Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 2012

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 2012. 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 girl names in 2012, 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 Sophia 22,320
2 Emma 20,954
3 Isabella 19,113
4 Olivia 17,320
5 Ava 15,541
6 Emily 13,657
7 Abigail 12,713
8 Mia 12,028
9 Madison 11,406
10 Elizabeth 9,715
11 Chloe 9,664
12 Ella 9,207
13 Avery 8,315
14 Addison 8,179
15 Aubrey 8,055
16 Lily 7,964
17 Natalie 7,898
18 Sofia 7,833
19 Charlotte 7,479
20 Zoey 7,472
21 Grace 7,383
22 Hannah 7,280
23 Amelia 7,245
24 Harper 7,193
25 Lillian 7,164
26 Samantha 6,933
27 Evelyn 6,876
28 Victoria 6,865
29 Brooklyn 6,792
30 Zoe 6,461
31 Layla 6,270
32 Hailey 5,911
33 Leah 5,775
34 Kaylee 5,625
35 Anna 5,620
36 Aaliyah 5,511
37 Gabriella 5,506
38 Allison 5,426
39 Nevaeh 5,401
40 Alexis 5,366
41 Audrey 5,297
42 Savannah 5,196
43 Sarah 5,194
44 Alyssa 5,087
45 Claire 4,944
46 Taylor 4,866
47 Riley 4,832
48 Camila 4,790
49 Arianna 4,727
50 Ashley 4,700
51 Brianna 4,638
52 Sophie 4,578
53 Peyton 4,474
54 Bella 4,354
55 Khloe 4,314
56 Genesis 4,304
57 Alexa 4,295
58 Serenity 4,241
59 Kylie 4,173
60 Aubree 4,050
61 Scarlett 4,045
62 Stella 3,999
63 Maya 3,977
64 Katherine 3,951
65 Julia 3,879
66 Lucy 3,814
67 Madelyn 3,794
68 Autumn 3,777
69 Kayla 3,772
70 Makayla 3,771
71 Mackenzie 3,758
72 Lauren 3,660
73 Gianna 3,626
74 Ariana 3,585
75 Faith 3,551
76 Alexandra 3,482
77 Melanie 3,467
78 Sydney 3,454
79 Naomi 3,422
80 Caroline 3,418
81 Bailey 3,412
82 Morgan 3,401
83 Jasmine 3,388
84 Kennedy 3,387
85 Ellie 3,384
86 Eva 3,366
87 Skylar 3,344
88 Kimberly 3,314
89 Violet 3,281
90 Molly 3,260
91 Trinity 3,242
92 Aria 3,230
93 Jocelyn 3,230
94 London 3,201
95 Lydia 3,171
96 Madeline 3,161
97 Reagan 3,087
98 Piper 3,069
99 Annabelle 3,057
100 Andrea 3,050
101 Maria 3,031
102 Brooke 2,974
103 Payton 2,945
104 Paisley 2,920
105 Ruby 2,916
106 Paige 2,913
107 Mariah 2,897
108 Nora 2,888
109 Rylee 2,797
110 Lilly 2,787
111 Brielle 2,770
112 Jade 2,736
113 Destiny 2,717
114 Nicole 2,655
115 Mila 2,641
116 Kendall 2,624
117 Liliana 2,622
118 Kaitlyn 2,601
119 Sadie 2,592
120 Natalia 2,591
121 Mary 2,579
122 Jordyn 2,568
123 Vanessa 2,553
124 Mya 2,549
125 Penelope 2,535
126 Isabelle 2,503
127 Alice 2,501
128 Reese 2,459
129 Gabrielle 2,421
130 Hadley 2,418
131 Katelyn 2,415
132 Rachel 2,415
133 Angelina 2,408
134 Isabel 2,382
135 Eleanor 2,379
136 Clara 2,334
137 Jessica 2,333
138 Brooklynn 2,325
139 Elena 2,271
140 Vivian 2,262
141 Aliyah 2,259
142 Sara 2,258
143 Eliana 2,249
144 Laila 2,248
145 Amy 2,234
146 Lyla 2,223
147 Juliana 2,217
148 Adriana 2,150
149 Valeria 2,143
150 Makenzie 2,125
151 Elise 2,121
152 Mckenzie 2,119
153 Quinn 2,108
154 Delilah 2,093
155 Cora 2,080
156 Kylee 2,051
157 Rebecca 2,015
158 Gracie 2,006
159 Izabella 1,969
160 Josephine 1,953
161 Eden 1,936
162 Michelle 1,933
163 Alaina 1,932
164 Jennifer 1,924
165 Catherine 1,912
166 Aurora 1,904
167 Valentina 1,903
168 Stephanie 1,887
169 Valerie 1,863
170 Jayla 1,844
171 Willow 1,833
172 Melody 1,788
173 Hazel 1,784
174 Daisy 1,783
175 Alana 1,778
176 Summer 1,778
177 Margaret 1,777
178 Melissa 1,771
179 Kinsley 1,755
180 Kinley 1,749
181 Ariel 1,739
182 Lila 1,727
183 Ryleigh 1,713
184 Giselle 1,709
185 Haley 1,708
186 Julianna 1,696
187 Ivy 1,695
188 Alivia 1,693
189 Brynn 1,655
190 Keira 1,651
191 Aniyah 1,644
192 Kate 1,643
193 Angela 1,639
194 Daniela 1,637
195 Harmony 1,623
196 Londyn 1,621
197 Hayden 1,614
198 Adalyn 1,609
199 Megan 1,559
200 Allie 1,549
201 Alayna 1,548
202 Gabriela 1,547
203 Presley 1,535
204 Jenna 1,523
205 Alexandria 1,520
206 Jada 1,514
207 Ashlyn 1,511
208 Adrianna 1,506
209 Fiona 1,503
210 Norah 1,502
211 Emery 1,484
212 Amaya 1,476
213 Miranda 1,472
214 Maci 1,470
215 Cecilia 1,463
216 Ximena 1,463
217 Ana 1,459
218 Hope 1,453
219 Katie 1,449
220 Shelby 1,445
221 Jordan 1,423
222 Callie 1,421
223 Eliza 1,418
224 Luna 1,414
225 Leilani 1,412
226 Angel 1,403
227 Mckenna 1,403
228 Genevieve 1,388
229 Isla 1,385
230 Makenna 1,385
231 Lola 1,382
232 Danielle 1,374
233 Tessa 1,365
234 Leila 1,364
235 Chelsea 1,356
236 Adelyn 1,350
237 Adeline 1,343
238 Camille 1,342
239 Esther 1,342
240 Mikayla 1,338
241 Adalynn 1,334
242 Sienna 1,325
243 Jacqueline 1,319
244 Arabella 1,314
245 Emerson 1,312
246 Athena 1,309
247 Maggie 1,307
248 Lucia 1,304
249 Lexi 1,301
250 Ayla 1,293

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 'Emerson' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Sophia' 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 'Olivia' 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 'Isabellas' 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 'Ava' 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 'Emily' 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 'Elizabeth' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

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

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Madison' 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 Girl Names in 2012". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-2012/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 2012". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-2012/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 2012. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-2012/.