19-05-2025
From Atlas to Ezekiel, how Missouri baby names stack up against the national trend
Missouri is bucking the national trend when it comes to parents naming their babies.
While Olivia and Liam have topped the U.S. Social Security Administration's list of 1,000 most popular baby names for six straight years, the same can't be said in Missouri, which has a top 100 list.
The No. 1 girl name in the state for 2024 was Amelia, while Olivia was No. 3. The No. 1 boy name was Oliver, which has topped this Missouri list for five years. Liam was No. 5 for 2024.
There were 292 Amelias born in Missouri in 2024, while there were 425 Olivers.
There is slightly more fluctuation in the popularity of girl names. Since 2019, the top boy name only changed once. For girls, the top name in Missouri has changed twice.
Rounding out the 2024 top 10 boy names in Missouri are:
Henry;
Theodore;
Noah;
Liam;
James;
William;
Hudson;
Elijah; and
Jack.
Filling out the remaining top 10 2024 girl names in Missouri are:
Charlotte;
Olivia;
Eleanor;
Evelyn;
Sophia;
Emma;
Harper;
Hazel; and
Violet.
The top 100 in girl names often had nature and seasonal themes, including the top 10. Other examples include Willow (No. 16), Ivy (No. 23), Lily (No. 31), Daisy (No. 49), Iris (No. 55), Juniper (No. 71), Magnolia (No. 83), and Autumn (No. 89). There were a couple "spacey" names of Aurora (No. 17) and Nova (No. 21), as well.
There is a significant coincidence in boy name popularity for 2024: Samuel (No. 18) and Jackson (No. 19). Some unique and "old man" names also continue to be popular. Such as, Maverick (No. 12; someone watched "Top Gun"), Beau (No. 28), Ezra (No. 33), Roman (No. 42), Stetson (No. 57; Howdy, partner), Graham (No. 62); Atlas (No. 75; That's weighty); George (No. 82), Ezekiel (No. 93).
Social Security began compiling the baby names list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. Each year, the list reveals the effect of pop-culture on naming trends, the administration said.
May 2024: These were the most popular baby names last year in the U.S. and Missouri
Now, the names in the Missouri top 100 list are relatively regular, so if a person is having a child this year and wants to go for something unique, they might want to rely on Social Security's change in popularity lists.
Names like Truce, Halo, Ozias or Krue had popularity jumps for boys from 2023 to 2024. For girls, Ailany (alternatively Aylani), Elodie, Romy and even Salome had popularity jumps.
Less popular names from 2023 to 2024 include Khari, Kye (alternatively Khai), Justice and Brantley for boys, while girls less popular names include Emryn, Princess, Alexa and Henley.
More: Most popular baby names of 2024 released: Two names rank No. 1 for sixth straight year
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: See the most popular baby names in Missouri for 2024
