The most popular baby names in Illinois in 2022 were no surprise, federal data show

The most popular baby names in Illinois last year were Noah and Olivia, according to newly released data compiled by the federal Social Security Administration.

Illinois parents chose the state’s five most popular names for boys and girls nearly 5,400 times in 2022. Noah and Olivia top the respective lists for male and female baby names once again after finishing in first place in 2021.

Mateo made a big jump up to No. 4 in 2022 after finishing in ninth place in 2021. This year’s top names for female newborns remain largely unchanged outside Sophia joining the top 10 in place of Evelyn, which fell from No. 9 in 2021 to No. 11 in 2022.

Here’s a look at the most popular baby names in Illinois and across the U.S.

Most popular baby names in Illinois

These were the 10 most popular names given to boys born in Illinois in 2022, according to the SSA:

1. Noah (696 births)

2. Liam (584)

3. Oliver (545)

4. Mateo (485)

5. Theodore (470)

6. Benjamin (462)

7. Henry (450)

8. James (411)

9. William (406)

10. Sebastian (399)

These were the 10 most popular names given to girls born in Illinois last year, the SSA reports:

1. Olivia (625 births)

2. Sophia (511)

3. Emma (509)

4. Charlotte (491)

5. Amelia (446)

6. Mia (417)

7. Isabella (415)

8. Ava (398)

9. Camila (354)

10. Sofia (329)

Most popular baby names in Missouri

Across state lines in Missouri, the top names varied a bit. Here’s a look at the 10 most popular names for boys born in Missouri in 2022, according to the SSA:

1. Oliver (388 births)

2. Theodore (321)

3. Henry (306)

4. Liam (293)

5. William (268)

6. Noah (260)

7. Elijah (249)

8. Hudson (245)

9. James (244)

10. Benjamin (210)

These were the top picks for names given to girls born in Missouri last year, the SSA reports:

1. Charlotte (324)

2. Olivia (297)

3. Amelia (258)

4. Emma (253)

5. Evelyn (221)

6. Ava (219)

7. Harper (213)

8. Eleanor (202)

9. Sophia (191)

10. Violet (164)

National naming trends

Here’s a look at the most popular baby names across the country in 2022. Notably, Illinois favorites like Mateo and Camila were absent from the nationwide list. Some of Missouri’s top picks, including Hudson, were not included, either.

The SSA compiles the nation’s most popular baby names by tracking applications for social security cards. Head over to the agency’s website to see annual baby name data releases since 1960, plus information on several data limitations.

When compiling name data, the SSA maintains several qualifications for including names in its annual release. For example, the agency removes hyphens and spaces when tabulating data, so “Julie-Anne,” “Julie Anne” and “Julieanne” would all be considered the same name entry. Meanwhile, different spellings of names that sound the same — Sophia and Sofia, Jeff and Geoff and so on — are considered separate entries.