Liam first ranked in the top 100 boys’ names in 1995, in five states: Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. It took until 2011 to reach the top 100 in the last state, Mississippi. Social Security’s state records show this pattern again and again: a new name rises in a few states first and spreads to the rest over several years. This guide traces seven names state by state and shows the #1 names in every state in 2025.
A name counts as reaching a state in the first year since 1960 that it ranked in that state’s top 100 for its sex.
How Seven Names Spread
| Name | When it reached the top 100 in each state |
|---|---|
| Liam | First: 1995, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and 2 more. Half the states by: 2006. Last: 2011, Mississippi. States reached: 51. |
| Nevaeh | First: 2001, District of Columbia. Half the states by: 2004. Last: 2007, New Jersey. States reached: 51. |
| Jaxon | First: 1998, Utah. Half the states by: 2010. Last: 2013, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and 2 more. States reached: 50. |
| Harper | First: 2008, Montana. Half the states by: 2011. Last: 2012, Alaska, California, Delaware and 5 more. States reached: 51. |
| Ezra | First: 2002, Vermont. Half the states by: 2015. Last: 2020, Massachusetts. States reached: 51. |
| Mateo | First: 2010, New Mexico. Half the states by: 2017. Last: 2024, Montana. States reached: 48. |
| Brantley | First: 2011, Alabama, Georgia and West Virginia. Half the states by: 2012. Last: 2015, Delaware, Maine, South Dakota and 1 more. States reached: 26. |
Where New Names Start
- Liam reached Alabama, Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi last, in 2010 and 2011.
- Jaxon started in Utah in 1998 and reached New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and California last, in 2013.
- Mateo started in New Mexico in 2010 and California a year later, and had reached 48 states by 2025, the latest Montana in 2024.
- Ezra started in Vermont in 2002 and reached Massachusetts last, in 2020.
- Brantley started in Alabama, Georgia and West Virginia in 2011, but reached the top 100 in only 26 states before it faded.
Small states need fewer babies to put a name in their top 100, so a name can show up there early with only a handful of births. In Vermont, the 100th boys’ name of 2002 was given to 7 babies.
The #1 Names in Every State, 2025
Charlotte was the top girls’ name in 28 states and Olivia in 7. For boys, Liam led 15 states and Noah 14. The District of Columbia is counted as a state here, and a tie counts for both names: in the District of Columbia, Emma and Sophia tied for the top girls’ name, with 36 babies each.
Look Up a Name’s States
- Type the name in the search box on the home page.
- Its page shows how the name is spread across the states.
- For two of the biggest states, see the most popular names in California and the most popular names in Texas.