Every once in a while, a trendy name comes into fashion and works its way up into the top spots to become one of the most popular names of the year. Some of these names have staying power that lasts for close to a decade – or in the case of Michael, decades – others only hold one of the top slots for 365 days before getting nudged back down.
Read through to find out which baby names have held the top five spots for both boys and girls since 1950, according to the Social Security Administration (and check out the least popular names here).
Related: 115+ Sweet Names For Girls That Are Cute as a Button
The Top 5 Most Popular Boys’ Names by Year Since 1950
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Liam | Noah | William | James | Oliver |
| 2017 | Liam | Noah | William | James | Logan |
| 2016 | Noah | Liam | William | Mason | James |
| 2015 | Noah | Liam | Mason | Jacob | William |
| 2014 | Noah | Liam | Mason | Jacob | William |
| 2013 | Noah | Liam | Jacob | Mason | William |
| 2012 | Jacob | Mason | Ethan | Noah | William |
| 2011 | Jacob | Mason | William | Jayden | Noah |
| 2010 | Jacob | Ethan | Michael | Jayden | William |
| 2009 | Jacob | Ethan | Michael | Alexander | William |
| 2008 | Jacob | Michael | Ethan | Joshua | Daniel |
| 2007 | Jacob | Michael | Ethan | Joshua | Daniel |
| 2006 | Jacob | Michael | Joshua | Ethan | Matthew |
| 2005 | Jacob | Michael | Joshua | Matthew | Ethan |
| 2004 | Jacob | Michael | Joshua | Matthew | Ethan |
| 2003 | Jacob | Michael | Joshua | Matthew | Andrew |
| 2002 | Jacob | Michael | Joshua | Matthew | Ethan |
| 2001 | Jacob | Michael | Matthew | Joshua | Christopher |
| 2000 | Jacob | Michael | Matthew | Joshua | Christopher |
| 1999 | Jacob | Michael | Matthew | Joshua | Nicholas |
| 1998 | Michael | Jacob | Matthew | Joshua | Christopher |
| 1997 | Michael | Jacob | Matthew | Christopher | Joshua |
| 1996 | Michael | Matthew | Jacob | Christopher | Joshua |
| 1995 | Michael | Matthew | Christopher | Jacob | Joshua |
| 1994 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | Tyler |
| 1993 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | Tyler |
| 1992 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | Andrew |
| 1991 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | Andrew |
| 1990 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | Daniel |
| 1989 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | David |
| 1988 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | Andrew |
| 1987 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | David |
| 1986 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | David |
| 1985 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | Daniel |
| 1984 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Joshua | David |
| 1983 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | David | Joshua |
| 1982 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Jason | David |
| 1981 | Michael | Christopher | Matthew | Jason | David |
| 1980 | Michael | Christopher | Jason | David | James |
| 1979 | Michael | Christopher | Jason | David | James |
| 1978 | Michael | Jason | Christopher | David | James |
| 1977 | Michael | Jason | Christopher | David | James |
| 1976 | Michael | Jason | Christopher | David | James |
| 1975 | Michael | Jason | Christopher | James | David |
| 1974 | Michael | Jason | Christopher | David | James |
| 1973 | Michael | Christopher | Jason | James | David |
| 1972 | Michael | Christopher | James | David | John |
| 1971 | Michael | James | David | John | Robert |
| 1970 | Michael | James | David | John | Robert |
| 1969 | Michael | David | James | John | Robert |
| 1968 | Michael | David | John | James | Robert |
| 1967 | Michael | David | James | John | Robert |
| 1966 | Michael | David | James | John | Robert |
| 1965 | Michael | John | David | James | Robert |
| 1964 | Michael | John | David | James | Robert |
| 1963 | Michael | John | David | James | Robert |
| 1962 | Michael | David | John | James | Robert |
| 1961 | Michael | David | John | James | Robert |
| 1960 | David | Michael | James | John | Robert |
| 1959 | Michael | David | James | John | Robert |
| 1958 | Michael | David | James | Robert | John |
