A Top Baby Name Site’s ‘Playground Analysis’ Just Revealed the ‘Real’ Most Popular Names of 2024 — & They Aren’t What You Think
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When the U.S. Social Security Administration released their top baby names of 2024, we weren’t surprised to see Olivia and Liam in the top spot for girls and boys, respectively. But one thing that may have surprised you was to see Sophia in the top 10 list twice — once in spot six spelled “Sophia” and once in spot 10 spelled “Sofia.” If this same name, just different spellings, were considered different entries, how does that skew the data? A Playground Analysis at Nameberry thought the same thing, which is why they released what they call the “real” most popular names of 2024, taking into account all the different ways parents spell their kids’ names.
“The Social Security Administration tallies the popularity charts according to the spelling of the names on birth certificates, so names like Eleanor, Elinor, and Eleanore are all counted as distinct names with individual rankings,” Sophie Kim, editor-in-chef at Nameberry tells SheKnows. “Nameberry’s Playground Analysis groups names according to sound — because when you hear a name on the playground, there’s no way to distinguish between Eleanor and Elinor!”
This is so true, and as someone named Sydni as opposed to the more traditional Sydney, I am all too familiar with the different and unique spellings parents come up with for their babies.
Nameberry grouped different spelling variations of the same name and then ranked them, resulting in a slightly different list then what the Social Security administration data shows. The results show how likely you’re going to hear your child’s name at the playground or preschool.
Playground Analysis Top 10 Girl Names, by Most Common Spelling (plus their SSA rankings)
- 1. Sophia (6) — 20336 births — Sofia, Sofiya
- 2. Amelia (3) — 18375 births — Emilia, Emelia, Amilia
- 3. Olivia (1) — 15777 births — Alivia, Alyvia
- 4. Emma (2) — 13629 births — Ema
- 5. Charlotte (4) — 12693 births — Charlette
- 6. Mia (5) — 12633 births — Miah, Miya, Miyah
- 7. Isabella (7) — 12056 births — Izabella, Isabela
- 8. Adeline (58) — 11764 births — Adalynn, Adaline, Adalyn, Adelyn, Adelynn, Addilyn, Addilynn, Adilene, Addalyn, Addelyn, Adilynn, Addalynn, Adelyne, Adalyne, Adilyn
- 9. Eliana (18) — 11219 births — Elliana, Elianna, Ellianna, Eliyanah, Elyana, Elyanna, Eliyana, Ellyana, Ellieana, Eleana
- 10. Evelyn (8) — 10695 births — Evelynn, Evalyn, Evalynn, Evelin
Playground Analysis Top 10 Boy Names, by Most Common Spelling (plus their SSA rankings)
- 1. Liam (1) — 22478 births — Lyam
- 2. Noah (2) — 20622 births — Noa
- 3. Oliver (3) — 15375 births
- 4. Mateo (7) — 14228 births — Matteo, Matheo
- 5. Jackson (35) — 13311 births — Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn
- 6. Luca (23) — 12358 births — Luka, Lucca, Lukah
- 7. Lucas (9) — 12097 births — Lukas
- 8. Theodore (4) — 12089 births — Theodor
- 9. Elijah (8) — 12055 births — Alijah
- 10. James (5) — 11827 births
Nameberry also released the most impacted girl and boy names from their results.
Most Impacted Girl Names
- 1. Kaylee — moved 147 places to #74
- 2. Journee — moved 121 places to #96
- 3. Kehlani — moved 113 places to #37
- 4. Callie — moved 97 places to #79
- 5. Amaya — moved 93 places to #76
Most Impacted Boy Names
- 1. Kayson — moved 223 spots to #68
- 2. Zayn — moved 149 spots to #100
- 3. Kayden — moved 106 spots to #19
- 4. Elliot — moved 68 spots to #82
- 5. Malachi — moved 60 spots to #89
Baby Name Trends
Kim noticed a few trends in this report. “The top baby name trends of 2025 include Fast Fashion Names — mix and match elements that allow parents to create meaningful and personalized names; Global Americana Names — ethnically distinct and pan-cultural names that tie children to their heritage or work well in various cultures around the world; and Country Rebrand Names — a diverse set of names that includes classic country choices alongside those inspired by gauchos and outlaws,” she told us.
So what advice does she have for choosing a name?
“When picking a baby name, I always recommend parents consider their experience with their own names,” Kim continues. “What did they like about them? What was hard about their names? Answering these questions can help guide them towards a name that feels right for their child.”
Maybe these names will help inspire a baby name choice for your future little one, or a unique way to spell a name you already liked!
From Kamai to Arys, here’s a list of gender-neutral baby names that are super rare.