Most Popular Baby Names in 2000

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby names were for the year 2000. These names are taken directly from the Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

The table below shows the top 250 most popular baby names in 2000, with a total count for the number of births registered with that given name.

You can also use the links below to research more about the most popular baby names.

Top 1000 most popular boy names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Top 1000 most popular girl names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Boys Girls
Rank Name Count Name Count
1 Jacob 34,483 Emily 25,957
2 Michael 32,039 Hannah 23,084
3 Matthew 28,573 Madison 19,968
4 Joshua 27,537 Ashley 17,997
5 Christopher 24,933 Sarah 17,706
6 Nicholas 24,652 Alexis 17,630
7 Andrew 23,646 Samantha 17,265
8 Joseph 22,837 Jessica 15,709
9 Daniel 22,326 Elizabeth 15,108
10 Tyler 21,504 Taylor 15,078
11 William 20,665 Lauren 14,175
12 Brandon 20,336 Alyssa 13,553
13 Ryan 20,265 Kayla 13,312
14 John 20,101 Abigail 13,090
15 Zachary 19,851 Brianna 12,880
16 David 19,779 Olivia 12,852
17 Anthony 19,652 Emma 12,556
18 James 17,989 Megan 11,435
19 Justin 17,784 Grace 11,285
20 Alexander 17,288 Victoria 10,926
21 Jonathan 16,886 Rachel 10,679
22 Christian 16,058 Anna 10,595
23 Austin 15,944 Sydney 10,242
24 Dylan 15,402 Destiny 9,850
25 Ethan 15,224 Morgan 9,502
26 Benjamin 14,842 Jennifer 9,388
27 Noah 14,279 Jasmine 9,098
28 Samuel 14,178 Haley 9,069
29 Robert 13,739 Julia 8,766
30 Nathan 13,038 Kaitlyn 8,758
31 Cameron 12,761 Nicole 8,562
32 Kevin 12,670 Amanda 8,556
33 Thomas 12,639 Katherine 8,108
34 Jose 12,583 Natalie 8,095
35 Hunter 12,538 Hailey 7,829
36 Jordan 12,168 Alexandra 7,548
37 Kyle 11,968 Savannah 7,099
38 Caleb 9,866 Chloe 7,094
39 Jason 9,774 Rebecca 7,071
40 Logan 9,736 Stephanie 7,028
41 Aaron 9,555 Maria 6,853
42 Eric 9,159 Sophia 6,564
43 Brian 8,957 Mackenzie 6,349
44 Gabriel 8,679 Allison 6,315
45 Adam 8,133 Isabella 6,242
46 Jack 8,122 Mary 6,209
47 Isaiah 8,029 Amber 6,181
48 Juan 7,709 Danielle 6,088
49 Luis 7,661 Gabrielle 5,870
50 Connor 7,529 Jordan 5,808
51 Charles 7,524 Brooke 5,640
52 Elijah 7,470 Michelle 5,544
53 Isaac 7,436 Sierra 5,520
54 Steven 7,361 Katelyn 5,502
55 Evan 7,332 Andrea 5,479
56 Jared 7,323 Madeline 5,370
57 Sean 7,316 Sara 5,320
58 Timothy 7,260 Kimberly 5,243
59 Luke 7,145 Courtney 5,239
60 Cody 7,132 Erin 5,184
61 Nathaniel 6,797 Brittany 5,183
62 Alex 6,747 Vanessa 5,134
63 Seth 6,717 Jenna 5,045
64 Mason 6,516 Jacqueline 5,037
65 Richard 6,353 Caroline 5,021
66 Carlos 6,317 Faith 4,998
67 Angel 6,305 Makayla 4,917
68 Patrick 6,295 Bailey 4,648
69 Devin 6,152 Paige 4,609
70 Bryan 6,141 Shelby 4,560
71 Cole 5,926 Melissa 4,530
72 Jackson 5,903 Kaylee 4,493
73 Ian 5,886 Christina 4,329
74 Garrett 5,840 Trinity 4,284
75 Trevor 5,745 Mariah 4,104
76 Jesus 5,681 Caitlin 4,102
77 Chase 5,441 Autumn 4,027
78 Adrian 5,339 Marissa 4,025
79 Mark 5,227 Angela 3,826
80 Blake 5,143 Breanna 3,825
81 Sebastian 5,028 Catherine 3,802
82 Antonio 4,891 Zoe 3,785
83 Lucas 4,818 Briana 3,754
84 Jeremy 4,737 Jada 3,747
85 Gavin 4,686 Laura 3,736
86 Miguel 4,672 Claire 3,711
87 Julian 4,589 Alexa 3,674
88 Dakota 4,553 Kelsey 3,669
89 Alejandro 4,509 Kathryn 3,643
90 Jesse 4,484 Leslie 3,623
91 Dalton 4,445 Alexandria 3,549
92 Bryce 4,318 Sabrina 3,470
93 Tanner 4,235 Mia 3,451
94 Kenneth 4,151 Isabel 3,447
95 Stephen 4,136 Katie 3,404
96 Jake 4,089 Molly 3,399
97 Victor 4,053 Leah 3,398
98 Spencer 4,043 Gabriella 3,369
99 Marcus 3,795 Cheyenne 3,367
100 Paul 3,795 Cassandra 3,305
101 Brendan 3,657 Tiffany 3,305
102 Jeremiah 3,643 Erica 3,220
103 Xavier 3,639 Lindsey 3,211
104 Jeffrey 3,563 Kylie 3,206
105 Tristan 3,531 Amy 3,173
106 Jalen 3,513 Diana 3,166
107 Jorge 3,496 Cassidy 3,163
108 Edward 3,483 Mikayla 3,159
109 Riley 3,421 Ariana 3,153
110 Colton 3,410 Margaret 3,121
111 Wyatt 3,410 Kelly 3,076
112 Joel 3,380 Miranda 3,043
113 Maxwell 3,364 Maya 3,018
114 Aidan 3,295 Melanie 2,968
