The Most Unusual and Popular Baby Names in the U.S.

By Amelia Bowles
Baby names on a black board

If you have ever or are currently agonizing over the perfect name for your baby, you’ve probably read endless lists. Naming a child can be such a special experience. Inspiration may come from family or religious backgrounds, uniqueness, tradition or pop culture references. In 2023, there were several pop culture naming trends. This included a rise in Taylor Swift and “Barbie” themed names, according to Fox 35 Orlando. The Washington Post reports that “Dutton” and “Kayce” “were ranked first and second, respectively, on the lists of fastest growing boys’ names.” Those are the names of characters in the show “Yellowstone.” Without further ado, these were the most (and least) popular names of 2022, according to the Social Security Agency (SSA).

Most Unusual Names

According to HuffPost, these 50 names were the most unusual for babies in 2022. Taken from data provided by the SSA, HuffPost reported that these names were used more than five times but less than 10 times that year.

Girls

  • Minnow
  • Banksy
  • Cinderella
  • Joyous
  • Greenleigh
  • Delight
  • Katniss
  • Skylark
  • Bronte
  • Sparkle
  • Menorah
  • Elegance
  • Canary
  • Evermore
  • Horizon
  • Bethlehem
  • Chai
  • Brilliance
  • Fauna
  • Ibiza
  • Strawberry
  • Bardot
  • Winterrose
  • Pearly
  • Willoughby

Boys

  • Barley
  • Dragon
  • Beacon
  • Utah
  • Ludwig
  • Alchemy
  • Ives
  • Daytona
  • Clever
  • Ontario
  • Cosmos
  • Fender
  • Gilead
  • Cotton
  • Valiant
  • Rooster
  • Cerulean
  • Barnaby
  • Chaos
  • Ruckus
  • Crash
  • Forbes
  • Awesome
  • Lancelot
  • Texas

On The Rise

Isabella

This name declined in popularity from 1920 until 1948, when it was ranked No. 996. From 1949 until 1989, it was not ranked in the top 1000. In 1990, it reemerged at No. 890, quickly climbing the ranks and reaching the top 100 in less than a decade. It has remained in the top 10 since 2004.

Luna

In 1921, this name was ranked No. 950. It disappeared from the top 1000 from 1922 until 2003 when it was ranked No. 890. It moved into the top 100 in 2016, and in 2022, it moved into the top 10 for the first time.

Girls

The name Mary has been ranked number one 33 times in the last 100 years, with its longest consecutive run from 1923 to 1946. It has not been in the top five since 1967 and is now ranked 136.

Boys

The name Michael has been ranked number one 44 times in the last 100 years, with its longest consecutive run from 1961 to 1998. It has not been in the top five since 2010 and is now ranked 16.

Girls

  • Olivia
  • Emma
  • Charlotte
  • Amelia
  • Sophia
  • Isabella
  • Ava
  • Mia
  • Evelyn
  • Luna

Boys

  • Liam
  • Noah
  • Oliver
  • James
  • Elijah
  • William
  • Henry
  • Lucas
  • Benjamin
  • Theodore

Girls

  • Olivia
  • Isabella
  • Emma
  • Sophia
  • Mia

Boys

  • Liam
  • Noah
  • Lucas
  • Elijah
  • Oliver

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