| 1957 | Michael | James | David | Robert | John |
| 1956 | Michael | James | Robert | David | John |
| 1955 | Michael | David | James | Robert | John |
| 1954 | Michael | Robert | James | John | David |
| 1953 | Robert | James | Michael | John | David |
| 1952 | James | Robert | John | Michael | David |
| 1951 | James | Robert | John | Michael | David |
| 1950 | James | Robert | John | Michael | David |
Related: The Cutest Names For Baby Boys
The Top 5 Most Popular Girls’ Names by Year Since 1950
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Emma | Olivia | Ava | Isabella | Sophia |
| 2017 | Emma | Olivia | Ava | Isabella | Sophia |
| 2016 | Emma | Olivia | Ava | Sophia | Isabella |
| 2015 | Emma | Olivia | Sophia | Ava | Isabella |
| 2014 | Emma | Olivia | Sophia | Isabella | Ava |
| 2013 | Sophia | Emma | Olivia | Isabella | Ava |
| 2012 | Sophia | Emma | Isabella | Olivia | Ava |
| 2011 | Sophia | Isabella | Emma | Olivia | Ava |
| 2010 | Isabella | Sophia | Emma | Olivia | Ava |
| 2009 | Isabella | Emma | Olivia | Sophia | Ava |
| 2008 | Emma | Isabella | Emily | Olivia | Ava |
| 2007 | Emily | Isabella | Emma | Ava | Madison |
| 2006 | Emily | Emma | Madison | Isabella | Ava |
| 2005 | Emily | Emma | Madison | Abigail | Olivia |
| 2004 | Emily | Emma | Madison | Olivia | Hannah |
| 2003 | Emily | Emma | Madison | Hannah | Olivia |
| 2002 | Emily | Madison | Hannah | Emma | Alexis |
| 2001 | Emily | Madison | Hannah | Ashley | Alexis |
| 2000 | Emily | Hannah | Madison | Ashley | Sarah |
| 1999 | Emily | Hannah | Alexis | Sarah | Samantha |
| 1998 | Emily | Hannah | Samantha | Sarah | Ashley |
| 1997 | Emily | Jessica | Ashley | Sarah | Hannah |
| 1996 | Emily | Jessica | Ashley | Sarah | Samantha |
| 1995 | Jessica | Ashley | Emily | Samantha | Sarah |
| 1994 | Jessica | Ashley | Emily | Samantha | Sarah |
| 1993 | Jessica | Ashley | Sarah | Samantha | Emily |
| 1992 | Ashley | Jessica | Amanda | Brittany | Sarah |
| 1991 | Ashley | Jessica | Brittany | Amanda | Samantha |
| 1990 | Jessica | Ashley | Brittany | Amanda | Samantha |
| 1989 | Jessica | Ashley | Brittany | Amanda | Sarah |
| 1988 | Jessica | Ashley | Amanda | Sarah | Jennifer |
| 1987 | Jessica | Ashley | Amanda | Jennifer | Sarah |
| 1986 | Jessica | Ashley | Amanda | Jennifer | Sarah |
| 1985 | Jessica | Ashley | Jennifer | Amanda | Sarah |
| 1984 | Jennifer | Jessica | Ashley | Amanda | Sarah |
| 1983 | Jennifer | Jessica | Amanda | Ashley | Sarah |
| 1982 | Jennifer | Jessica | Amanda | Sarah | Melissa |
| 1981 | Jennifer | Jessica | Amanda | Sarah | Melissa |
| 1980 | Jennifer | Amanda | Jessica | Melissa | Sarah |
| 1979 | Jennifer | Melissa | Amanda | Jessica | Amy |
| 1978 | Jennifer | Melissa | Jessica | Amy | Heather |
| 1977 | Jennifer | Melissa | Amy | Jessica | Heather |
| 1976 | Jennifer | Amy | Melissa | Heather | Angela |
| 1975 | Jennifer | Amy | Heather | Melissa | Angela |
| 1974 | Jennifer | Amy | Michelle | Heather | Angela |
| 1973 | Jennifer | Amy | Michelle | Kimberly | Lisa |
| 1972 | Jennifer | Michelle | Lisa | Kimberly | Amy |
| 1971 | Jennifer | Michelle | Lisa | Kimberly | Amy |
| 1970 | Jennifer | Lisa | Kimberly | Michelle | Amy |
| 1969 | Lisa | Michelle | Jennifer | Kimberly | Melissa |
| 1968 | Lisa | Michelle | Kimberly | Jennifer | Melissa |
| 1967 | Lisa | Kimberly | Michelle | Mary | Susan |
| 1966 | Lisa | Kimberly | Mary | Michelle | Karen |
| 1965 | Lisa | Mary | Karen | Kimberly | Susan |
| 1964 | Lisa | Mary | Susan | Karen | Patricia |
| 1963 | Lisa | Mary | Susan | Karen | Linda |
| 1962 | Lisa | Mary | Susan | Karen | Linda |
| 1961 | Mary | Lisa | Susan | Linda | Karen |
| 1960 | Mary | Susan | Linda | Karen | Donna |
| 1959 | Mary | Susan | Linda | Karen | Donna |
| 1958 | Mary | Susan | Linda | Karen | Patricia |
| 1957 | Mary | Susan | Linda | Debra | Karen |
| 1956 | Mary | Debra | Linda | Deborah | Susan |
| 1955 | Mary | Deborah | Linda | Debra | Susan |
| 1954 | Mary | Linda | Deborah | Patricia | Susan |
| 1953 | Mary | Linda | Deborah | Patricia | Susan |
| 1952 | Linda | Mary | Patricia | Deborah | Susan |
| 1951 | Linda | Mary | Patricia | Deborah | Barbara |
| 1950 | Linda | Mary | Patricia | Barbara | Susan |
