Pennsylvania’s Top Baby Names For 2023: Revealed

Are you wondering if your baby's name is one of the most popular in Pennsylvania? Today, we're going to take a look at the top baby names for boys and girls, as well as learn their meanings, origins, and more about their popularity. Here are Pennsylvania's top baby names for 2023.

Top 10 Baby Boy Names

Noah

Noah is the number one baby boy name in Pennsylvania. It's also one of the most popular names in the United States. It has consistently held a place on the list of top names since the Social Security Administration started tracking names. Since 2009, it has been among the top 10 names and even holds the number one spot currently. This name is popular because of its biblical and historical significance. Since 1880, approximately 453,000 people in the United States have been named Noah.

Noah means “comfort” and “rest.” These meanings come from the name of Hebrew origin, Noach. Noah has historically been a boy's name, but in 1931, it started trending for baby girls as well. It is now often used as a gender-neutral name, and for girls, it is coming close to breaking into the top 1,000 names.

Liam

The name Liam became popular in the United States in the 1850s when there was a large migration of the Irish population. During these years, there was a potato famine that led many people to leave Ireland for a better life and to escape starvation. After this, the name quickly became popular, and in 2013, Liam made it all the way to be among the top five names in the country. In 2017, it was the number one name. Approximately 275,000 people in the United States have named Liam since 1880.

Liam has Irish origins. The Irish name was originally Uliiam, which was later changed to William. And then, William was shortened to Liam. The name Liam means “guardian.”

Oliver

Oliver has been on the radar of many for a while. In 1900, it was the 95th most popular name in the country. But, after this, it fell off into the top 1,000 names and didn't largely reappear until 2015, when it became the 32nd most popular name and landed itself in the top 50 names. Since then, it has only continued to rise and was among the top five names in 2020. Approximately 210,000 people in the United States have been named Liam

Oliver has French, English, and Latin origins. Oliver is connected to the French word Oliver, which translates to “olive tree.” It's connected to England through the Normans, who brought the Norse name Aelifer, which means “ancestor's descendent.” Lastly, it is traced to the Latin word oliva, which translates to olive.

Owen

The name Owen started gaining traction in 2000 when it was the 145th most popular name in the country. Just two years later, it was able to break into the top 100 and stayed on the list ever since while it continued to rise. It made its way into the top 50 in 2016 and has steadily risen every year since. Since 1880, approximately 215,000 people in the United States have been named Owen.

Owen has Celtic and Welsh origins. It is a derivative of the Welsh name Owain and the Irish name Eoghan. This name has been traced all the way back to the Renaissance era when it was mostly used as a Welsh surname. Owen is also connected to St. Owen, a religious monk who was a follower of St. Chad.

Benjamin

The name Benjamin has held popularity for many years. Since 1968, it's been in the top 100 names list in the United States. Not long after that, it had broken its way into the top 50 names and hasn't stopped climbing since. In 2009, Benjamin was among the top 20 names, and then the top 10 in 2016. Approximately 788,000 people have been named Benjamin in the United States since 1880.

Benjamin has Hebrew origins and is connected Biblically to the family of Jacob. Benjamin was the youngest of Jacob's 12 sons. That is where the reference “the Benjamin of the family” comes from, referring to the youngest child. This name means “son of the right hand.”

James

James is another name that has been popular over the years and has found itself among the top 20 names for more than 100 years. It has appealed to many families as it is a traditional name. The name is so popular that approximately 5.2 million people have been named James in the United States, making it the most popular name on this list.

The name James is Hebrew oring. It is a variation of the name Yaakov. Jacob is the translation of Yaakov, and the English version of Jacob is James. This name means “supplanter” or “one who takes by the heel.” This meaning is from the Bible story where Jacob was holding on to his twin brother's foot during birth.

Theodore

Theodore's popularity started gaining traction in the 20th century. It was among the top 100 names for 45 years and then later went quiet. But, in 2020, it saw a surge in popularity and was among the top 100 names and the top 50 at 23rd most popular names. Since 1880, approximately 271,000 people have been named Theodore in the United States.

Theodore has Greek origins. It is a shortened version of the Greek name Theodoors. This name means “divine gift” or “gift of god.” It does hold some religious meaning, although it technically isn't a bible name, and for this reason, Theodore was a popular name during the Middle Ages.

