Virginia's top 15 baby names of 2022
RICHMOND — Whether inspired by scripture, royalty, a favorite singer, Disney character, or family heritage, parents are choosing diverse names for their newborns.
In a press release Monday, the Office of Vital Records in the Virginia Department of Health unveiled its lists of the top 15 baby names for children born in the commonwealth in 2022, perhaps providing some inspiration for stressed-out parents-to-be.
Topping the list of the most popular names for girls in 2022 was Charlotte. Noah was the most popular for boys.
In 2021, there were 95,618 babies born. The numbers for 2022 are still being counted, said the Office of Vital Records. They estimate there will be a similar number of births.
“It’s always fascinating to see the top names for babies in any given year,” said Seth Austin, director of VDH’s Office of Vital Records in the release. “We see names from a number of sources: a movie, religious texts, a family’s personal history. They all represent the commonwealth’s wonderfully diverse cultures.”
Top 15 baby names for boys in 2022
Noah, James, Liam, William, Henry, Theodore, Oliver, Elijah, Levi, Benjamin, Owen, John, Jack, Asher and Lucas.
Top 15 baby names for girls in 2022
Charlotte, Olivia, Ava, Amelia, Emma, Harper, Evelyn, Eleanor, Sophia, Elizabeth, Lilly, Abigail, Riley, Nora and Chloe.
Most popular baby names for Virginia's largest ethnic groups
Office of Vital Records data also indicate the most popular 2022 baby names for the largest ethnic groups in the state: Asian, Black, Hispanic and White.
Among Asian babies born in 2022, Noah and Sophia were the most popular names. Muhammad, Liam, Kai, and Henry fill out the top five list for boys; Chloe, Olivia, Mia and Charlotte complete the top five list for girls.
For Black babies born in Virginia in 2022, Noah and Ava were the most popular names. Elijah, Josiah, Amir and Micah round out the top five for boys, while Naomi, Nova, Zuri and Leilani fill out the top five for girls.
Liam and Mia were the top names for Hispanic boys and girls born in Virginia in 2022. Mateo, Dylan, Noah and Lucas fill out the top five list for Hispanic boys’ names, while Camila, Isabella, Emma and Genesis complete the top five list for girls’ names.
William and Charlotte were the top names for white babies born in 2022, followed by Henry, James, Theodore and Oliver for boys and Olivia, Amelia, Harper and Emma for girls.
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Other interesting info about 2022 births
The most births occurred in August with 8,917 babies delivered, with Aug. 17 seeing the most number of babies born – 359.
Fridays are the busiest day of the week in Virginia delivery rooms: 14,429 babies were born on a Friday in 2022; Sundays, on the other hand, are the slowest days of the week, with only 8,746 born on a Sunday in 2022.
There were 1,344 sets of twins born in Virginia in 2022, while there were 19 sets of triplets born in the state.
And on New Year’s Day 2022, 178 new Virginians came into the world.
Half a century ago in 1972, VDH data shows that Michael and Jennifer were the most popular names for baby boys and girls born that year, the release said.
James, Christopher, David, Robert, John, William, Brian, Jason, Kevin, Jeffrey, Charles, Richard, Matthew and Thomas fill out the rest of the top 15 for boys’ names in 1972. Among girls in 1972, the rest of the top 15 include Kimberly, Amy, Angela, Melissa, Lisa, Michelle, Tammy, Mary, Stephanie, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Heather, Susan and Karen.
To learn more, visit the Office of Vital Records. The public may also access Office of Vital Records services through their local health district offices and Department of Motor Vehicle offices.
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Reporter Monique Calello can be reached at mcalello@newsleader.com. Story ideas are always welcome. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com and support local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Virginia's top 15 baby names of 2022
