Top Baby Names 2022 Announced!

Updated Fri May 12 2023

Say hello to the top baby names of 2022: Olivia and Liam (again)! Olivia has been the Number 1 girl name since 2019, while Liam has held the top spot since 2017.

The only new entrant to the Top 10 this year is Luna, which is up one spot from Number 11 in 2021. Luna replaces Harper, which was in the Top 10 from 2015-2021.

Luna is a multicultural mini name — it means "moon" in Spanish — that appeals to parents from diverse backgrounds. It's long been a favorite on Nameberry for its quirky, feminine charm.

Sophia and Isabella also rose in rank, but are actually falling in usage — Ava is just falling faster and moved them up a notch. On the boys' side, James and Henry are rising in popularity, while Benjamin is falling.

Here are the new 2022 Top 10 baby names with their positions relative to last year:

Baby Girl Names 2022

1. Olivia =

2. Emma =

3. Charlotte =

4. Amelia =

5. Sophia +1

6. Isabella +1

7. Ava -2

8. Mia =

9. Evelyn =

10. Luna +1

Baby Boy Names 2022

1. Liam =

2. Noah =

3. Oliver =

4. James +1

5. Elijah -1

6. William =

7. Henry +2

8. Lucas =

9. Benjamin -2

10. Theodore =

View the official Top baby names of 2022 here.

Fastest-Falling Names of 2022

The fastest-falling names of 2022 were Tatiana for girls and Jacoby for boys.

Tatiana peaked in 1999, when it ranked at Number 213. It's been falling since then, but never as dramatically as this. The culprit is likely Tatiana's Russian origins. The war between Ukraine and Russia broke out in February 2022, and American parents turned away from distinctly Russian names as the war waged on.

Other Russian baby names that fell in popularity in 2022 include Lara, Nikolai, and Dimitri.

A similar phenomenon occurred following World War I, when parents largely rejected German-origin names. German names like Bertha and Hilda, Otto and Hubert were extremely popular among Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but fell dramatically in wartime.

Jacoby was most popular in 2008 largely thanks to Jacoby Ellsbury, the first MLB player with Navajo heritage. At its peak, Jacoby was ranked Number 423 but has fallen significantly almost every year since.

Jacoby is a surname variation of Jacob, a classic biblical boy name that is also falling in popularity.

Other fast-falling names for girls include Alaiya, Jaylene, and Aarna, while the next-three fallers for boys were Turner, Aydin, and Juelz. Elon, one of the fastest-risers of 2021, was one of the fastest fallers of 2022, following controversy with Elon Musk and his Twitter acquisition.

Fastest-Rising Names of 2022

The fastest-rising boy name of 2022 was Dutton, a cowboy name boosted over 900 spots by the Western drama series Yellowstone. Dutton is now ranked at Number 835. Celebrity couple Lauren Bushnell and Chris Lane welcomed a son named Dutton in June 2021, which also helped boost the name.

Kayce, another name from Yellowstone, was the second-fastest riser for boys.

Wrenlee was the top riser for girls in 2022, rising 700 spots to reach Number 712. Wrenlee is a variation of Wrenley, a modern invented name based on the bird name Wren and the popular suffix -ley. Wrenley itself was also one of the fastest-rising girl names of the year.

Music influenced some of the fastest risers of the year, including the girl name Neriah, which may be inspired by the mononymous musical artist. Khaza jumped onto the Top 1000 for boys and is connected to the album of the same name by rapper Kevin Gates. It is also the name of Gates' son, born in 2014.

Other fast-rising names include Arlet and Georgina for girls, Chosen and Eithan for boys.

Here are the rest of the fastest-rising names of the year, organized by category:

Fastest Rising Celebrity Names

These are the names of celebrities, celebrity babies, and characters that have caught on in a big way with parents in 2022.

Vintage Revival Names

Vintage names rising fastest on the 2022 list include these choices for girls and boys. Georgina, Winona, Marigold, and Lenora rejoined the Top 1000 for girls, while Duncan and Murphy made the list again for boys.

Vintage Nicknames

Cute vintage nicknames vaulting up the popularity list include the following, many of them not heard for generations.

Fastest-Rising Nature Names

Nature names have been a huge trend for years now. 2022 welcomes Cielo and Sol, Sapphire and Lux to the Top 1000.

Cowboy Names

The top two risers for boys were Dutton and Kayce, directly influenced by the cowboy drama Yellowstone. This category has taken off for boys, and includes these other fast-rising choices.

Fastest-Rising International Names for Girls

Many fast-rising international girl names in the US are Spanish or Arabic in origin, as Hispanic, Latin American, and Muslim parents are more frequently opting for names with a heritage connection. Other top risers include the Hindi Aadhya, Scandinavian Freyja, and Italian Galilea.

Fastest-Rising International Names for Boys

As with the girls, many fast-rising international names for boys have Spanish or Arabic roots. Jewish boy names also soared this year, including choices like Meir, Shmuel, and Chaim. Also of note: Scandinavian names Ander and Leif, the Hawaiian Koa, and Japanese name Kenji.

Share your thoughts on the new Top Baby Names 2021 over on our forums.

About the Author

Sophie Kihm

Sophie Kihm's Personal Website

Sophie Kihm has been writing for Nameberry since 2015. She has contributed stories on the top 2020s names, Gen Z names, and cottagecore baby names. Sophie is Nameberry’s resident Name Guru to the Stars, where she suggests names for celebrity babies. She also manages the Nameberry Instagram and Pinterest.

Sophie Kihm's articles on names have run on People, Today, The Huffington Post, and more. She has been quoted as a name expert by The Washington Post, People, The Huffington Post, and more. You can follow her personally on Instagram or Pinterest, or contact her at sophie@nameberry.com. Sophie lives in Chicago.

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