20 most popular baby names in Michigan: Charlotte, Noah top the list

Oh, baby! If you're expecting in 2024 there's lots to consider when it comes to what to name your precious bundle of joy once he or she arrives.

Perhaps you've always wanted to name your little one after your mother or father, an aunt, uncle or close friend. Or, maybe you're looking for a name with meaning, whether it's a biblical reference or it ties into a place or idea you love.

You might like the most popular names — or deliberately try to avoid them.

The U.S. Social Security Administration issues a Social Security card to every baby born in the U.S. each year, and publishes an annual list of most popular names — both nationally and by state.

In Michigan, the name Charlotte has reigned supreme for girls since 2020, while the name Noah has held the top spot for newborn boys since 2021. Nationally, however, Liam and Olivia have held the No. 1 baby name spots for four straight years.

The following is a full list of the 20 most popular names for girls in Michigan in 2023, according to the Social Security Administration, followed by the number of newborns who were given that name in the state.

Note that three names — Mila, Penelope and Scarlett — were tied for the 15th-, 16th-, and 17th-place spots, with 196 girls given each of those names. And Grace was listed as No. 20 by the Social Security Administration, but it was tied with Mia and Nova, ranked No. 21 and No. 22, with 182 baby girls given each of those names in Michigan.

1. Charlotte (428)

2. Amelia (392)

3. Olivia (368)

4. Sophia (336)

5. Emma (311)

6. Ava (287)

7. Harper (281)

8. Evelyn (268)

9. Eleanor (242)

10. Nora (237)

11. Violet (235)

12. Isabella (229)

13. Isla (228)

14. Hazel (207)

15. Mila (196)

16. Penelope (196)

17. Scarlett (196)

18. Ivy (184)

19. Aurora (189)

20. Grace (182)

The following are the top 20 names for boys in Michigan in 2023:

1. Noah (454)

2. Oliver (448)

3. Henry (408)

4. Theodore (406)

5. Liam (379)

6. Jack (341)

7. Elijah (327)

8. Hudson (324)

9. Levi (318)

10. James (304)

11. Owen (303)

12. Benjamin (290)

13. William (286)

14. Lucas (277)

15. Leo (249)

16. Maverick (241)

17. Mason (240)

18. Luke (233)

19. Michael (225)

20. Grayson (219)

With these rankings, spelling matters.

For example, the name Jackson ranked 21st in Michigan for boys in 2023, with 218 baby boys names spelled that way. But another 99 Michigan babies were given the name Jaxon the same year. Combining the Jacksons and the Jaxons totals 317 babies with one of the two variations, pushing the name Jackson/Jaxon to ninth place.

Similarly, the name Grayson was given to 219 Michigan baby boys last year. A slight variation in spelling, Greyson, was given to 114 baby boys. When the Graysons and Greysons are combined, it adds up to 333, and pushes that name into seventh place, below sixth-ranked Jack.

Michigan's favorite names don't match exactly with those that top the national list. In the U.S., here's the top 10 names for girls:

1. Olivia

2. Emma

3. Charlotte

4. Amelia

5. Sophia

6. Mia

7. Isabella

8. Ava

9. Evelyn

10. Luna

While for boys, the top 10 are:

1. Liam

2. Noah

3. Oliver

4. James

5. Elijah

6. Mateo

7. Theodore

8. Henry

9. Lucas

10. William

The Social Security Administration also shows which names are rising quickest in popularity. For girls, the top five fastest-rising names in 2023 were: Kaeli, Alitzel, Emryn, Adhara and Azari. For boys, climbing fastest were: Izael, Chozen, Eiden, Cassian and Kyren.

Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Top 20 baby names in Michigan: Charlotte, Noah are most popular