medieval Portuguese name, Sancho, which comes from the Latin word sanctus, meaning “sacred.”
11. Hawaii: Kamaehu
> Location quotient: 413.6 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Kamaehu in last 5 years: 10
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Noah (389), Liam (386)
Kamaehu is a distinctive Hawaiian name that means “strength, energy, firmness of resolution, and fixedness of purpose.”
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12. Iowa: Kinnick
> Location quotient: 87.9 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Kinnick in last 5 years: 113
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (983), William (843)
The name Kinnick has Scottish roots — it’s the anglicized form of the Gaelic name, Coinneach.
13. Idaho: Hyrum
> Location quotient: 26.8 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Hyrum in last 5 years: 58
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (546), Oliver (486)
The name Hyrum comes from India and means “my brother is exalted.” There is also a Hyrum State Park in Utah, one of Idaho’s neighboring states.
14. Illinois: Szymon
> Location quotient: 19.0 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Szymon in last 5 years: 41
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Noah (4,034), Liam (3,434)
You may be wondering how you pronounce the Polish name Szymon. If the name had a phonetic spelling it would look something like this: shi-mawn.
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15. Indiana: Lawayne
> Location quotient: 24.6 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Lawayne in last 5 years: 12
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (2,196), Noah (1,909)
The meaning of Lawayne is supposedly “wagon maker.” The name is a combination of the English name Wayne and the prefix La. There is a Wayne County in Indiana as well as the city of Fort Wayne.
16. Kansas: Brogan
> Location quotient: 7.6 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Brogan in last 5 years: 50
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (878), William (871)
An Irish name, Brogan means “small shoe.”
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17. Kentucky: Brentlee
> Location quotient: 8.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Brentlee in last 5 years: 38
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (1,629), Elijah (1,377)
Brentlee derives from the Old English name Brent and may mean the holy one or high place. Lee is a variant of the Anglo-Saxon name lēah, which means “woodland, a clearing, or a meadow.”
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18. Louisiana: Kolston
> Location quotient: 19.1 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Kolston in last 5 years: 23
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Mason (1,378), Noah (1,354)
Kolston is derived from the English name Colton and means “dark settlement.”
19. Massachusetts: Guilherme
> Location quotient: 22.4 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Guilherme in last 5 years: 24
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Benjamin (2,395), William (2,132)
Guilherme, pronounced gee-lyer-meh, is a popular name for boys in Portugal. William is the English version of the name. There is a reputable soccer player from Brazil, Guilherme Costa Marques, who plays for Benevento Calcio in Italy.
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20. Maryland: Tavon
> Location quotient: 14.4 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Tavon in last 5 years: 46
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Noah (1,660), Liam (1,558)
Tavon is thought to have both Irish and Scottish origins and means “hillside.”
21. Maine: Alden
> Location quotient: 11.8 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Alden in last 5 years: 51
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (413), Owen (356)
Alden is an English name meaning “old friend” and “wise protector.”
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22. Michigan: Haidar
> Location quotient: 13.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Haidar in last 5 years: 21
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (2,668), Noah (2,622)
Haidar is an Arabic name meaning “lion.”
23. Minnesota: Muad
> Location quotient: 33.7 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Muad in last 5 years: 71
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Henry (1,815), William (1,705)
The name Muad is of Muslim descent and means “protected.”
24. Missouri: Menno
> Location quotient: 7.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Menno in last 5 years: 12
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (1,920), Liam (1,871)
Pronounced Me-no, the name Menno has both Dutch and German roots and means “strength.”
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25. Mississippi: Jamarian
> Location quotient: 18.9 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Jamarian in last 5 years: 19
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (1,085), James (960)
The origin and meaning of this unique baby name is unknown. Jamarion, almost identical in spelling, means “handsome” or “grace.”
26. Montana: Bridger
> Location quotient: 37.1 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Bridger in last 5 years: 86
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (297), William (288)
Bridger is the most unique name in three western states. Bridger is a distinguished last name that surfaced among the people of Flanders, who originally resided near the North Sea between Belgium and the Netherlands. During the Middle Ages, this group was a significant political ally of Britain.
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27. North Carolina: Zymir
> Location quotient: 10.4 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Zymir in last 5 years: 91
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (3,485), Noah (3,107)
The origin and meaning of Zymir is unknown. However, it may be derived from the Hebrew name Zamir, meaning “song bird.”
28. North Dakota: Bridger
> Location quotient: 18.6 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Bridger in last 5 years: 45
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (303), Oliver (281)
Bridger is the most unique name in three western states. The last name has Flemish origins, which refers to the people of Flanders. Bridger is a variant of the Old English word brycg, which means “bridge.”
29. Nebraska: Eh
> Location quotient: 18.1 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Eh in last 5 years: 17
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (627), William (558)
Eh has been rising in popularity in recent years, climbing 2,500 positions to the 4,552 spot in 2016 in a ranking of the most baby popular names, according to babycenter.com.
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30. New Hampshire: Colby
> Location quotient: 5.9 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Colby in last 5 years: 45
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Mason (378), Jackson (373)
The English surname Colby has Scandinavian roots and means from Colby or from Kol’s settlement. Other sources says Colby is an Anglo-Saxon name that means “from the dark village.”
31. New Jersey: Eliyohu
> Location quotient: 35.1 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Eliyohu in last 5 years: 10
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (2,763), Michael (2,735)
The origins and meaning of Eliyohu are unknown. However, a similar name Eliyahu, from the Hebrew word ‘ēlīyāhū, which means the “Lord is my God.”
