California Baby Names: Trends & Data (1910–2025)

Boys

In California, male baby naming trends reveal significant shifts across generations. Liam was the top male name in 2025, recorded for 2,624 births, a stark contrast to the 1950s when Michael dominated. Compared to 30 years ago, Jacob has seen the fastest rise in popularity, climbing +12 rank positions. Conversely, Michael experienced the biggest decline, dropping -10 rank positions, illustrating a clear generational shift in parental preferences over time.

Girls

California's female baby naming trends reveal dynamic shifts across generations. In 2025, Olivia was the top choice, recorded for 1,796 births, a significant change from the 1950s when Linda stood as the dominant name. Comparing current data to 30 years ago, Alyssa shows the fastest ascent, gaining 9 rank positions. Meanwhile, Sarah has experienced the biggest decline, dropping 13 rank positions, illustrating evolving parental preferences.

#1 Boy (2025)

Liam

#1 Girl (2025)

Olivia

Fastest Rising

Jacob

↑ +12

Biggest Decline

Michael

↓ −10

Longest #1 Run

Michael

5 decades at #1

Total Births (2025)

79,936

births tracked

How the Most Popular Names Changed Over Time

Popularity by decade — lower ranks indicate greater popularity (#1 is the most popular name).

Decade	Noah	Mateo	Michael	John	Robert
1910s	—	—	—	Rank #1	Rank #2
1920s	—	—	—	Rank #2	Rank #1
1930s	—	—	—	Rank #3	Rank #1
1940s	—	—	Rank #5	Rank #2	Rank #1
1950s	—	—	Rank #1	Rank #4	Rank #2
1960s	—	—	Rank #1	Rank #3	Rank #4
1970s	—	—	Rank #1	Rank #6	Rank #5
1980s	—	—	Rank #1	Rank #13	Rank #6
1990s	—	—	Rank #1	—	Rank #20
2000s	—	—	Rank #9	—	—
2010s	Rank #1	—	Rank #14	—	—
2020s	Rank #1	Rank #3	—	—	—

Baby Names by Decade

Biggest Name Shifts

Names that climbed or fell the most in popularity

Fastest Rising

Jacob

+12 rank positions · since 1990s

Biggest Decline

Michael

-10 rank positions · since 1950s

How California Compares to the Nation

Names that rank notably higher or lower here vs. the U.S. overall

More Popular in California

Andres
#98 here · #201 nationally↑ +103
Aziel
#91 here · #186 nationally↑ +95
Emilio
#66 here · #154 nationally↑ +88
Jesus
#86 here · #174 nationally↑ +88
Diego
#74 here · #158 nationally↑ +84

Less Popular in California

Hudson
#76 here · #17 nationally↓ −59
John
#79 here · #23 nationally↓ −56
Charles
#100 here · #48 nationally↓ −52
Wyatt
#87 here · #38 nationally↓ −49
William
#47 here · #9 nationally↓ −38

Top 100 Baby Names in California

Most popular names in 2020–2025, ranked by total births

Top 10

RankNameBirthsNational

#1Liam2,624#1
#2Noah2,607#2
#3Mateo2,239#8
#4Santiago1,991#26
#5Sebastian1,954#16
#6Julian1,680#25
#7Oliver1,456#3
#8Elias1,342#13
#9Benjamin1,257#11
#10Elijah1,257#7

Names #11–100

#11 Luca
#12 Ethan
#13 Theodore
#14 Ezra
#15 Leo
#16 Alexander
#17 Lucas
#18 Daniel
#19 Levi
#20 Ezekiel
#21 Emiliano
#22 James
#23 Matthew
#24 Adriel
#25 Angel
#26 Michael
#27 Roman
#28 Dylan
#29 Adrian
#30 Isaiah
#31 Henry
#32 Leonardo
#33 Gael
#34 Samuel
#35 Anthony
#36 Thiago
#37 David
#38 Isaac
#39 Damian
#40 Nathan
#41 Jacob
#42 Enzo
#43 Gabriel
#44 Luke
#45 Josiah
#46 Joseph
#47 William
#48 Jack
#49 Jose
#50 Caleb
#51 Aiden
#52 Logan
#53 Mason
#54 Jayden
#55 Luka
#56 Aaron
#57 Owen
#58 Kai
#59 Lorenzo
#60 Miles
#61 Xavier
#62 Dominic
#63 Asher
#64 Ian
#65 Jonathan
#66 Emilio
#67 Jackson
#68 Andrew
#69 Thomas
#70 Axel
#71 Joshua
#72 Christopher
#73 Christian
#74 Diego
#75 Luis
#76 Hudson
#77 Theo
#78 Adam
#79 John
#80 Ryan
#81 Nathaniel
#82 Giovanni
#83 Maverick
#84 Jeremiah
#85 Ivan
#86 Jesus
#87 Wyatt
#88 Carlos
#89 Juan
#90 Wesley
#91 Aziel
#92 Evan
#93 Nicholas
#94 Nolan
#95 Matias
#96 Leon
#97 Matteo
#98 Andres
#99 Vincent
#100 Charles

Explore Neighboring States

See how naming trends differ in nearby states