The most popular baby name for girls in California in 2025 was Olivia, with 1,796 babies, just 8 more than Mia, which had led the state in 2024. Olivia also led the country. For boys it was Liam, with 2,624, the same as the national #1. These figures come from the Social Security Administration’s state records, which go back to 1910. This guide covers California’s top names, the names given far more often in California than elsewhere, and the state’s #1 names by decade.
The Top 10 Names in California, 2025
| Girls (babies) | Boys (babies) |
|---|---|
| 1. Olivia (1,796) | 1. Liam (2,624) |
| 2. Mia (1,788) | 2. Noah (2,607) |
| 3. Sophia (1,685) | 3. Mateo (2,239) |
| 4. Camila (1,682) | 4. Santiago (1,991) |
| 5. Emma (1,641) | 5. Sebastian (1,954) |
| 6. Isabella (1,506) | 6. Julian (1,680) |
| 7. Amelia (1,370) | 7. Oliver (1,456) |
| 8. Sofia (1,339) | 8. Elias (1,342) |
| 9. Eliana (1,323) | 9. Benjamin (1,257) |
| 10. Valentina (1,146) | 10. Elijah (1,257) |
Names on California’s top 10 that weren’t on the national top 10: Camila, Valentina, Santiago, Sebastian, Julian, Elias and Benjamin.
Names Given More Often in California
California’s records hold about 10% of the girls and 10% of the boys born in the US in 2025. These names, each given to at least 300 California babies, have a much bigger share:
| Girls: share of US babies in CA | Boys: share of US babies in CA |
|---|---|
| Ximena: 27% | Emiliano: 29% |
| Natalia: 26% | Maximiliano: 27% |
| Camila: 26% | Santiago: 26% |
| Alina: 25% | Ismael: 25% |
| Catalina: 23% | Adriel: 24% |
| Celine: 23% | Damian: 24% |
| Kaia: 22% | Andres: 23% |
| Valentina: 21% | Sebastian: 23% |
More than a quarter of all the girls named Ximena in the US in 2025 were recorded in California, and the same for boys named Emiliano.
California’s #1 Names by Decade
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | Mary | John |
| 1920s | Mary | Robert |
| 1930s | Mary | Robert |
| 1940s | Linda | Robert |
| 1950s | Linda | Michael |
| 1960s | Lisa | Michael |
| 1970s | Jennifer | Michael |
| 1980s | Jessica | Michael |
| 1990s | Jessica | Michael |
| 2000s | Emily | Daniel |
| 2010s | Sophia | Noah |
| 2020 to 2025 | Olivia | Noah |
Michael led California for five decades, from the 1950s through the 1990s. In the 2000s, the state’s top boys’ name was Daniel, while Jacob led the country.
Look Up a Name in California
- Type the name in the search box on the home page.
- Its page shows how the name is spread across the states.
- Compare with the most popular names in Texas, or see how name trends spread across states.