Henry

For a long time, Henry has been a popular name in Europe and the United States. It was among the top 100 names in multiple countries in 2007, including Australia, England, Wales, and America. In 2020, it had worked its way up to the top 10 names in the United States. Approximately 727,000 people in the U.S. have been named Henry.

Henry has German and French origins. It was originally derived from the German name Heimeric. The French name for Heimeric was Henri, and the English version of Henri was Henry. The name Henry means “house ruler,” so it is a strong name. It also has feminine variations, Harriet and Henrietta.

Lucas

The name Lucas has been on the charts for a while. In the 1990s, it had made its way onto the top 100 names list in the United States. Since then, it has continually risen in popularity, and near the end of the 2010s, it was in the top 20 at 17th most popular. Approximately 288,000 people have been named Lucas in the United States since 1880.

Lucas has Latin and Greek originals. It is a variation of the name Loukas. This name translates to “man from Luciana.” Luciana is a part of Southern Italy, and Luciana means “light.” In Latin, the name Lucas also translates to a similar meaning, which is “bringer of light.”

Jack

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Jack has been among the top 50 names in America. Not only is it popular in the U.S. but also New Zealand, Ireland, Australia, Scotland, and England. It made its way into the top 10 most popular names in the country in 2020. Approximately 725,000 people in the United States have been named Jack.

Jack has English origins and can be traced back to medieval times. Oddly enough, it is a derivative of the name John, although the name had to go through many variations to become what it is now. Jack also has some Celtic origin, where the name's meaning is “full of vitality, health, and strength.”

Top 10 Baby Girl Names

Charlotte

Charlotte's popularity in Pennsylvania also reflects its popularity throughout the country. In the early 1900s, it was on the top 100 list and held its ground there for about 40 years. It then fell off that list but hovered closely and made it back into the top 100 in 2007. It quickly rose in popularity and, just seven years later, was among the top 10 names and soon after the top five. Since 1880, approximately 402,000 people in the United States have been named Charlotte.

Charlotte has French, German, and English origins. It was originally founded in the masculine variation, Charles. The name Charles comes from the old English word “ceorl.” Ceorl means free man. The French version of the name Charles is Carl, which is a German name. Charlot became a nickname for Charles, and thus, the feminine variation of this name was born into Charlotte.

Olivia

Olivia is not only popular in Pennsylvania but has gained large popularity in America and other countries in the last 30 years. It's also popular in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. It has regularly stayed among the top 100 most popular names and experienced a surge in popularity when it was in the top five names in 2014. A show called Scandal premiered in 2014 and featured a main character whose name was Olivia. This is what is believed to have caused this jump in popularity. Not long after, in 2019, Olivia made it to the number-one name in the country. Approximately 507,000 people have been named Olivia in the United States since 1880.

The name Olivia has Latin and English roots. It is a feminine variation of the name Oliver. Oliver in Latin means olive tree. It is believed that the Shakespeare play, The Twelfth Night, is what put the name Olivia on the map and dates it all the way back to the 13th century.

Emma

Emma is another name that has consistently stayed popular once it hit the top charts. It was among the top 100 names in the United States for just over 20 years. Although it fell out of this list for a while into the top 1,000, it made its way back up in the 1990s. Since then, it has continued to grow, making it into the top 50, the top 20, and then finally landing in the top five. This surge happened when the show Friends used the name Emma for Ross and Rachel's daughter. Approximately 723,000 people have been named Emma in the United States since 1880.

The name Emma has German and English origins. It originally came from an Old German word “erman.” Erman means “whole” or “universe.” Emma was a popular name in England because of Queen Emma, who was married to two different Kings, Althelred and Cnut. Emma was also popularized by the Jane Austen novel Emma, which came out in 1816.

Sophia

Sophia is a popular name that has stayed among the top 10 names in the country since 2006. In 2011, it even held the number one spot and stayed there for three years. Even after losing the top spot, Sophia stayed among the top five names. This name is believed to have gained and sustained popularity because it is a vintage classic name. Many families have leaned toward this kind of aesthetic for names in recent years. Approximately 390,000 people have been named Sophia in the United States since 1880.

