South Carolina Baby Names: Trends & Data (1910–2025)

Boys

Noah is projected to be South Carolina's top male baby name in 2025, accounting for 276 births. This marks a notable shift from the 1950s, when James was the dominant choice for boys. Compared to 30 years ago, Jacob demonstrates the fastest ascent, climbing 7 rank positions. Conversely, Christopher has experienced the biggest decline, dropping 8 rank positions in popularity.

Girls

Charlotte led South Carolina female baby names in 2025, recorded for 249 births. This marks a significant shift from the 1950s, when Mary was the dominant choice. Over the last three decades, Anna has emerged as the fastest rising name, climbing 11 rank positions. Ashley, conversely, saw the biggest decline, dropping 16 rank positions in that same period.

#1 Boy (2025)

Noah

#1 Girl (2025)

Charlotte

Fastest Rising

Jacob

↑ +7

Biggest Decline

Christopher

↓ −8

Longest #1 Run

James

7 decades at #1

Total Births (2025)

9,966

births tracked

How the Most Popular Names Changed Over Time

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

DecadeJamesWilliamJohnElijahMichael
1910sRank #1Rank #3Rank #2
1920sRank #1Rank #3Rank #2
1930sRank #1Rank #3Rank #2
1940sRank #1Rank #3Rank #2
1950sRank #1Rank #3Rank #2Rank #7
1960sRank #1Rank #5Rank #2Rank #3
1970sRank #1Rank #4Rank #5Rank #2
1980sRank #3Rank #4Rank #6Rank #2
1990sRank #4Rank #2Rank #8Rank #3
2000sRank #3Rank #1Rank #7Rank #6
2010sRank #2Rank #1Rank #7Rank #5Rank #8
2020sRank #4Rank #2Rank #6Rank #5Rank #16

Baby Names by Decade

Most popular · Runner-up per decade

1910sJamesJohn
1920sJamesJohn
1930sJamesJohn
1940sJamesJohn
1950sJamesJohn
1960sJamesJohn
Recent Decades
1970sJamesMichael
1980sChristopherMichael
1990sChristopherWilliam
2000sWilliamJacob
2010sWilliamJames
2020sNoahWilliam

Biggest Name Shifts

Names that climbed or fell the most in popularity

Fastest Rising

Jacob

+7 rank positions · since 1990s
Biggest Decline

Christopher

-8 rank positions · since 1980s

How South Carolina Compares to the Nation

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

More Popular in South Carolina

  • Kyrie
    #90 here · #243 nationally +153
  • Kingston
    #71 here · #204 nationally +133
  • Messiah
    #97 here · #211 nationally +114
  • Legend
    #87 here · #194 nationally +107
  • Jayce
    #96 here · #167 nationally +71

Less Popular in South Carolina

  • Santiago
    #98 here · #26 nationally 72
  • Julian
    #86 here · #25 nationally 61
  • Dylan
    #92 here · #41 nationally 51
  • Leo
    #55 here · #19 nationally 36
  • Mateo
    #41 here · #8 nationally 33

Top 100 Baby Names in South Carolina

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

Top 10

RankNameBirthsNational
  • #1Noah276#2
  • #2Liam271#1
  • #3William269#9
  • #4James250#6
  • #5Elijah215#7
  • #6John205#23
  • #7Oliver201#3
  • #8Henry199#5
  • #9Theodore178#4
  • #10Lucas156#10

Names #11–100

  • #11 Waylon
  • #12 Hudson
  • #13 Levi
  • #14 Samuel
  • #15 Asher
  • #16 Thomas
  • #17 Michael
  • #18 Wyatt
  • #19 Jack
  • #20 Joseph
  • #21 Daniel
  • #22 Weston
  • #23 Carter
  • #24 Cooper
  • #25 Silas
  • #26 Charles
  • #27 David
  • #28 Josiah
  • #29 Jackson
  • #30 Benjamin
  • #31 Gabriel
  • #32 Bennett
  • #33 Ezra
  • #34 Elias
  • #35 Luke
  • #36 Mason
  • #37 Walker
  • #38 Anthony
  • #39 Grayson
  • #40 Alexander
  • #41 Mateo
  • #42 Rowan
  • #43 Owen
  • #44 Sebastian
  • #45 Luca
  • #46 Robert
  • #47 Colton
  • #48 Nolan
  • #49 Ethan
  • #50 Matthew
  • #51 Wesley
  • #52 Jacob
  • #53 Maverick
  • #54 Joshua
  • #55 Leo
  • #56 Nathan
  • #57 Thiago
  • #58 Amir
  • #59 Caleb
  • #60 Christopher
  • #61 Isaiah
  • #62 Roman
  • #63 Andrew
  • #64 Brooks
  • #65 Kayden
  • #66 Miles
  • #67 Sawyer
  • #68 Everett
  • #69 Isaac
  • #70 Jeremiah
  • #71 Kingston
  • #72 Aiden
  • #73 Cameron
  • #74 Easton
  • #75 Lincoln
  • #76 Logan
  • #77 River
  • #78 Jonathan
  • #79 Beau
  • #80 Eithan
  • #81 Landon
  • #82 Micah
  • #83 Bryson
  • #84 Harrison
  • #85 Christian
  • #86 Julian
  • #87 Legend
  • #88 Angel
  • #89 Ezekiel
  • #90 Kyrie
  • #91 Parker
  • #92 Dylan
  • #93 Hunter
  • #94 Ian
  • #95 Arthur
  • #96 Jayce
  • #97 Messiah
  • #98 Santiago
  • #99 Atlas
  • #100 Dawson

Explore Neighboring States

See how naming trends differ in nearby states