115 Travis 3,289 Audrey 2,872
116 Shane 3,273 Jade 2,865
117 Colin 3,255 Gabriela 2,845
118 Dominic 3,246 Caitlyn 2,835
119 Carson 3,239 Angel 2,833
120 Vincent 3,233 Jillian 2,779
121 Derek 3,213 Alicia 2,762
122 Oscar 3,178 Jocelyn 2,744
123 Grant 3,173 Erika 2,734
124 Eduardo 3,160 Lily 2,733
125 Peter 3,146 Heather 2,684
126 Henry 3,122 Madelyn 2,684
127 Parker 3,099 Adriana 2,681
128 Collin 3,044 Arianna 2,659
129 Hayden 3,044 Lillian 2,600
130 George 3,037 Kiara 2,560
131 Bradley 3,016 Riley 2,552
132 Mitchell 2,983 Crystal 2,550
133 Devon 2,972 Mckenzie 2,526
134 Ricardo 2,917 Meghan 2,514
135 Shawn 2,893 Skylar 2,503
136 Taylor 2,854 Ana 2,426
137 Nicolas 2,846 Britney 2,404
138 Gregory 2,838 Angelica 2,395
139 Francisco 2,837 Kennedy 2,390
140 Liam 2,780 Chelsea 2,380
141 Kaleb 2,743 Daisy 2,367
142 Preston 2,743 Kristen 2,356
143 Erik 2,722 Veronica 2,356
144 Alexis 2,715 Isabelle 2,340
145 Owen 2,714 Summer 2,339
146 Omar 2,686 Hope 2,321
147 Diego 2,684 Brittney 2,316
148 Dustin 2,620 Lydia 2,313
149 Corey 2,607 Hayley 2,300
150 Fernando 2,601 Evelyn 2,222
151 Clayton 2,564 Bethany 2,191
152 Carter 2,550 Shannon 2,180
153 Ivan 2,529 Karen 2,173
154 Jaden 2,520 Michaela 2,171
155 Javier 2,491 Jamie 2,156
156 Alec 2,479 Daniela 2,151
157 Johnathan 2,468 Angelina 2,140
158 Scott 2,457 Kaitlin 2,136
159 Manuel 2,426 Karina 2,133
160 Cristian 2,422 Sophie 2,101
161 Alan 2,415 Sofia 2,093
162 Raymond 2,403 Diamond 2,081
163 Brett 2,382 Payton 2,058
164 Andres 2,355 Cynthia 2,038
165 Max 2,355 Alexia 2,019
166 Gage 2,348 Valerie 2,016
167 Mario 2,333 Monica 1,990
168 Dawson 2,312 Peyton 1,967
169 Dillon 2,263 Carly 1,961
170 Cesar 2,260 Bianca 1,956
171 Wesley 2,216 Hanna 1,912
172 Levi 2,195 Brenda 1,898
173 Jakob 2,161 Rebekah 1,896
174 Chandler 2,131 Alejandra 1,861
175 Martin 2,109 Mya 1,839
176 Malik 2,084 Avery 1,832
177 Edgar 2,072 Brooklyn 1,831
178 Sergio 2,063 Ashlyn 1,822
179 Trenton 2,063 Lindsay 1,800
180 Josiah 2,029 Ava 1,796
181 Nolan 2,026 Desiree 1,790
182 Marco 2,024 Alondra 1,762
183 Peyton 2,001 Ariel 1,753
184 Harrison 1,983 Camryn 1,753
185 Hector 1,979 Naomi 1,753
186 Micah 1,975 Jordyn 1,730
187 Roberto 1,956 Kendra 1,730
188 Drew 1,948 Mckenna 1,704
189 Erick 1,884 Holly 1,690
190 Brady 1,883 Julie 1,677
191 Conner 1,880 Kendall 1,650
192 Jonah 1,833 Kara 1,648
193 Casey 1,822 Jasmin 1,645
194 Jayden 1,821 Selena 1,644
195 Edwin 1,801 Esmeralda 1,641
196 Emmanuel 1,800 Amaya 1,632
197 Andre 1,796 Kylee 1,629
198 Phillip 1,774 Maggie 1,614
199 Brayden 1,760 Makenzie 1,613
200 Landon 1,758 Claudia 1,608
201 Giovanni 1,757 Cameron 1,596
202 Bailey 1,755 Kyra 1,596
203 Ronald 1,750 Karla 1,587
204 Braden 1,733 Kathleen 1,584
205 Damian 1,720 Abby 1,566
206 Donovan 1,717 Delaney 1,538
207 Ruben 1,717 Amelia 1,531
208 Frank 1,708 Casey 1,517
209 Pedro 1,704 Serena 1,504
210 Gerardo 1,703 Savanna 1,500
211 Andy 1,702 Aaliyah 1,496
212 Chance 1,694 Giselle 1,486
213 Abraham 1,683 Mallory 1,466
214 Calvin 1,680 April 1,451
215 Trey 1,653 Raven 1,447
216 Cade 1,646 Adrianna 1,446
217 Donald 1,609 Christine 1,442
218 Derrick 1,596 Kristina 1,433
219 Payton 1,581 Nina 1,428
220 Darius 1,564 Asia 1,423
221 Enrique 1,537 Natalia 1,423
222 Keith 1,525 Valeria 1,422
223 Raul 1,519 Aubrey 1,409
224 Jaylen 1,514 Lauryn 1,408
225 Troy 1,513 Kate 1,397
226 Jonathon 1,498 Patricia 1,392
227 Cory 1,495 Jazmin 1,391
228 Marc 1,485 Rachael 1,389
229 Eli 1,477 Katelynn 1,388
230 Skyler 1,472 Cierra 1,383
231 Rafael 1,471 Alison 1,381
232 Trent 1,469 Nancy 1,378
233 Griffin 1,468 Macy 1,375
234 Colby 1,465 Elena 1,366
235 Johnny 1,463 Kyla 1,363
236 Chad 1,453 Katrina 1,356
237 Armando 1,443 Jazmine 1,353
238 Kobe 1,432 Joanna 1,349
239 Marcos 1,407 Tara 1,338
240 Caden 1,406 Gianna 1,332
241 Cooper 1,405 Juliana 1,319
242 Elias 1,403 Sadie 1,316
243 Brenden 1,394 Fatima 1,315
244 Israel 1,384 Allyson 1,312
245 Avery 1,370 Gracie 1,312
246 Zane 1,368 Guadalupe 1,308
247 Dante 1,352 Genesis 1,303
248 Zackary 1,351 Yesenia 1,294
249 Josue 1,351 Julianna 1,287
250 Allen 1,349 Tatiana 1,284

