These are the real top names you will most often hear on the playground!
The Playground Analysis groups the names from the SSA list according to their sound and then ranks the groups instead of the individual spellings. Grouping the various spellings together gives us a more accurate view of what the #1 name is in the country.
Playground Analysis: How Does It Compare?
In previous years, I have concentrated on how the Playground Analysis is different than the SSA list, but since we are several years into doing this, I thought it would be more interesting to compare the 2020 PA with the 2019 PA.
The top movers from the SSA list to the PA list (when adding the various spellings increases the rank significantly) are Adeline, Alaia and Kaylee for the girls, and Kayden and Jace for the boys.
The total numbers, along with most of the alternate spellings, are decreasing year to year, leaving us to wonder what new names are taking their places. For example, the total number of spellings for the girls’ #1 name, Sophia, dropped over 1,000 births from 2019 to 2020, while the boys’ #1 name, Jackson, dropped over 2,000 births.
The Playground Analysis 2020
Let’s get to the lists! Names are given in their most popular form, together with their SSA rankings and total combined births, plus the most common variant spellings.
All variant spellings given to more than 5 babies are included in the figures, but I have only listed those with 50 or more births due to length. For example, Kaylee has 55 alternative spellings used in 2020, but only 14 are listed here.
The top 6 girl names on the PA stay the same from last year. Isla jumped 13 spots from #35 to #22, and Eliana jumped seven spots from #33 to #26, while Aubrey and Lillian both dropped seven spots.
Making their debut onto the PA Top 50 are Gianna, Alaia, Hazel and Nova, while the dropouts are Victoria, Natalie, Violet and Brooklyn.
Speaking of Gianna, who was also a big mover on the SSA list, she leaped from #92 on the 2019 PA to #19 on the 2020 PA. Hazel was #52 last year, moving up to #47, and Nova was #77 last year, moving up to #49.
Alaia is a new entry due to a change in how I have grouped certain spellings. Previously, the spellings for Alaia (ah-lay-ah or ah-lye-ah) were included under Aaliyah (ah-lee-ah). Aaliyah fell eight spots from 2019 to 2020 due to this change as well.
(5), 20014 births – Sofia, Sofiya
(1), 19121 births – Alivia, Alyvia, Olyvia
(6), 18742 births – Emilia, Emelia, Amilia, Ameliah
(3), 13992 births – Avah, Ayva, Ayvah
(7), 13624 births – Izabella, Isabela, Izzabella, Issabella, Ysabella
(4), 13152 births – Charlette
(100), 12635 births – Adalynn, Adalyn, Adelyn, Adaline, Adelynn, Addilyn, Addilynn, Adilynn, Addalyn, Adilene, Addalynn, Addelyn, Adilyn, Adalynne, Addelynn
(8), 11785 births – Miah, Miya, Miyah
(11), 11382 births – Kamila, Camilla, Kamilah, Kamilla, Kamyla
(33), 11321 births – Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie, Rhylee, Rilee, Reilly, Rylei, Ryley, Rileigh
(26), 11275 births – Arya, Ariyah, Ariah, Ariya, Aarya, Aryah, Aariyah
(9), 11074 births – Evelynn, Evalyn, Evalynn, Evelin, Evelynne
(32), 10568 births – Zoe, Zoie, Zoei
(66), 10316 births – Madeline, Madilyn, Madeleine, Madelynn, Madilynn, Madalyn, Madalynn, Maddilyn
(24), 10285 births – Leila, Laila, Leyla, Laylah, Lailah, Leilah, Laela
(55), 8926 births – Alaina, Alayna, Elaina, Alena, Elayna, Aleyna, Ellena, Aleina
(12), 8724 births – Jianna, Giana, Jiana
(43), 8649 births – Everleigh, Everlee, Everley, Everli, Everlie
