The process of choosing a name for a newborn can be fun. But it can also be stressful. Some parents are lucky to know the name early in the pregnancy or even before, while others take much longer and decide the day they leave the hospital.
Sometimes it’s hard to pick a name. There are too many possible influences – from pop culture to family history and what’s trending.
The most popular boy’s name in Illinois in 2020 was Noah. Noah is derived from the Hebrew name Noach, meaning “rest, repose.”
As many as 54,325 boys were born in Illinois last year. Of them, 709, or 1.31%, were given the name Noah.
The second and third most popular boy names in the state in 2020 were Liam and Oliver, respectively. About 1.14% of boys born in the state, or 621 baby boys, were named Liam. About 1.12%, or 606 newborn boys, were named Oliver.
The most popular girl’s name in Illinois in 2020 was Olivia. The name is of Latin origin, derived from the word “oliva,” meaning “olive tree.”
As many as 48,376 girls were born in Illinois last year. Of them, 638 baby girls, or 1.32%, were given the name Olivia.
The second and third most popular girl names in the state in 2020 were Emma and Charlotte, respectively. About 1.17% of girls born in Illinois, or 567 baby girls, were named Emma. About 1.06%, or 514 newborn girls, were named Charlotte.
24/7 Tempo identified the most popular boys’ and girls’ names of babies born in every state in 2020 using data from the Social Security Administration, which recently released its annual list of top baby names in the U.S. The dataset includes 48,859 female births and 43,051 male births in 2020. These are the most popular baby names in every state in 2020.
| State | Most popular boy name | % of baby boys given the name in 2020 | Most popular girl name | % of baby girls given the name in 2020 | 2nd most popular girl name | 2nd most popular boy name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | William | 1.68% | Ava | 1.37% | Olivia | James |
| Alaska | Oliver | 1.81% | Charlotte | 2.23% | Olivia | Liam |
| Arizona | Liam | 1.41% | Olivia | 1.50% | Emma | Noah |
| Arkansas | Liam | 1.27% | Olivia | 1.29% | Emma | William |
| California | Noah | 1.39% | Olivia | 1.35% | Camila | Liam |
| Colorado | Liam | 1.26% | Olivia | 1.51% | Charlotte | Oliver |
| Connecticut | Noah | 1.62% | Olivia | 1.72% | Charlotte | Liam |
| Delaware | Liam | 1.79% | Charlotte | 2.22% | Olivia | Noah |
| Florida | Liam | 1.74% | Emma | 1.41% | Olivia | Noah |
| Georgia | Liam | 1.19% | Ava | 1.30% | Olivia | Noah |
| Hawaii | Liam | 1.80% | Olivia | 2.41% | Sophia | Noah |
| Idaho | Oliver | 1.86% | Olivia | 1.62% | Charlotte | Liam |
| Illinois | Noah | 1.31% | Olivia | 1.32% | Emma | Liam |
| Indiana | Oliver | 1.25% | Charlotte | 1.18% | Olivia | Liam |
| Iowa | Oliver | 1.58% | Olivia | 1.49% | Charlotte | Liam |
| Kansas | Liam | 1.37% | Olivia | 1.67% | Charlotte | Henry |
| Kentucky | Liam | 1.40% | Amelia | 1.44% | Olivia | William |
| Louisiana | Liam | 1.18% | Ava | 1.42% | Amelia | Elijah |
| Maine | Oliver | 2.41% | Charlotte | 2.28% | Harper | Henry |
| Maryland | Liam | 1.46% | Olivia | 1.28% | Ava | Noah |
| Massachusetts | Noah | 1.70% | Olivia | 1.61% | Charlotte | Liam |
| Michigan | Oliver | 1.17% | Charlotte | 1.22% | Amelia | Noah |
| Minnesota | Henry | 1.41% | Olivia | 1.36% | Charlotte | Oliver |
| Mississippi | James | 1.58% | Ava | 1.83% | Olivia | William |
| Missouri | Oliver | 1.22% | Olivia | 1.37% | Charlotte | Liam |
| Montana | Oliver | 2.08% | Charlotte | 2.07% | Olivia | Henry |
| Nebraska | Oliver | 1.45% | Olivia | 1.87% | Amelia | Henry |
| Nevada | Liam | 1.53% | Olivia | 1.61% | Emma | Noah |
| New Hampshire | Lucas | 1.66% | Charlotte | 2.05% | Olivia | Oliver |
| New Jersey | Liam | 1.69% | Olivia | 1.41% | Sophia | Noah |
| New Mexico | Liam | 1.78% | Olivia | 1.86% | Sophia | Noah |
| New York | Liam | 1.56% | Olivia | 1.28% | Emma | Noah |
| North Carolina | Liam | 1.41% | Olivia | 1.22% | Ava | Noah |
| North Dakota | Oliver | 1.51% | Amelia | 1.53% | Olivia | Liam |
| Ohio | Liam | 1.13% | Olivia | 1.19% | Charlotte | Oliver |
| Oklahoma | Liam | 1.24% | Olivia | 1.57% | Emma | Oliver |
| Oregon | Oliver | 1.53% | Olivia | 1.60% | Amelia | Liam |
| Pennsylvania | Noah | 1.29% | Emma | 1.31% | Olivia | Liam |
| Rhode Island | Liam | 2.34% | Olivia | 2.41% | Charlotte | Noah |
| South Carolina | William | 1.41% | Ava | 1.48% | Olivia | Noah |
| South Dakota | Oliver | 1.80% | Harper | 1.80% | Charlotte | Liam |
| Tennessee | Liam | 1.33% | Olivia | 1.34% | Ava | William |
| Texas | Liam | 1.31% | Olivia | 1.26% | Emma | Noah |
| Utah | Oliver | 1.40% | Olivia | 1.56% | Emma | William |
| Vermont | Oliver | 2.97% | Amelia | 3.04% | Emma | Theodore |
| Virginia | Liam | 1.32% | Charlotte | 1.35% | Olivia | Noah |
| Washington | Oliver | 1.30% | Olivia | 1.46% | Emma | Liam |
| West Virginia | Liam | 1.49% | Harper | 1.55% | Amelia | Elijah |
| Wisconsin | Oliver | 1.38% | Charlotte | 1.38% | Olivia | Liam |
| Wyoming | Oliver | 3.00% | Olivia | 3.44% | Amelia | Liam |
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