What's in a (Popular) Name?

How do we know which baby names are hot each year? It's simple! The Social Security Administration collects data as parents register their newborns for a Social Security card. So, instead of waiting for the 10-year census, we get an annual update on the trending names!

Popular Baby Names vs. Popular First Names: Any Differences?

If you're wondering why the most popular baby names and the most popular first names aren't the same, remember: first names include everyone, not just babies. With 16.5% of the population over 65, names popular in their generation, like 'Avery' or 'Guadalupe', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Jacob' or 'Emily' topping the overall popular names list until the Baby Boomer generation decreases significantly.

What Factors Influence Baby Name Popularity?

Ever wondered how a name like 'Joshua' or 'Jessica' hits the charts? It's not an exact science, but here are some cool factors:

Celebrity Influence

Americans adore their stars! A favorite celeb can influence baby names, so if you see more little 'Matthews' or 'Hannahs' running around, you might have a Hollywood A-lister to thank!

Character-Inspired Names

Bookworms and movie buffs often name their kids after beloved characters. If 'Christopher' or 'Samantha' sound familiar, check out the latest bestseller or box-office hit!

Following the Trend

We humans are trend-followers. So, if a friend's baby 'Nicholas' or 'Elizabeth' has a cute ring to it, don't be surprised if it catches on!

The Power of Recall

Names heard repeatedly stick in our minds. So if 'Tyler' or 'Ashley' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Andrew' or 'Kayla' stand the test of time, thanks to the tradition of naming babies after older relatives.

Religion and Politics

Religious texts and political figures inspire many parents. Evergreen choices like 'Joseph' or 'Alexis' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Daniel' or 'Jennifer' becomes popular, these factors give us some fun insights into the ever-changing landscape of baby names!

Historical Data for Baby Names

If you're interested to see how the trends and popularity of baby names have changed, you can use the links below to view the historical data by decade.

Most popular first names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular boy names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular girl names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and excludes any names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Most Popular Baby Names in 2000". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 24, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-2000/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Names in 2000". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-2000/. Accessed 24 April, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Names in 2000. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-2000/.