Baby names A-Z are a fascinating bunch, with the most popular name for each letter of the alphabet often different from what you'd expect.
You can probably guess the top girl name that starts with O, and the top boy name that starts with L. They’re Olivia and Liam, the current Number One names in the US.
But what about the most popular names beginning with F? Or Y? You won’t find them in the Top 100, that’s for sure.
We found the top names for each letter of the alphabet on the US and the Nameberry popularity lists and have shared our insight on how they compare.
Search all names by first letter.
Top US Baby Names A to Z
We’ve pulled out the most popular names in the USA for each letter in 2024. Some are easier to find than others!
The top of the charts is dominated by a few repeating initials. More than half the Top 100 boy names start with J, L, A, E, or C, while over half the Top 100 girl names start with A, E, L, M, or S, with the vowels representing 30% of the names alone.
Most letters appear at least once in the Top 100, but for some you have to look further down. The most popular girl name that starts with U, Unique, is way below the Top 2000!
Does this matter?
Yes, if you're looking for a name that stands out. Knowing which letters are under-represented on the charts can help you narrow down your choices. Pick a name that starts with F or Y, and you know there’s nothing similar in the Top 100.
On the other hand, a name that starts with A, however unusual, could feel part of the in-crowd of A initials near the top of the charts.
Changes since last year
The top names for each letter have remained very stable since 2023, with just three changes. F
For boys, Asher replaced Alexander and Felix replaced Finn as the top names beginning with A and F. For girls, Yara replaced Yaretzi as the Top Y name.
The exit of Alexander may come as a surprise, given its classic nature — and that it was in the US Top 10 as recently as 2020. It now sits just inside the Top 30, while Biblical Asher has continued to climb. Interestingly, Asher has a similar meaning to the other new entry on the boy list, Felix. Associated with good luck and happiness, these new entries could point to an interest in gentler, more cheerful names for boys.
On the girls' side, the replacement of Yaretzi may feel less surprising: it was the second fastest falling name of the year! Steady, international Yara on the other hand has been on the rise, and is also a favorite in Europe.
Most Popular US Baby Names A-Z
Here are all the most popular baby names for each letter in the USA in the most recent statistics, with their rank in brackets. Some of the pairs sound like they could be siblings!
Amelia (4) & Asher (28)
Brooklyn (118) & Benjamin (11)
Charlotte (2) & Cooper (27)
Delilah (51) & Daniel (22)
Emma (3) & Elijah (7)
Freya (176) & Felix (175)
Gianna (33) & Gabriel (37)
Harper (16) & Henry (5)
Isabella (7) & Isaac (40)
Josephine (53) & James (6)
Kennedy (85) & Kai (93)
Lily (18) & Liam (1)
Mia (6) & Mateo (8)
Nora (22) & Noah (2)
Olivia (1) & Oliver (3)
Penelope (22) & Parker (102)
Quinn (97) & Quinn (467)
Riley (48) & Roman (42)
Sophia (5) & Sebastian (16)
Tatum (189) & Theodore (4)
Unique (2207) & Uriel (446)
Violet (13) & Vincent (107)
Willow (44) & William (9)
Ximena (183) & Xavier (108)
Yara (507) & Yusuf (450)
Zoe (31) & Zion (142)
Want more top names A-Z? We've also calculated the most popular baby names A-Z throughout the United Kingdom.
See the top British baby names A-Z.
Clare Green
Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at clare@nameberry.com