Trending Names in the Northeast USA
The distinctive baby names of the Northeast USA reflect the region's many identities, from leafy New England to the multicultural cities of the East Coast.
We analyzed the most popular names by state to find which names are used more in the eleven Northeastern states — that's Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, plus Washington DC — than in the rest of the USA.
Top Baby Names in the Northeast
The most popular names in all the Northeastern states combined are national favorites Olivia (even though this is only the Number 1 girl name in three out of twelve states), and Liam (which is the top boy name in six states). Every state's Top 10 also includes Emma, Charlotte, Noah, Oliver, and James.
The top baby names in the Northeast mostly match the national US rankings, with a few local differences. Chloe, Benjamin, Jack, and Ethan make the Top Ten in the Northeast, but not nationally. They take the place of Evelyn, Mateo, Elijah, and William, which are less popular in most Northeastern states.
These are the Top Ten baby names in the Northeast:
You'll also find names such as Zoe, Eleanor, Levi, and Owen in several Northeastern states' Top Ten lists.
All the names below were used at least 50% more in the Northeastern United States — Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, plus the District of Columbia — than in the rest of the USA, in 2024.
Classic Names Popular in the Northeast
Some of the most proportionally popular names in the Northeast are also the most timeless. They're rich in history, and sound just as fresh and strong for a child as they do for a forty-year-old, or an eighty-year-old.
Many of the distinctive names of the Northeastern states come from Jewish, Arabic, and Italian traditions, reflecting the communities living in the region. Here are classic names from these traditions and more, going strong in the Northeast.
Traveling Lite Names Trending in Northeastern States
In the diverse cultural mix of the Northeast, some of the most popular choices are what we call Traveling Lite baby names: short, light-sounding names that work across languages and cultures.
Rising Jewish Names in the Northeast
Modern Jewish parents — who make up a significant proportion of the population in New York, DC, and New Jersey — are increasingly turning to traditional Hebrew and Yiddish names, rather than the anglicized versions that were put on birth certificates in the past.
For example, Moshe (the Hebrew version of Moses) would once have been changed to Morris or Moe, but is now climbing the charts in its own right. 92% of American baby boys named Moshe last year were born in the Northeast.
Here are more proudly Jewish names trending upwards in the region.
Names with Great Meanings Trending in the Northeast
Some of the Northeast's favorite names have stunning meanings, from the cute — Mushka means "little mouse" — to the uplifting, like Tenzin, a Tibetan name meaning "holder of the teaching". Here are some of the best: which resonate with you?
Outstanding Favorites in the Northeast
Here are some of the most fascinating names that are dispropotionately popular in the Northeastern US. Benuel and Lavina are characteristic Amish baby names, while Aminata and Fanta come from West Africa (as do many others on the full list of names popular in the region). And if the word name Record becomes the next Royal or Legend, it started in the Northeast.
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Names Trending in the American West