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32. New Mexico: Estevan
> Location quotient: 22.1 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Estevan in last 5 years: 57
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Noah (646), Elijah (577)
Estevan is derived from Stephen, which comes from the Latin name Stephanus. And Stephanus is a derivative of the Greek name Stephanos, which means “a crown” or “garland that adorns the head.”
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33. Nevada: Kekoa
> Location quotient: 5.3 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Kekoa in last 5 years: 12
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (866), Noah (845)
The name Kekoa comes from Hawaii and means the brave one.
34. New York: Mechel
> Location quotient: 18.7 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Mechel in last 5 years: 47
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (6,716), Jacob (6,261)
More commonly seen as a last name in northern Germany and Scandinavian countries, Mechel is a form the biblical names Michael or Michal. Michael means “who is like God” or “Godly.”
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35. Ohio: Crosley
> Location quotient: 13.8 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Crosley in last 5 years: 29
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (3,545), Noah (3,114)
Crosley is an English boy name with Anglo-Saxon roots. It means from the “cross meadow” or “dweller at the cross.” The Major League Baseball team the Cincinnati Reds once played at Crosley Field.
36. Oklahoma: Thang
> Location quotient: 16.7 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Thang in last 5 years: 31
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (1,026), Elijah (991)
Thang is a Vietnamese name meaning “triumph.”
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37. Oregon: Danner
> Location quotient: 22.4 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Danner in last 5 years: 13
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (1,103), Henry (979)
Danner has German origins and means “dweller near the fig tree.”
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38. Pennsylvania: Benuel
> Location quotient: 20.7 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Benuel in last 5 years: 71
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (3,796), Mason (3,677)
It’s likely that Benuel is a combination of Samuel and Benjamin. It’s also possible that the name Benuel based on the last name Buñuel. Perhaps the most well-known person with that surname is Luis Buñuel, a Spanish filmmaker known for introducing surrealism to film.
39. Rhode Island: Domenic
> Location quotient: 22.3 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Domenic in last 5 years: 25
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (370), Mason (348)
Domenic is a variant of the common name Dominic. Dominic is derived from the Latin name Dominicus, meaning “belonging to a lord.”
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40. South Carolina: Hampton
> Location quotient: 22.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Hampton in last 5 years: 96
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (1,747), James (1,382)
Hampton is an English name meaning “home settlement.” Aside from being a unique boy name, Hampton is the name of two long-standing entities: the Hampton hotels by Hilton and the famous stretch of beaches on Long Island, New York, The Hamptons.
41. South Dakota: Briggs
> Location quotient: 15.2 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Briggs in last 5 years: 54
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (306), Oliver (277)
The name Briggs is the northern English variant of the word bridge, and it is a very common last name. There is a popular personality test called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
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42. Tennessee: Neyland
> Location quotient: 42.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Neyland in last 5 years: 156
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (2,717), Elijah (2,119)
Perhaps the name Neyland is catching on from Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. More commonly seen as a surname, Neyland is a derivative of O Niallain, a Gaelic name meaning “descendant of Niall.”
43. Texas: Joeangel
> Location quotient: 8.0 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Joeangel in last 5 years: 40
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Noah (10,076), Jacob (8,494)
The origin and meaning of Joeangel is unknown. However, it’s been used as a first name since 1990. That year, only seven boys in the U.S. were given that name.
44. Utah: Mckay
> Location quotient: 43.5 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Mckay in last 5 years: 121
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (1,395), Oliver (1,291)
Mckay has Scottish and northern Irish roots. It’s the anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Aodha, which means son of Aodh, which translates to “son of fire.”
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45. Virginia: Subhan
> Location quotient: 5.4 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Subhan in last 5 years: 24
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: William (2,839), Liam (2,567)
Subhan has Muslim origins and means “holy and glorifying.”
46. Vermont: Wilder
> Location quotient: 13.9 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Wilder in last 5 years: 16
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (177), Owen (169)
The name Wilder has German roots and means hunter.
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47. Washington: Avenir
> Location quotient: 14.4 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Avenir in last 5 years: 40
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (2,065), Benjamin (1,792)
Avenir is very new unique name, having emerged just seven years ago. The origin and meaning of the name remains unknown, however.
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48. Wisconsin: Cashton
> Location quotient: 8.7 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Cashton in last 5 years: 86
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (1,634), Mason (1,525)
The origin and meaning of the name Cashton is unknown. However, there is a village in Wisconsin called Cashton. One couple reportedly named their son Cashton after legendary singer Johnny Cash, but with a twist.
49. West Virginia: Briar
> Location quotient: 9.2 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Briar in last 5 years: 39
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (633), Mason (613)
It’s no surprise that the name Briar comes from the English word for a thorny shrub. Briar is a unisex name.
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50. Wyoming: Bridger
> Location quotient: 55.8 times more common than nationwide
> Number of baby boys named Bridger in last 5 years: 61
> Most and 2nd most popular baby boy name: Liam (169), Wyatt (168)
Bridger is a popular last name with Flemish origins. One of the first families to have settled in Virginia during the colonial era had the surname Bridger, which means one who dwells near bridge. It’s no coincidence that three western states share Bridger as their most uniquely found name. Jim Bridger was pioneer of the Wild West and several places in Montana and Wyoming are named for him, including Bridger Mountains and Bridger Trail.
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