The New York City Health Department has unveiled the most popular baby names across the five boroughs in 2024 — and those that made the top 10 list might cause you to scratch your head.
Of the 65,222 babies born in the Big Apple last year, 722 of them were named Noah and 422 were given the name Mia.
Liam and Emma, two popular names that sat in the No. 1 spot since 2016 and 2017, were shockingly bumped down to second place in 2024, followed by Sophia and Ethan in third.
David and Leah snagged fourth place while Lucas and Isabella rounded out the top 5.
Muhammad, a 10th-place contender for boys’ names, made the list by the skin of its teeth for the second year in a row. Considering it was the most common name given to baby boys in England and Wales in 2023, it was only a matter of time before it surged in popularity in the Big Apple.
The 10th-place holder for girls’ names, Esther, wasn’t a total shock since old-fashioned baby names seem to be back in fashion, apparently because of the nostalgia they evoke in people, according to experts.
“I think vintage names evoke a sense of nostalgia. I get a lot of clients who pull out their family tree, looking to grandparents and great-grandparents for name inspiration,” Colleen Slagen, author of the book “Naming Bebe,” told Yahoo! Life. “…Nursing homes and graveyards would be great sources of name inspiration.”
Another 2024 trend the Health Department found was gender-neutral baby names like Angel, Riley, Cameron, Charlie, Jordyn, Jordan, Amari, Remy and Remi.
“Every year, our list of the most popular baby names serves as a reminder of who we are as a city and who the next generation of New Yorkers will be,” Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse said in a statement.
“We love to see so many little New Yorkers bringing hope and joy into the city. As we enter the new year, we recommit ourselves to creating a New York City where our children can live long, healthy lives.”
NYC’s top baby names of 2024:
- Mia, Noah
- Emma, Liam
- Sophia, Ethan
- Leah, David
- Isabella, Lucas
- Zoe, Jacob
- Olivia, Joseph
- Chloe, Aiden
- Sofia, Dylan
- Esther, Muhammad
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