The Most Popular Baby Name Endings of 2022
Meet America's favorite three-letter name endings!
You may be aware of some of the most popular endings for names today. Maybe you've met a lot of boys named Jackson, Carson, and Mason, or get confused between your daughter's friends Eliana and Liliana.
The final sounds and letters of names go in and out of style, as each new generation of parents seeks something similar, yet slightly different, from former favorites.
We analyzed the American baby name data for 2022 to find out the most popular three-letter combinations at the end of names — choosing to focus on the final three letters as this covers many popular mix-and-match suffixes, like -lyn and -ton.
The most popular combos are boy names ending in -son and girl names ending in -ley. Both appear several times in the Top 100, led by Jackson and Riley, and a lot more further down the rankings.
There are pros and cons to using a name ending in a popular sound. On the one hand, it means you can use something relatively rare — like Larson or Haizley — and it won't sound out of place among your child's peers. On the other hand, there's the risk that it blends in too well, and gets confused with other similar-sounding names.
Here are the Top 10 name endings for boys and girls along with the most popular names with each ending. Plus, we have more distinctive endings for those who want to buck the trends.
America's Top 10 Girl Name Endings
1. ley
Even though A is the most popular final letter for girl names, -ley is the most popular final three-letter combo. Four girl names in the Top 100 have this evergreen ending — Riley, Paisley, Kinsley, and Hailey — as well as many lower down the charts.
2. lla
This lilting feminine ending appears on popular names including Isabella, Ella, and Stella.
3. lia
The most popular names with this ending are Amelia, Emilia, and Natalia. They are boosted by many others lower in the rankings, including Ophelia, Dahlia, and Magnolia.
4. ana
A classic ending that's widely used to create new names too. The most popular -ana names today are Eliana, Ariana, and Liliana.
5. lyn
This versatile ending is found in traditional names like Evelyn and Gwendolyn, as well as modern re-spellings and inventions like Madelyn and Gracelyn.
6. nna
Always popular because of Anna, this ending has had an extra boost in recent years from new favorites Gianna and Sienna.
7. ina
The top names in 2022 with this internationally popular ending were Valentina, Alina, Catalina, and Alaina.
8. lie
This ending is found on stylish nickname names like Ellie and Charlie, as well as full names such as Natalie, and variant spellings like Rylie.
9. ine
This sleek French ending can be pronounced several ways, as in Josephine, Caroline, or Katherine. As well as these classics, rising -ine names include Celine, Maxine, and Clementine.
10. ani
The rise of Leilani and other Hawaiian names like Kailani and Alani (and their spinoffs) has propelled this ending into the Top 10. It's also found in names from other cultures, like Imani and Avani.
America's Top 10 Boy Name Endings
1. son
No surprise that -son names are the most popular, as there are six of them in the Top 100: Jackson, Mason, Hudson, Grayson, Jameson, and Greyson.
2. ian
This ending is popular thanks to stylish names that work in both English and Spanish, like Sebastian, Julian, and Adrian.
3. den
A hot ending of the last two decades, thanks to Aiden, Jayden, Kayden and all their variants, as well as cool options like Camden and Eden.
4. ton
Found in placename-style names — which often have a cowboy vibe — like Easton, Weston, Colton, and Ashton.
5. iel
In culture-crossing classics like Daniel and Gabriel, as well as newly-popular biblical names such as Aziel.
6. iam
This ending's popularity is almost entirely thanks to Liam and William. The third most popular -iam name is Eliam, way down at number 672.
7. lan
Found in cool Celtic choices Dylan, Nolan, and Declan, plus up-and-coming star Milan.
8. iah
The classic Old Testament ending. In the Top 100 are Josiah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, while lesser-used names include Hezekiah and Uriah.
9. han
Popular thanks to the biblical trio of Ethan, Nathan, and Jonathan, but further down the rankings there's also cool Rohan and Callahan.
10. ett
Surname-style names like Everett, Bennett, and Rhett, with their smart-yet-friendly ending, have seen a huge rise in the last ten years.
Uncommon Baby Name Endings
If you're looking for a more distinctive final sound, these names share their final three letters with only a few, if any, others.