Most Popular Baby Names in 2016

Last Updated on March 19, 2020

2016 was a crazy year!

In March, the United Kingdom pulled out of the European Union with Brexit. Prince died of a tragic overdose in April. By August, Hamilton had generated enough waves to debut on Broadway.

The Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series in November, ending their record 108-year championship drought. And just a few days later, Donald Trump beat all odds to become elected president.

With 2016 fresh on your mind, let’s take a look at what 2016 names were the most popular.

Bible names for boys are perennially popular. Topping the list of 2016 boy names is Noah. Once considered old-fashioned, Noah has seen a surge in popularity since the mid-90s. The Biblical Noah was a man of great inner strength, so the name embodies that power.

Elijah is another Bible name that’s become more common in the last 20 years. In the Old Testament, Elijah was considered to be the greatest prophet. It was even said that the Messiah would not appear until Elijah returned to the earth.

William has long been a popular name for a boy, but in the early 2010s, the Irish variation Liam became very trendy. It’s shorter than the English variant, making it a great choice if you want a name that is a little less formal.

Another strong, powerful name is Alexander. The most famous Alexander was the King of Macedon who conquered a great empire, so the name Alexander evokes dignity, strength and nobility. For this reason, it was a popular name for Russian Czars as well.

While certain boy names remain constant favorites, girl names are more likely to go in and out of style. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Emma, however. One of the most enduring girl names of the last twenty years, the chances are pretty good your kids know at least one Emma in school.

Ava, Sophia and Isabella are all trendy girl names that only became widely used in the last couple decades. Each of these names has a beautiful history to them.

Ava is a variant of Eve, the Biblical mother of all life. Since Eve was made perfect, Ava is often associated with great beauty.

Sophia comes from the Greek word for wisdom. In fact, the English word ‘philosophy’ comes from Greek and means “love of wisdom.” If you want a wise, intelligent daughter, Sophia is a great choice.

Most people don’t know this, but Isabella is actually related to a Biblical name. It is a variant of Isabel, which itself was a variant of Elizabeth common in France and Spain. The name Elizabeth comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Elisheba. Who knew?

Most Popular Baby Names by Year