Top boy baby names 2026

Top boy baby names for 2026.

Search top boy baby names, rising SSA favorites, and practical meaning prompts so your shortlist feels current, easy to say, and still personal.

6,000 searchable namesSSA-derived historical names through 2020Boy namesSSA trendsPopularity contextMeaning prompts

Explore names

Name style

Trend

Density is shown as babies per 10,000 same-sex births. Use it with meaning, pronunciation, initials, and family language fit before you commit to a favorite.

SSA name explorer

Matching baby names

Source: SSA dataset
#1
Liam boy
115.21 per 10k birthsRising +1 ranks
#2
Noah boy
106.96 per 10k birthsFalling -1 ranks
#3
Oliver boy
82.9 per 10k birthsRising +16 ranks
#4
Elijah boy
76.38 per 10k birthsFalling +7 ranks
#5
William boy
73.49 per 10k birthsFalling
#6
James boy
71.79 per 10k birthsFalling +1 ranks
#7
Benjamin boy
71.12 per 10k birthsFalling +3 ranks
#8
Lucas boy
66.11 per 10k birthsFalling +8 ranks
#9
Henry boy
62.73 per 10k birthsRising +20 ranks
#10
Alexander boy
59.49 per 10k birthsFalling -2 ranks
#11
Mason boy
58.77 per 10k birthsFalling -8 ranks
#12
Michael boy
56.94 per 10k birthsFalling -3 ranks
#13
Ethan boy
55.46 per 10k birthsFalling -7 ranks
#14
Daniel boy
55.2 per 10k birthsFalling -2 ranks
#15
Jacob boy
53.89 per 10k birthsFalling -11 ranks
#16
Logan boy
53.25 per 10k birthsFalling -2 ranks
#17
Jackson boy
53.04 per 10k birthsFalling
#18
Levi boy
52.77 per 10k birthsRising +24 ranks

Selected name

Liam

In the 2020 SSA national data, Liam ranked #1 for boys, with 19,659 births, or about 115.21 per 10,000 same-sex births. It is moving up, and its highest recorded count was 20,555 in 2019.

Meaning and origin you would enjoy explaining
Spelling that works in your family languages
Nickname options that still feel like the same child
Initials, surname flow, and everyday pronunciation
1980
1990
2000
2010
2015
2020

How to choose

A practical baby-name checklist

Say it out loud with your surname.
Check meaning, origin, initials, spelling, and likely nicknames.
Try it in family languages or accents that matter to you.
Use density to decide whether popularity feels comforting or too common.
Keep two or three names you could happily use on birth day.

Latest official SSA top 10: 2025

#1LiamOlivia
#2NoahCharlotte
#3OliverEmma
#4TheodoreAmelia
#5HenrySophia
#6JamesMia
#7ElijahIsabella
#8MateoEvelyn
#9WilliamSofia
#10LucasEliana

Questions parents ask

Are these the official top baby names of 2026?

No. Official U.S. rankings for babies born in 2026 are not available yet. This page helps parents choosing names in 2026 by using SSA historical trends and the latest official SSA top 10 names for 2025.

Where do the baby name rankings come from?

The data source is the Social Security Administration national baby names dataset, based on Social Security card applications. This page also uses SSA's officially released top 10 names for 2025 as the newest official national ranking.

What does popularity density mean?

Popularity density means the approximate number of babies with a name per 10,000 same-sex births in the dataset year. It is more useful than raw count when comparing names across years with different birth totals.

Should I choose a popular baby name or avoid one?

Either can be right. A popular name can feel familiar and easy to spell, while a less common name may feel more distinctive. The better filter is whether the name still feels good with your surname, initials, family languages, and everyday pronunciation.

Can Doola tell me the perfect baby name?

No tool can decide that for a family. Doola can help you explore popularity, style, trend direction, shortlist patterns, and questions that make a name easier to live with.

Why include baby names on a pregnancy site?

Baby names are one of the first joyful planning questions many expecting parents search. Doola keeps it light, practical, and connected to the bigger pregnancy journey rather than treating naming like a medical decision.

Planning goes beyond the name.

When your shortlist starts to feel real, Doola can help with the daily pregnancy questions that come next: food choices, ingredient labels, skincare products, and the tiny decisions that suddenly feel bigger.

Open Doola
Due date calculatorWeight gain calculator