Once again, the most popular names for babies born in the United States are Liam and Olivia, but there was a little shuffling just below the top spots in 2025.
If these names look familiar, they are. Liam and Olivia remain at number one, as they were last year, while Noah and Oliver held steady in the number two and three spots for boys. On the girls’ side, Charlotte moved into the number two spot, pushing Emma to third.
New to the rankings? Eliana joined the girls’ top 10 for 2025.
For purposes of the list, variations and alternate spellings are treated as different names. That’s why Liam and William both make the boys’ list, and why Sophia and Sofia both appear in the girls’ top 10. SSA notes that different spellings of similar names are not combined. There is one quirky exception: hyphens and spaces are removed from the “First Name” field, so names like Julie-Anne, Julie Anne, and Julieanne are counted together.
Names included in the database are limited to cases where the year of birth, sex, and state of birth are on record, and where the given name is at least two characters long. National name data are also restricted to births in the 50 states and the District of Columbia (U.S. territories are tracked separately and are not included in the national data).
The data is compiled by the Social Security Administration (SSA) based on Social Security card applications. For 2025, 3,593,747 applications were recorded for babies born in the U.S., including 1,835,823 boys and 1,757,924 girls. That’s down from 3,628,418 in 2024—and still well below the 2007 high-water mark of 4,332,400 in SSA’s card-application data.
Baby Names That Changed The Most
Each year, the Social Security Administration also shares the names that saw the biggest change in popularity. A change in popularity is measured by the difference in rank from one year to the next. The agency compares ranks for names that were in the top 1,000 in at least one of the two years.
The names that increased the most in popularity for boys from 2024 to 2025 are:
- Kasai
- Akari
- Eziah
- Jasai
- Neithan
For boys, Kasai had the biggest jump, rising 1,108 spots—from 1,747 in 2024 to 639 in 2025.
The names that increased the most in popularity for girls from 2024 to 2025 are:
- Klarity
- Rynlee
- Ailanny
- Naylani
- Madisson
For girls, Klarity saw the largest rise, jumping 1,396 spots—from 2,187 in 2024 to 791 in 2025.
Social Security began compiling the baby name list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. If you head over to the site, you can find data going back to 1880, which means that you can find names that were popular when you were a child. I’m warning you in advance: it’s a rabbit hole.
Applying For Social Security
Today, getting a Social Security number at birth is typically streamlined as part of the birth certificate process—in some instances, you can apply right at the hospital when submitting birth certificate information. If you wait, you can apply later, but that process may require additional documentation, since SSA must verify your child’s birth certificate and identity.
Social Security Number Benefits
Unless you have a Gerber baby, your newborn probably isn’t heading to work anytime soon. So why get a Social Security number at birth? Taxes.
Your child generally must have an SSN for you to claim the child as a dependent on your federal income tax return. Without that number, you may not be able to claim certain tax benefits, including the child tax credit. The same SSN requirement applies to the additional child tax credit. And to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit for a qualifying child, the child must have a valid Social Security number.
(Even if a child was born alive and died during the year, the SSN requirement still applies for EITC and the Child Tax Credit.)
Your child may also need an SSN if you plan to open a bank account or 529 plan, buy savings bonds, obtain medical coverage, or apply for government services on the child’s behalf.
In addition, Social Security pays benefits to millions of children whose parents (one or both) are retired, deceased, or disabled. Children with disabilities whose parents have low income or limited resources may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.
Trump Accounts
There’s an added perk for babies born this year: free money. With Trump accounts (also called 530A accounts), the new child savings accounts created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and President Donald Trump signed last July, children born in 2025, 2026, 2027, or 2028 may qualify for a $1,000 pilot contribution.
To qualify, the child must be a United States citizen with a Social Security number. The SSN must have been issued to the child before making the election, which can be done on Form 4547 or electronically.
Even though there’s a tax form available to make the election, it’s considered separate from your tax return. You can submit the form when filing your return, file it independently, or use the online portal. The election must be made by December 31 of the year the child turns 17.
Opting Out Of A Social Security Number
If you don’t want a Social Security number for your child, you don’t have to get one immediately. Some families may object to having a number assigned for religious reasons. In that case, the rules can get a little circular: you may still need to obtain a number solely to complete the exemption paperwork.
Ironically, you must get a Social Security number to opt out. What happens, in practical terms, is that you must obtain a number solely to complete Form 4029 for the waiver. Assuming you qualify for the exemption/waiver, you must notify SSA of your intention and that you do not want a card created or mailed.
Fees And Scams
There is no charge from the Social Security Administration to apply for a Social Security number and card. There may be fees if you hire a professional—such as a lawyer or adoption official—to help with related paperwork, but SSA itself does not charge for the number or card.
History And Numbers
Nearly half a billion people have received Social Security numbers since the first number was issued on December 2, 1936. The first number, SSN 055-09-0001, belonged to John D. Sweeney Jr. of New Rochelle, New York. Fun fact: Sweeney never received Social Security benefits.
The numbers on your card used to have geographic meaning. The first three digits were once assigned based on the region where the person was residing when the number was issued. Generally, numbers were assigned beginning in the Northeast and moving westward. So people on the East Coast tended to have the lowest numbers, while those on the West Coast had the highest. The remaining six digits in the number are more or less randomly assigned and were organized to facilitate the early manual bookkeeping operations associated with the creation of Social Security in the 1930s. In 2011, SSA moved to a randomized assignment methodology.
Social Security numbers are used today for various purposes, although only about 40 official uses are approved by Congress. The Social Security Act also allows state and local governments to require a Social Security number for tax and other reasons. As for the IRS? The agency didn’t begin using SSNs as official taxpayer identification numbers until 1962—you can blame computers for the move.
Read the full article here