2021’s Top Baby Names In Illinois Remain The Same: Noah and Olivia

ILLINOIS — Look forward to the Class of 2039 high school graduation ceremonies in Illinois: You may hear the names Liam, Mateo, Charlotte, Mia and Emma repeated often as the graduates walk across the stage to receive their diplomas — assuming that’s still a tradition 18 years in the future.

As far as names go, Illinois parents have remained rather consistent (or predictable) when it comes to naming their kids over the past decade. As has been the case since 2012, Noah and Olivia are the top names that Illinois parents chose for their babies in 2021, according to the Social Security Administration, which this month released its top baby names by state analysis.

In all, 648 babies born in our state were named Noah in 2021 while 697 were named Olivia among girls born last year, records show.

Here are the top 10 female names in our state last year:

• Olivia (697)
• Emma (551)
• Sophia (499)
• Charlotte (493)
• Amelia (482)
• Ava (454)
• Isabella (435)
• Mia (399)
• Evelyn (351)

These were the top 10 male names in 2021:

• Noah (648)
• Liam (613)
• Oliver (584)
• Henry (498)
• Benjamin (490)
• Alexander (450)
• Theodore (435)
• William (422)
• Mateo (415)
• Logan (406)

Olivia has remained the top girl’s name on the list since 2012 when it was ranked No. 2 behind Emma as the most popular name for girls in our state. Meanwhile, Noah also had a similar run of success and has remained the top name for boys among Illinois parents since 2012 when it overtook Jacob and Alexander for the top spot.

Nationally, Liam, Noah, and Oliver once again were the most popular names for boys. For girls, parents liked Olivia, Emma, and Charlotte the best. Olivia and Emma were the top girl names in 2020, but Charlotte overtook Ava as the No. 3 name last year.

The Social Security Administration started releasing the annual list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. The agency also notes that popular culture influences baby names.

Over the past 100 years, the male name Michael has held the top spot most often at 44 times, while the female name Mary has been ranked No. 1 for 35 times over the same period.