Top 100 Most Popular Baby Names in 2026

Choosing a baby name is one of the biggest decisions new parents face — and knowing what's trending can help you decide whether to follow the crowd or stand apart. This list is curated from publicly available popularity data and the naming trends we track across English-speaking countries — a snapshot of where baby naming is heading in 2026.

What's Shaping Baby Name Trends in 2026?

Three forces are driving this year's name charts. First, short, punchy names continue to dominate — parents want names that are easy to spell, easy to pronounce internationally, and strong on their own. Second, nature and mythology names are surging as parents look for meaning beyond family tradition. Third, the revival of vintage names from the 1920s–1940s is in full swing, with names like Theodore, Margot, and Clementine climbing fast.

Top 50 Girl Names for 2026

| Rank | Name | Origin | Meaning | |------|------|--------|---------| | 1 | Olivia | Latin | Olive tree | | 2 | Emma | Germanic | Whole, universal | | 3 | Amelia | Germanic | Industrious, striving | | 4 | Charlotte | French | Free woman | | 5 | Sophia | Greek | Wisdom | | 6 | Ava | Latin | Life, bird | | 7 | Luna | Latin | Moon | | 8 | Mia | Scandinavian | Beloved | | 9 | Isla | Scottish | Island | | 10 | Aurora | Latin | Dawn | | 11 | Ellie | English | Bright, shining light | | 12 | Harper | English | Harp player | | 13 | Aria | Italian | Air, melody | | 14 | Nora | Irish | Honor, light | | 15 | Ivy | English | Faithfulness | | 16 | Hazel | English | Hazelnut tree | | 17 | Willow | English | Willow tree | | 18 | Violet | Latin | Purple flower | | 19 | Stella | Latin | Star | | 20 | Cora | Greek | Maiden | | 21 | Penelope | Greek | Weaver | | 22 | Margot | French | Pearl | | 23 | Clementine | Latin | Merciful | | 24 | Maeve | Irish | Intoxicating | | 25 | Elena | Greek | Bright, shining | | 26 | Iris | Greek | Rainbow | | 27 | Clara | Latin | Clear, bright | | 28 | Freya | Norse | Noble woman | | 29 | Wren | English | Small bird | | 30 | Sage | Latin | Wise | | 31 | Juniper | Latin | Evergreen shrub | | 32 | Eloise | French | Healthy, wide | | 33 | Lydia | Greek | Woman from Lydia | | 34 | Thea | Greek | Goddess | | 35 | Rosalie | Latin | Rose | | 36 | Beatrice | Latin | She who brings happiness | | 37 | Ada | Germanic | Noble | | 38 | Alice | Germanic | Noble | | 39 | Ruby | Latin | Red gemstone | | 40 | Naomi | Hebrew | Pleasantness | | 41 | Lila | Arabic | Night | | 42 | Sienna | Italian | Orange-red | | 43 | Esme | French | Esteemed, loved | | 44 | Phoebe | Greek | Bright, radiant | | 45 | Genevieve | French | Woman of the people | | 46 | Daphne | Greek | Laurel tree | | 47 | Camille | French | Ceremonial attendant | | 48 | Celeste | Latin | Heavenly | | 49 | Millie | English | Gentle strength | | 50 | Athena | Greek | Goddess of wisdom |

Top 50 Boy Names for 2026

| Rank | Name | Origin | Meaning | |------|------|--------|---------| | 1 | Liam | Irish | Strong-willed warrior | | 2 | Noah | Hebrew | Rest, comfort | | 3 | Oliver | Latin | Olive tree | | 4 | James | Hebrew | Supplanter | | 5 | Theodore | Greek | Gift of God | | 6 | Elijah | Hebrew | My God is Yahweh | | 7 | Mateo | Spanish | Gift of God | | 8 | Lucas | Latin | Light | | 9 | Henry | Germanic | Ruler of the home | | 10 | Leo | Latin | Lion | | 11 | Jack | English | God is gracious | | 12 | Benjamin | Hebrew | Son of the right hand | | 13 | Alexander | Greek | Defender of the people | | 14 | Sebastian | Latin | Venerable | | 15 | Ethan | Hebrew | Strong, firm | | 16 | Owen | Welsh | Young warrior | | 17 | Samuel | Hebrew | Heard by God | | 18 | Daniel | Hebrew | God is my judge | | 19 | Caleb | Hebrew | Faithful, bold | | 20 | Hudson | English | Son of Hugh | | 21 | Jasper | Persian | Bringer of treasure | | 22 | Felix | Latin | Happy, fortunate | | 23 | Arthur | Celtic | Bear | | 24 | August | Latin | Great, magnificent | | 25 | Ezra | Hebrew | Helper | | 26 | Silas | Latin | Forest, woods | | 27 | Atlas | Greek | Bearer of the heavens | | 28 | Oscar | Irish | Deer friend | | 29 | Miles | Latin | Soldier | | 30 | Julian | Latin | Youthful | | 31 | Atticus | Latin | Man of Attica | | 32 | Milo | Germanic | Gracious, soldier | | 33 | Finn | Irish | Fair | | 34 | Archer | English | Bowman | | 35 | Emmett | Germanic | Powerful | | 36 | Rowan | Gaelic | Little red-haired one | | 37 | Xavier | Basque | New house | | 38 | Callum | Scottish | Dove | | 39 | Hugo | Germanic | Mind, intellect | | 40 | Roman | Latin | Citizen of Rome | | 41 | Levi | Hebrew | Joined, attached | | 42 | Beckett | English | Bee cottage | | 43 | Asher | Hebrew | Happy, blessed | | 44 | Gabriel | Hebrew | God is my strength | | 45 | Kai | Hawaiian | Sea | | 46 | Theo | Greek | Gift of God | | 47 | Wyatt | English | Brave in war | | 48 | Jude | Hebrew | Praised | | 49 | Arlo | English | Fortified hill | | 50 | Remy | French | Oarsman |

Names Gaining Momentum in 2026

A few names are clearly gaining momentum this year:

• Clementine (girls) — riding the vintage revival wave
• Wren (girls) — part of the nature-name boom
• Atlas (boys) — mythology names are having a moment
• Felix (boys) — parents love the upbeat meaning ("happy")

How to Use This List

If you're drawn to any of these names, dive deeper. Use our Name Library to explore detailed meanings, popularity charts, and cultural context for any name on this list. Worried about teasing potential? Run your favorite through our Bullying Analysis tool — it checks for rhymes, unfortunate initials, and playground risks.

And if you want names tailored to your specific family heritage, country, and language, try Namelia's AI Name Generator. It goes beyond popularity lists to find names that truly fit your story.

The Takeaway

Popular names are popular for good reason — they sound beautiful, carry strong meanings, and work across cultures. But "popular" doesn't have to mean "common." Even within the top 100, there's enormous variety in style, origin, and energy. The perfect name for your baby is the one that feels right to you.