2022 Top Baby Names: PA Parents Love Liam, Olivia, Noah

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

Liam and Olivia are the top names Pennsylvania 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, 572 girls born in our state last year were named Olivia, while 672 boys were named Liam, records show.

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

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

These were the top 10 male names in 2022 in our state:

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

In 2021, Olivia was also the most popular name for girls in our state. Meanwhile, the name Liam overtook 2021's top name (Noah) in 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.

Patch's national desk contributed to this report.