Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 2021

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 2021. 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 boy names in 2021, 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

Rank Name Count
1 Liam 20,272
2 Noah 18,739
3 Oliver 14,616
4 Elijah 12,708
5 James 12,367
6 William 12,088
7 Benjamin 11,791
8 Lucas 11,501
9 Henry 11,307
10 Theodore 9,535
11 Jack 9,504
12 Levi 9,469
13 Alexander 9,344
14 Jackson 9,197
15 Mateo 9,112
16 Daniel 9,066
17 Michael 9,041
18 Mason 9,040
19 Sebastian 8,867
20 Ethan 8,804
21 Logan 8,786
22 Owen 8,713
23 Samuel 8,501
24 Jacob 8,397
25 Asher 8,281
26 Aiden 8,252
27 John 8,130
28 Joseph 8,067
29 Wyatt 7,981
30 David 7,843
31 Leo 7,749
32 Luke 7,660
33 Julian 7,629
34 Hudson 7,584
35 Grayson 7,499
36 Matthew 7,420
37 Ezra 7,365
38 Gabriel 7,216
39 Carter 7,163
40 Isaac 6,907
41 Jayden 6,887
42 Luca 6,847
43 Anthony 6,741
44 Dylan 6,718
45 Lincoln 6,653
46 Thomas 6,642
47 Maverick 6,548
48 Elias 6,305
49 Josiah 6,065
50 Charles 5,952
51 Caleb 5,894
52 Christopher 5,809
53 Ezekiel 5,799
54 Miles 5,694
55 Jaxon 5,693
56 Isaiah 5,673
57 Andrew 5,570
58 Joshua 5,467
59 Nathan 5,401
60 Nolan 5,319
61 Adrian 5,113
62 Cameron 5,101
63 Santiago 5,043
64 Eli 4,868
65 Aaron 4,818
66 Ryan 4,703
67 Angel 4,661
68 Cooper 4,661
69 Waylon 4,624
70 Easton 4,600
71 Kai 4,599
72 Christian 4,589
73 Landon 4,580
74 Colton 4,532
75 Roman 4,527
76 Axel 4,516
77 Brooks 4,429
78 Jonathan 4,412
79 Robert 4,402
80 Jameson 4,280
81 Ian 4,270
82 Everett 4,219
83 Greyson 4,200
84 Wesley 4,196
85 Jeremiah 4,193
86 Hunter 4,171
87 Leonardo 4,081
88 Jordan 3,981
89 Jose 3,971
90 Bennett 3,917
91 Silas 3,863
92 Nicholas 3,824
93 Parker 3,823
94 Beau 3,793
95 Weston 3,766
96 Austin 3,752
97 Connor 3,752
98 Carson 3,751
99 Dominic 3,727
100 Xavier 3,707
101 Jaxson 3,673
102 Jace 3,672
103 Emmett 3,638
104 Adam 3,634
105 Declan 3,626
106 Rowan 3,617
107 Micah 3,583
108 Kayden 3,555
109 Gael 3,492
110 River 3,455
111 Ryder 3,403
112 Kingston 3,366
113 Damian 3,275
114 Sawyer 3,229
115 Luka 3,197
116 Evan 3,190
117 Vincent 3,180
118 Legend 3,152
119 Myles 3,142
120 Harrison 3,135
121 August 3,133
122 Bryson 3,078
123 Amir 3,006
124 Giovanni 2,987
125 Chase 2,911
126 Diego 2,901
127 Milo 2,890
128 Jasper 2,848
129 Walker 2,846
130 Jason 2,845
131 Brayden 2,825
132 Cole 2,823
133 Nathaniel 2,802
134 George 2,774
135 Lorenzo 2,766
136 Zion 2,725
137 Luis 2,719
138 Archer 2,713
139 Enzo 2,712
140 Jonah 2,711
141 Thiago 2,703
142 Theo 2,688
143 Ayden 2,618
144 Zachary 2,575
145 Calvin 2,574
146 Braxton 2,559
147 Ashton 2,527
148 Rhett 2,526
149 Atlas 2,523
150 Jude 2,491
151 Bentley 2,488
152 Carlos 2,486
153 Ryker 2,475
154 Adriel 2,464
155 Arthur 2,453
156 Ace 2,432
157 Tyler 2,426
158 Jayce 2,403
159 Max 2,402
160 Elliot 2,397
161 Graham 2,370
162 Kaiden 2,362
163 Maxwell 2,359
164 Juan 2,344
165 Dean 2,341
166 Matteo 2,337
167 Malachi 2,283
168 Ivan 2,273
169 Elliott 2,262
170 Jesus 2,248
171 Emiliano 2,229
172 Messiah 2,216
173 Gavin 2,203
174 Maddox 2,201
175 Camden 2,194
176 Hayden 2,187
177 Leon 2,183
178 Antonio 2,169
179 Justin 2,148
180 Tucker 2,124
181 Brandon 2,117
182 Kevin 2,094
183 Judah 2,093
184 Finn 2,082
185 King 2,028
186 Brody 2,025
187 Xander 2,000
188 Nicolas 1,996
189 Charlie 1,988
190 Arlo 1,975
191 Emmanuel 1,967
192 Barrett 1,959
193 Felix 1,950
194 Alex 1,945
195 Miguel 1,939
196 Abel 1,935
197 Alan 1,918
198 Beckett 1,912
199 Amari 1,908
200 Karter 1,903
201 Timothy 1,903
202 Abraham 1,885
203 Jesse 1,881
204 Zayden 1,880
205 Blake 1,840
206 Alejandro 1,839
207 Dawson 1,815
208 Tristan 1,812
209 Victor 1,803
210 Avery 1,787
211 Joel 1,786
212 Grant 1,779
213 Eric 1,777
214 Patrick 1,777
215 Peter 1,768
216 Richard 1,767
217 Edward 1,739
218 Andres 1,738
219 Emilio 1,730
220 Colt 1,725
221 Knox 1,718
222 Beckham 1,717
223 Adonis 1,715
224 Kyrie 1,715
225 Matias 1,713
226 Oscar 1,681
227 Lukas 1,662
228 Marcus 1,600
229 Hayes 1,597
230 Caden 1,592
231 Remington 1,585
232 Griffin 1,579
233 Nash 1,577
234 Israel 1,538
235 Steven 1,500
236 Holden 1,492
237 Rafael 1,484
238 Zane 1,474
239 Kash 1,471
240 Jeremy 1,471
241 Preston 1,462
242 Kyler 1,458
243 Jax 1,444
244 Jett 1,443
245 Kaleb 1,440
246 Riley 1,434
247 Simon 1,423
248 Phoenix 1,422
249 Javier 1,419
250 Bryce 1,414

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 'Kaleb' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Liam' or '' 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 'Elijah' or '' 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 'Olivers' or 's' 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 'James' or '' 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 'William' or '' 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 'Theodore' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Benjamin' or '' 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 'Lucas' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Henry' or '' 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 Boy Names in 2021". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-2021/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 2021". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-2021/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 2021. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-2021/.