2022 Baby Names Virginia Parents Loved Most: Charlotte, Liam, Olivia, Noah

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

Liam and Charlotte are the top names Virginia 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, 462 girls born in our state last year were named Charlotte, while 631 boys were named Liam, records show.

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

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

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

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

Charlotte and Liam were the most popular names in Virginia for girls and boys, respectively, in 2021 and 2020 as well. Charlotte unseated the top girls name of 2019 — to take the top spot in the years since. Liam has been the top name for boys since 2019 after it unseated William, the most popular boys name in 2018.

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.