It's hard to believe, but the year is almost over. Goodbye, 2019! But before the ball drops at midnight on New Year's Eve, we thought we'd take a change to look back at some of the baby name winners from the past year. Think of all of the names that not only rose to popularity but ones that have consistently stayed popular since 2018. To help us with our year in review, we took a look at a list of the most popular baby names compiled by Baby Center, which not only looked for which names have risen to the top, but also elaborated on the data and explained the larger trends that seem to keep influencing parents. Some of the things parents couldn't stop thinking about? Keanu Reeves – – yep! According to BabyCenter, Reeves didn't just become the internet's boyfriend this year he also starred in four major movies this year, which couple with his "nice guy" reputation has boosted his name on the list.
Another major trend was Star Wars (naturally), but don't worry; we don't mean that they'll be a whole bunch of Baby Yodas walking around. Think names like Kiera and Kira like from Solo or Cassian from Rogue One. The third trend should be a surprise to no one, but some of this year's highest ranked baby names come from The Bachelor. The television phenomenon has produced a whopping seven couples this year who gave birth and many of the names that these reality couples used sparks name trends, like Brooks (Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert's son) or Ruth (chosen by alumĀ Bekah Martinez and boyfriend Grayston Leonard). But possibly no cultural shift has hit baby name trends as hard as the '90s, which has given new life to old-school cool names like Brittany, Nicole, Amber, Amanda, and Jessica. For our list, we put together the top 10 boys' names and the top 10 girls' names. Take a look! It might just be the key to knowing which names will be big in 2020.
LIAM
Liam has really hit it big for the last couple of years — in 2016 it was the second most popular boys' name in the country, while in 2017 it was the top name. That trend has only continued and today it is still No. 1. The name is the short form of the Uilliam and is the Irish form of William, which means "resolute protector."
SOPHIA
Top top name for girls, Sophia has consistently been in the top 10 since 2009. Borrowed from Greek, Sophia is taken from the word sophia, which means "wisdom" or "skill" but the name traveled away from Greece and into England in the 17th century, when King James I gave the name to his daughter.
JACKSON
Perhaps we should blame A Star is Born for this name's spot on our list. In the 2018 version of the film, Bradley Cooper stars as country singer, Jackson Maine. Originally a surname, Jackson has found its way to first name status, but either way the name's meaning has stayed the same: "son of Jack." Sounds good to us!
OLIVIA
Olivia is another name that hasn't slipped out of the top 10 since the early 2000s and typically is either No. 1 or 2 when it comes to girls' names. An elaboration of the name Olive, which means "olive tree" the name was used by Shakespeare for an heiress in his play Twelfth Night.
NOAH
Little Noah made a splash this year and is the third most popular boy's name in the country. Derived from the HebrewĀ nÅach, which means "rest" or "comfort" the name originated in the Bible when Noah was ordered by God to build an ark and fill it with two of every animal to save them all from a great flood.
EMMA
A name with literary roots, Emma is a novel written by Jane Austen. The name has a special meaning and is a variant on the German name Erma, which in itself originated as the shortened form of any nameĀ containing the element erm(en) or irm(en), but no matter what the name means "strength."
AIDEN
Wouldn't it have been great if Carrie had chosenĀ AidenĀ in Sex and the City? Sadly she didn't, but it has sparked on ongoing love affair with the name. The name can also be spelled with an -a a the end (Aidan) but the more popular spelling was A-I-D-E-N. It is the anglicized form of the Irish Aodhan, which means "little fiery one."
AVA
Ava is one of those names that has an sense of glamour — a reputation perhaps owed to Hollywood starlet Ava Gardner. The name has unknown origins and meaning, but is thought to have been the short form of the Germanic Aveza or Avia. Ava has been a top 10 baby name for the last 10 years.
GRAYSON
Since 2011, the name Grayson has really taken off. At first it had merely cracked the top 100 baby names list, but in 2019 it finally cracked the top 10. The name's meaning and origin is unknown, but we have seen Grayson grow in popularity worldwide including countries like Canada and New Zealand.
ARIA
A name taken from two of the most popular television shows of the decade, Pretty Little Liars and Game of Thrones,Ā Aria is a name for a strong and independently minded little girl. The name has always been in the top 50 baby names list, but only this year did it make the jump to the top 10.
CADEN
Although it sounds similar to Aiden, Caden is another name that has recently popped for boys. Originating in Ireland, the sound of the name has become fashionable and belongs to a family of names that have dominated recent top baby names lists;Ā Hayden, Aidan, Jadon, and Braeden.
ISABELLA
We like this name because it's flexible; there are so many nicknames that name be taken from Isabella — Bella, Izzy, Iz, or even Belly. The name is a Spanish variant of Elizabeth, which is from the Hebrew elÄ«sheba', which means "God is my oath." Many people fell in love with the name after the teen vampire romance books, Twilight whose protagonist is Bella Swan.
LUCAS
Lucas is a Latin name thought to be a derivative of Lucius, which is from the root lux, which means "light." But not everyone agrees on this origin and meaning. Some people can source the name back to theĀ Ecclesiastic Greek Loukas, which is the contraction of Loukanos, which means "man from Lucania."
AMELIA
This name has gone in and out of popularity, but in 2010 it was on an upswing. Amelia is an English variant of the Germanic Amalia, which is derived from amal, which means "work." However, some believe in a different origin. Some think it might be a variant of Emilia, which means "rival."
ELIJAH
Elijah is a name with biblical origins and has steadily been in the top 10 since 2016. Taken from the Hebrew 'ÄlÄ«yÄhÅ«, which means "Jehovah is God," Elijah is a prophet who many years after service was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. Other sweet variations are Alijah or Elias.
MIA
Popular the world over, including in Spain, Switzerland, Argentina, and Estonia, Mia has finally hit it big in the US. Originally, the name was a Danish and Swedish pet form of Maria, but it also stands as a name on its own.
OLIVER
A name that has been popular for the last decade, Oliver is thought to have been taken from the French name Olivier. The name is generally thought to mean "olive tree." Some disagree about the name's origin. Some think it's Germanic, from the Middle Low German Alfihar, a compound name composed of the elements alf, meaning "elf" and hari, "army" — hence "elf army."
RILEY
The US has at least one thing in common with New Zealand: both countries can find the name RileyĀ on their top baby names list! Originally, Riley was an Old English last name that was composed of theĀ elements ryge, meaning "rye" and lÄah, meaning "wood, clearing, or meadow."
MUHAMMAD
This name has religious roots and has been steadily growing in popularity since the year 2000. Muhammad was the Prophet of Islam and according to Nameberry the name means "praiseworthy." There are so many variations on the spelling of the name and expectant parents can chooseĀ Mohamed, Mohammed,Ā Muhammet, or Muhammed.
AALIYAH
Aaliyah is another name that has soared in popularity. And it's a variant of the Hebrew Aliyah, which means "to ascend." Since 2009, the name has been in the top 100 baby names list and is popular in Australia and New Zealand. Most people might be familiar with the name from the '90s R&B singer, Aaliyah.
