Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 2020

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 2020. 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 2020, 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 19,659
2 Noah 18,252
3 Oliver 14,147
4 Elijah 13,034
5 William 12,541
6 James 12,250
7 Benjamin 12,136
8 Lucas 11,281
9 Henry 10,705
10 Alexander 10,151
11 Mason 10,029
12 Michael 9,717
13 Ethan 9,464
14 Daniel 9,419
15 Jacob 9,196
16 Logan 9,086
17 Jackson 9,051
18 Levi 9,005
19 Sebastian 8,927
20 Mateo 8,900
21 Jack 8,876
22 Owen 8,623
23 Theodore 8,558
24 Aiden 8,534
25 Samuel 8,488
26 Joseph 8,349
27 John 8,180
28 David 8,153
29 Wyatt 8,135
30 Matthew 8,052
31 Luke 7,734
32 Asher 7,606
33 Carter 7,511
34 Julian 7,488
35 Grayson 7,424
36 Leo 7,159
37 Jayden 7,102
38 Gabriel 7,066
39 Isaac 7,060
40 Lincoln 6,998
41 Anthony 6,966
42 Hudson 6,807
43 Dylan 6,788
44 Ezra 6,745
45 Thomas 6,386
46 Charles 6,186
47 Christopher 6,143
48 Jaxon 6,107
49 Maverick 6,088
50 Josiah 6,077
51 Isaiah 6,001
52 Andrew 5,991
53 Elias 5,924
54 Joshua 5,924
55 Nathan 5,653
56 Caleb 5,546
57 Ryan 5,286
58 Adrian 5,249
59 Miles 5,249
60 Eli 5,214
61 Nolan 5,164
62 Christian 5,043
63 Aaron 5,039
64 Cameron 5,019
65 Ezekiel 5,013
66 Colton 4,980
67 Luca 4,785
68 Landon 4,747
69 Hunter 4,743
70 Jonathan 4,690
71 Santiago 4,638
72 Axel 4,628
73 Easton 4,613
74 Cooper 4,566
75 Jeremiah 4,518
76 Angel 4,482
77 Roman 4,445
78 Connor 4,389
79 Jameson 4,370
80 Robert 4,349
81 Greyson 4,331
82 Jordan 4,231
83 Ian 4,223
84 Carson 4,165
85 Jaxson 4,133
86 Leonardo 4,077
87 Nicholas 4,024
88 Dominic 3,982
89 Austin 3,979
90 Everett 3,979
91 Brooks 3,852
92 Xavier 3,847
93 Kai 3,812
94 Jose 3,809
95 Parker 3,797
96 Adam 3,751
97 Jace 3,745
98 Wesley 3,668
99 Kayden 3,613
100 Silas 3,599
101 Bennett 3,582
102 Declan 3,576
103 Waylon 3,549
104 Weston 3,406
105 Evan 3,389
106 Emmett 3,380
107 Micah 3,363
108 Ryder 3,322
109 Beau 3,319
110 Damian 3,305
111 Brayden 3,253
112 Gael 3,235
113 Rowan 3,231
114 Harrison 3,202
115 Bryson 3,190
116 Sawyer 3,156
117 Amir 3,154
118 Kingston 3,135
119 Jason 3,073
120 Giovanni 3,026
121 Vincent 3,020
122 Ayden 2,989
123 Chase 2,960
124 Myles 2,925
125 Diego 2,885
126 Nathaniel 2,874
127 Legend 2,814
128 Jonah 2,791
129 River 2,771
130 Tyler 2,771
131 Cole 2,751
132 Braxton 2,747
133 George 2,746
134 Milo 2,741
135 Zachary 2,698
136 Ashton 2,690
137 Luis 2,679
138 Jasper 2,604
139 Kaiden 2,594
140 Adriel 2,592
141 Gavin 2,570
142 Bentley 2,555
143 Calvin 2,519
144 Zion 2,500
145 Juan 2,496
146 Maxwell 2,496
147 Max 2,463
148 Ryker 2,457
149 Carlos 2,446
150 Emmanuel 2,442
151 Jayce 2,442
152 Lorenzo 2,442
153 Ivan 2,419
154 Jude 2,412
155 August 2,403
156 Kevin 2,359
157 Malachi 2,354
158 Elliott 2,350
159 Rhett 2,338
160 Archer 2,329
161 Karter 2,322
162 Arthur 2,319
163 Luka 2,319
164 Elliot 2,303
165 Thiago 2,292
166 Brandon 2,287
167 Camden 2,287
168 Justin 2,277
169 Jesus 2,272
170 Maddox 2,270
171 King 2,237
172 Theo 2,206
173 Enzo 2,201
174 Matteo 2,200
175 Emiliano 2,186
176 Dean 2,149
177 Hayden 2,146
178 Finn 2,133
179 Brody 2,125
180 Antonio 2,114
181 Abel 2,109
182 Alex 2,095
183 Tristan 2,092
184 Graham 2,083
185 Zayden 2,077
186 Judah 2,074
187 Xander 2,039
188 Miguel 2,032
189 Atlas 2,028
190 Messiah 2,010
191 Barrett 1,998
192 Tucker 1,997
193 Timothy 1,985
194 Alan 1,956
195 Edward 1,932
196 Leon 1,908
197 Dawson 1,907
198 Eric 1,907
199 Ace 1,900
200 Victor 1,886
201 Abraham 1,875
202 Nicolas 1,875
203 Jesse 1,859
204 Charlie 1,853
205 Patrick 1,849
206 Walker 1,848
207 Joel 1,826
208 Richard 1,814
209 Beckett 1,797
210 Blake 1,797
211 Alejandro 1,773
212 Avery 1,773
213 Grant 1,755
214 Peter 1,747
215 Oscar 1,746
216 Matias 1,740
217 Amari 1,719
218 Lukas 1,701
219 Andres 1,688
220 Arlo 1,685
221 Colt 1,674
222 Adonis 1,663
223 Kyrie 1,663
224 Steven 1,661
225 Felix 1,652
226 Preston 1,638
227 Marcus 1,632
228 Holden 1,629
229 Emilio 1,609
230 Remington 1,608
231 Jeremy 1,591
232 Kaleb 1,591
233 Brantley 1,566
234 Bryce 1,550
235 Mark 1,540
236 Knox 1,516
237 Israel 1,509
238 Phoenix 1,504
239 Kobe 1,500
240 Nash 1,490
241 Griffin 1,481
242 Caden 1,474
243 Kenneth 1,466
244 Kyler 1,454
245 Hayes 1,441
246 Jax 1,413
247 Rafael 1,409
248 Beckham 1,405
249 Maximus 1,394
250 Javier 1,394

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 'Hayes' 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 'William' 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 'James' 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 'Alexander' 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 2020". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-2020/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 2020". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-2020/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 2020. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-2020/.