2022 Top Baby Names: MD Parents Love Eva, Liam, Noah, Olivia

MARYLAND — When babies born in Maryland last year graduate from high school around the year 2040, you may hear the names Ava and Liam repeated often as the graduates walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.

Liam and Ava are the top names Maryland parents chose for their babies in 2022, according to the Social Security Administration, which this month released its top baby names by state analysis.

In all, 225 girls born in Maryland last year were named Ava, while 421 boys were named Liam, records show.

Here are the top 10 female names in Maryland last year:

1. Ava
2. Olivia
3. Charlotte
4. Emma
5. Sophia
6. Mia
7. Isabella
8. Amelia
9. Luna
10. Madison

These were the top 10 male names in 2022 in Maryland:

1. Liam
2. Noah
3. James
4. Lucas
5. Oliver
6. William
7. Ethan
8. Henry
9. Jacob
10. Caleb

Ava rose by two spots in 2022, replacing 2021's Olivia as the most popular name for girls in Maryland. Meanwhile, Liam was the top name for boys in both 2021 and 2022.

Nationally, the top names for babies in 2022 were, for girls:

1. Olivia
2. Emma
3. Charlotte
4. Amelia
5. Sophie
6. Isabella
7. Ava
8. Mia
9. Evelyn
10. Luna

For boys, the top names were:

1. Liam
2. Noah
3. Oliver
4. James
5. Elijah
6. William
7. Henry
8. Lucas
9. Benjamin
10. Theodore

The top three names for both girls and boys last year were unchanged from 2021.

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 in 35 years over the same period.