Top 20 U.S. Baby Boy Names 2007
Jacob, Michael, Ethan & Joshua Top the American Popularity Charts
May 12, 2008
The top 1000 baby names for 2007 are in-- and it's Jacob on top again.
Every year, the U.S. Social Security administration releases its annual Popular Baby Name Index on Mother's Day weekend. Here, expecting parents can search the top 1000 names of the past year, as well the most popular names in each state. These are the top 20 American baby boy names in 2007:
- Jacob
- Michael
- Ethan
- Joshua
- Daniel
- Christopher
- Anthony
- William
- Matthew
- Andrew
- Alexander
- David
- Joseph
- Noah
- James
- Ryan
- Logan
- Jayden
- John
- Nicholas
Although baby name trends are changing far more quickly than they used to, there was very little change between the top 20 baby boy names between 2006 and 2007. Jacob and Michael kept their spots as the top two names, which they’ve held since 1999. There were no new additions or deletions from the top 10, and most of the names either stayed at the same spot or moved one or two positions. In fact, the only name on the top ten that moved more than two positions was Matthew, which fell from #5 to #9.
There was only one new addition to the top 20, and it was a notable one: Jayden, which jumped from #49 to #18. Ten years ago, this ultra-trendy name was hardly used. Alternate spelling Jaden also ranked at #76. Jayden has clearly risen to the top of the pack of the trendy “ayden” names—although Aiden rose from #32 to #27, and probably would be in the top 20 were it not for popular alternate spellings Aidan (#54) and Ayden (#102). Other “ayden” names on the top 1000 list include Brayden (#64), Hayden (#71), Caden (#92), Kaden (#98), Braden (#156), Cayden (#175), Kayden (#186), Aden (#264), and even Zayden (#588) and Raiden (#931). Yes, the “ayden” trend is still alive.
The one name to fall off the top 20 was Tyler, which dropped from #18 to #21. Tyler peaked at #5 in the early 1990s, and now this previously ultra-trendy name seems to be in descent.
Despite the prevalence of trendy favorites, the majority of names in the top 20 are Biblical ones. The top 5 names all are Biblical. And many old-fashioned American favorites are still quite popular, including William (#8), Joseph (#13), James (#15), John (#19), and Robert (#47).
Jacob has topped the charts since 1999, when it dethroned long-time favorite Michael. Will it remain on top for long? Jacob does have one big competitor: Ethan, which has been climbing steadily, and moved from #4 in 2006 to #3 in 2007. A little further down the charts, a number of names are climbing and may become contenders for the top 20 in years to come: Gabriel (#28), Gavin (#32), Jackson (#33), Mason (#37), Isaac (#41), Landon (#49), Owen (#56), Jeremiah (#67), and Xavier (#68)
As the Spanish speaking population of the U.S. grows, Spanish names are becoming more common high up on the charts. The most popular Spanish name was Angel (#34), followed by Jose (#35), Diego (#58), Luis (#60), Juan (#63), Carlos (#70), Jesus (#77), Miguel (#94), and Antonio (#96).
Baby name trends are an interesting gauge on a culture. In the United States, there’s an interesting juxtaposition going on. The most popular baby boy names are Biblical (like Jacob, Ethan, and Joshua) or very traditional (like William, Joseph, and James). At the same time, however, a good portion of boys are getting names that are ultra-modern (Jayden, Hayden, Logan, Mason). Will these trends continue in this pattern in years to come? Keep watching.
See also:
Top 20 U.S. Baby Girl Names of 2007
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