The name Sophia comes from Greek origins. This name portrays sophistication and elegance and means “wisdom.” It is believed to have been popularised by St. Sophia, a saint recognized by the Greek Orthodox Church. It was also a royal name in Europe, which has played a role in keeping it around for so many years.

Ava

Ava is a newer name on the popular name lists and started becoming popular in the 1950s due to a movie star named Ava Gardner, who was becoming popular at that time. But it wasn't until 40 years later, in the 1990s, that Ava really began to take off. Ava had made its way up in the charts due to a couple of famous actresses naming their daughters Ava. About 20 years later, in 2016, Ava had climbed into the top five names. Approximately 307,000 people have been named Ava in the United States since 1880.

Ava is believed to have a few different origins, including German, Latin, and Hebrew. Ava is derived from the German word aval, the Latin word avis, and the Hebrew names Eva and Eve. Because of this, it has a few different meanings, including “lively,” bidlike,” and “guarantee.”

Amelia

Amelia has been around for a long time, and its popularity can be traced back to the 18th century. It was a royal name, with both King George the Second and Third naming their daughter Amelia. Typically, a royal name will hold its popularity for a long time. But, recently, Amelia has risen in popularity and secured a spot in the top 10 names in America in 2020.

The name Amelia has a Latin origin. It is a derivative of amal, a Latin word that means “work.” The work that this word refers to actually means fertility and industriousness rather than physical labor. Amelia is known to be a variation of the names Emery, Emil, and Emmet.

Harper

Harper is another newer name that has recently seen popularity. It first made it into the top 1,000 names in the country in 2004 and has continued to rise. By 2020, it had made its way up to the top 10 names. It is believed that Harper gained its popularity in the mid-2010s due to shows like Lost, Wizards of Waverly Place, Girl Meet World, and Gossip Girl, all of which had characters named Harper. Approximately 115,000 people have been named Harper in the United States since 1880.

The name Harper has English origins. For most of its existence, Harper was a surname, but in the last 20 years, it has morphed into being used as a first name. This name is derived from the word harp, being used as a name to indicate someone's vocation. Harper means “someone who plays the harp.” Even though Harper is mainly used as a girl's name, it has been used for boys in past years.

Evelyn

Evelyn has held some popularity over the last century. It was among the top 20 names in the United States starting in 1907 until 1930. Despite this, it stopped being used as much and fell off the list of top names until 2011, when it popped back into the top 100. Since then, it continued to rise, and just two years later, it made its way up to the top 20 names and then to the top 10 names in 2020. Since 1880, approximately 605,000 people in the United States have been named Evelyn.

Evelyn has English roots. Similar to Harper, it was originally used as a surname. It is a variation of the Norman French name Aveline. This name means life and desire. Although now used as a girl's name, Evelyn was often used for boys and girls. It is believed to be now used almost exclusively as a girl's name due to it being made up of two girls' names, Eve and Lynne.

Isabella

Although Isabella has been around for a long time, this name rose in popularity around the 1990s. In 1998, it was in the top 100 names in the United States, and then in 2004, it rose to the top 10 names. It is believed that its popularity was due to the release of the popular Twilight movie series. The main character of these movies is Bella Swan, Bella being short for Isabella. In 2009, Isabella became the most popular name in the country and has stayed in the top 10 names ever since. Since 1880, approximately 373,000 people in the United States have been named Isabella.

The name Isabella has Spanish, Italian, and Hebrew origin. It is a variation of Elizabeth, a derivative of the Hebrew name Elisheba. This name means “God is my oath.” Both Isabella and Elizabeth have been around for a long. Isabella is also the feminine variation of the name Isa, meaning “salvation of God.”

Mia

The name Mia started gaining popularity in the United States in the 1960s, but it wasn't until the 1990s that it made its way onto the top charts. In 2002, Mia made it among the top 100 names, and then in 2005, it jumped into the top 50. Just four years later, it had risen to the top 10 names, and it has stayed there consistently. Since 1880, approximately 260,000 people in the United States have been named Mia.

Mia has a handful of origins, including Hebrew, Egyptian, Italian, and Slavic. It is a derivative and variation of the name Miryan, which is Hebrew. It's also a derivative of “Mr,” and the Egyptian word meaning beloved. Mia is an Italian word that means mine. Lastly, the word “Mila” is a Slavic word that means dear or darling.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Liudmila Fadzeyeva/Shutterstock.com.