North Dakota Baby Names: Trends & Data (1910–2025)

Boys

North Dakota's male baby naming trends reveal distinct generational shifts. Liam is projected as the top name in 2025 with 56 births, a significant departure from David, which dominated the 1950s. Over the last 30 years, Dylan has seen the fastest ascent, climbing 10 rank positions. Conversely, Michael experienced the biggest decline, dropping 16 rank positions, illustrating dynamic changes in parental preferences across the decades.

Girls

North Dakota's female baby naming trends reveal significant shifts across decades. In 2025, Charlotte led with 42 births, a stark contrast to the 1950s when Mary was the dominant name. Over the last 30 years, Madison has climbed +12 rank positions, marking the fastest rise. Emily, however, experienced the biggest decline, dropping -9 rank positions. These figures reflect evolving parental preferences.

#1 Boy (2025)

Liam

#1 Girl (2025)

Charlotte

Fastest Rising

Dylan

↑ +10

Biggest Decline

Michael

↓ −16

Longest #1 Run

Robert

2 decades at #1

Total Births (2025)

2,141

births tracked

How the Most Popular Names Changed Over Time

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

DecadeOliverTheodoreLiamMasonChad
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970sRank #4
1980s
1990s
2000sRank #5
2010sRank #3Rank #1Rank #2
2020sRank #1Rank #2Rank #4

Baby Names by Decade

Most popular · Runner-up per decade

1910sJohnWilliam
1920sRobertJohn
1930sRobertDonald
1940sJamesRobert
1950sDavidJames
1960sMichaelDavid
Recent Decades
1970sJasonMichael
1980sMichaelJoshua
1990sJacobTyler
2000sJacobEthan
2010sLiamMason
2020sOliverTheodore

Biggest Name Shifts

Names that climbed or fell the most in popularity

Fastest Rising

Dylan

+10 rank positions · since 1990s
Biggest Decline

Michael

-16 rank positions · since 1960s

How North Dakota Compares to the Nation

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

More Popular in North Dakota

  • Ledger
    #99 here · #548 nationally +449
  • Briggs
    #55 here · #355 nationally +300
  • Otto
    #59 here · #276 nationally +217
  • Benson
    #66 here · #279 nationally +213
  • Harvey
    #79 here · #251 nationally +172

Less Popular in North Dakota

  • Sebastian
    #83 here · #16 nationally 67
  • Jacob
    #97 here · #43 nationally 54
  • Logan
    #100 here · #53 nationally 47
  • Ezra
    #63 here · #20 nationally 43
  • Alexander
    #70 here · #30 nationally 40

Top 100 Baby Names in North Dakota

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

Top 10

RankNameBirthsNational
  • #1Liam56#1
  • #2Henry49#5
  • #3Theodore49#4
  • #4Noah48#2
  • #5Oliver47#3
  • #6Cooper40#27
  • #7Hudson37#17
  • #8Bennett34#40
  • #9James33#6
  • #10Colter32#157

Names #11–100

  • #11 Asher
  • #12 Jack
  • #13 Leo
  • #14 Elias
  • #15 Elijah
  • #16 Stetson
  • #17 Brooks
  • #18 Wesley
  • #19 William
  • #20 Owen
  • #21 Weston
  • #22 Luke
  • #23 Rowan
  • #24 Walker
  • #25 Waylon
  • #26 Beau
  • #27 Archer
  • #28 Lincoln
  • #29 Maverick
  • #30 Hayes
  • #31 Jett
  • #32 Carter
  • #33 Myles
  • #34 Samuel
  • #35 Silas
  • #36 Everett
  • #37 Ezekiel
  • #38 Graham
  • #39 Grayson
  • #40 Luca
  • #41 Mateo
  • #42 Nolan
  • #43 Wyatt
  • #44 Atlas
  • #45 Benjamin
  • #46 David
  • #47 Isaac
  • #48 Lucas
  • #49 Gabriel
  • #50 John
  • #51 Levi
  • #52 Roman
  • #53 Axel
  • #54 Beckham
  • #55 Briggs
  • #56 Daniel
  • #57 Easton
  • #58 Michael
  • #59 Otto
  • #60 Thomas
  • #61 Baker
  • #62 Beckett
  • #63 Ezra
  • #64 Joseph
  • #65 Arlo
  • #66 Benson
  • #67 Charles
  • #68 Jackson
  • #69 Josiah
  • #70 Alexander
  • #71 Barrett
  • #72 Caleb
  • #73 Camden
  • #74 Harrison
  • #75 Isaiah
  • #76 Rhett
  • #77 Colton
  • #78 Emmett
  • #79 Harvey
  • #80 Jace
  • #81 Knox
  • #82 Ryker
  • #83 Sebastian
  • #84 Theo
  • #85 Tucker
  • #86 Anthony
  • #87 Arthur
  • #88 Dawson
  • #89 Jasper
  • #90 Jude
  • #91 Luka
  • #92 Tate
  • #93 Andrew
  • #94 Eli
  • #95 Elliot
  • #96 Griffin
  • #97 Jacob
  • #98 Jameson
  • #99 Ledger
  • #100 Logan

Explore Neighboring States

See how naming trends differ in nearby states