(18), 8314 births – Emely, Emilee, Emilie, Emmalee, Emmaleigh
(44), 8289 births – Ayla, Ila, Aila, Iyla, Eila, Aylah, Iylah, Aiyla, Islah, Ilah, Aayla
(13), 8242 births – Abbigail, Abigale
(27), 8177 births – Khloe, Khloee
(19), 8080 births – Averie, Averi
(53), 8066 births – Elliana, Elianna, Ellianna, Eliyanah, Elyana, Ellyana, Elyanna, Eliyana
(21), 7645 births – Scarlet, Scarlette, Skarlett
(23), 7560 births – Maddison, Madisyn, Madyson, Madisson
(16), 7532 births – Elisabeth
(65), 7416 births – Aliyah, Alia, Aleah, Aliya, Aliah, Alya, Aleigha, Eliyah, Alea
(30), 7364 births – Norah
(35), 7019 births – Lilly, Lillie, Lili
(20), 6987 births – Milah, Milla
(22), 6987 births – Elinor, Eleanore, Elanor, Elleanor
(45), 6448 births – Lia, Lea, Liah, Liya, Leigha, Liyah, Lya
(56), 6334 births – Aubree, Aubrie, Aubri, Aubreigh
(79), 6109 births – Arianna, Aryanna, Aryana, Ariyana, Ariyanna
(61), 6036 births – Mya, Maia, Myah, Mayah, Maiya
(120), 5984 births – Alayah, Alaya, Alaiya, Aleia, Alaiyah, Alaiah, Aleyah, Aleya, Aleiah, Aalayah, Aaleyah
(29), 5939 births – Elly, Elli
(39), 5853 births – Hanna, Hana
(50), 5758 births – Paislee, Paisleigh, Paizley, Paizlee
(117), 5664 births – Kayleigh, Kailey, Keily, Kaylie, Caylee, Kailee, Kaleigh, Kaley, Caleigh, Kayley, Cayleigh, Kayli, Kaily
(38), 5492 births – Novah
(46), 5435 births – Lilian, Lilyann, Lilyan, Lillyann
Jackson remains the convincing leader on the boys PA list. The top four stayed the same from 2019 to 2020, with Oliver and Lucas switching places between #5 and #7.
Big movers up include Miles (from #48 to #33), Theodore (from #40 to #28), and Levi (from #31 to #23), while those who descended by more than a few places include Matthew (from #25 to #32) and Isaac (from #32 to #38).
Nicholas, Christopher and Christian dropped off the PA Top 50, allowing room for Isaiah (#53 to #48), Asher (#52 to #40) and the biggest jumper onto the list, Luca (#57 to #37).
(17), 20213 births – Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, Jaxsyn
(24), 15117 births – Ayden, Aidan, Adan, Aden, Aydin, Aydan, Aidyn, Eiden, Aedan, Aiyden, Aaden
(4), 13896 births – Alijah, Elyjah
(8), 13071 births – Lukas
(35), 12608 births – Greyson, Graysen, Greysen, Graycen, Gracen, Graceson
(99), 12009 births – Kaiden, Caden, Kaden, Cayden, Caiden, Kaeden, Kaidyn, Kaedyn, Keyden
(20), 11273 births – Matteo, Matheo
(9), 10818 births – Henri
(11), 10765 births – Maison, Mayson, Masen
(10), 10621 births – Alexzander, Aleksander
(12), 10583 births – Micheal, Mikael, Mikel, Mykel
(33), 9902 births – Karter
(13), 9839 births – Eithan
(37), 9726 births – Jaden, Jaiden, Jadon, Jaydon, Jaeden, Jaidyn, Jaydan
(15), 9636 births – Jakob, Jaycob
(19), 9123 births – Sabastian, Sebastien
(23), 8641 births – Theodor
(26), 8472 births – Josef
(30), 8407 births – Mathew
(59), 8204 births – Myles
(34), 8045 births – Julien
(67), 7937 births – Luka, Lucca, Lukah, Lucah
(39), 7860 births – Issac, Isaak, Izaac, Izaak
(50), 7690 births – Jasiah, Joziah, Jesiah, Jessiah, Jaziah, Josiyah
(43), 7577 births – Dillon, Dilan, Dillan
(56), 7333 births – Kaleb, Kayleb
(40), 7331 births – Linkin
(64), 7134 births – Kameron, Kamryn, Kamron, Camron, Kamren, Camryn, Camren, Kamran
(51), 7052 births – Izaiah, Izayah, Isiah
(97), 6974 births – Jayce, Jase, Jayse
Do these lists echo what you are hearing on the playground? I’m also curious if any of you readers have changed the choice for your child’s name based on the Playground Analysis? Join the discussion on the forums!
