West Virginia Baby Names: Trends & Data (1910–2025)
Boys
Waylon emerged as West Virginia's top male name in 2025, recorded for 115 births. This represents a significant shift from the 1950s, a decade when James was the dominant choice. Over the past 30 years, Austin has shown the fastest ascent, climbing 8 rank positions. In contrast, Zachary experienced the most substantial decline, dropping 10 rank positions across the state.
Girls
West Virginia's female baby naming trends reveal significant shifts. In 2025, Charlotte was the top name with 84 births. This contrasts sharply with the 1950s, when Linda dominated. Over the past 30 years, Alexis has shown the fastest ascent, rising +15 rank positions. Meanwhile, Emily recorded the biggest decline, dropping -6 rank positions. These figures highlight dynamic preferences across generations.
#1 Boy (2025)
Waylon
#1 Girl (2025)
Charlotte
Fastest Rising
Austin
↑ +8
Biggest Decline
Zachary
↓ −10
Longest #1 Run
James
6 decades at #1
Total Births (2025)
3,638
births tracked
Fastest Rising
Alexis
↑ +15
Biggest Decline
Emily
↓ −6
Longest #1 Run
Mary
3 decades at #1
Total Births (2025)
2,888
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 | Waylon | Ethan | Oliver | Liam | Jacob |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1920s | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1930s | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1940s | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1950s | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960s | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1970s | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980s | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990s | — | — | — | — | Rank #5 |
| 2000s | — | Rank #2 | — | — | Rank #1 |
| 2010s | — | — | — | Rank #2 | Rank #4 |
| 2020s | Rank #1 | — | Rank #2 | Rank #3 | — |
Baby Names by Decade
Most popular · Runner-up per decade
Biggest Name Shifts
Names that climbed or fell the most in popularity
Austin
+8 rank positions · since 1990sZachary
-10 rank positions · since 1990sAlexis
+15 rank positions · since 1990sEmily
-6 rank positions · since 2000sHow West Virginia Compares to the Nation
Names that rank notably higher or lower here vs. the U.S. overall
More Popular in West Virginia
- Kaysen#99 here · #412 nationally↑ +313
- Remington#70 here · #311 nationally↑ +241
- Kohen#62 here · #299 nationally↑ +237
- Colt#59 here · #285 nationally↑ +226
- Holden#90 here · #294 nationally↑ +204
Less Popular in West Virginia
- Luca#92 here · #14 nationally↓ −78
- Ethan#97 here · #24 nationally↓ −73
- Jack#77 here · #15 nationally↓ −62
- Bennett#95 here · #40 nationally↓ −55
- Jacob#98 here · #43 nationally↓ −55
More Popular in West Virginia
- Haisley#96 here · #482 nationally↑ +386
- Wrenlee#43 here · #353 nationally↑ +310
- Octavia#41 here · #308 nationally↑ +267
- Brynlee#51 here · #240 nationally↑ +189
- Everleigh#34 here · #193 nationally↑ +159
Less Popular in West Virginia
- Mia#79 here · #6 nationally↓ −73
- Eloise#100 here · #49 nationally↓ −51
- Elizabeth#63 here · #17 nationally↓ −46
- Isabella#46 here · #7 nationally↓ −39
- Josephine#88 here · #53 nationally↓ −35
Top 100 Baby Names in West Virginia
Most popular names in 2020–2025, ranked by total births
Top 10
- #1Waylon115#56
- #2Hudson106#17
- #3Oliver96#3
- #4Noah85#2
- #5Wyatt70#38
- #6Cooper68#27
- #7Asher67#28
- #8Weston63#55
- #9Liam60#1
- #10Theodore60#4
Names #11–100
- #11 James
- #12 Elijah
- #13 Maverick
- #14 William
- #15 Carter
- #16 Henry
- #17 Jackson
- #18 Sawyer
- #19 Silas
- #20 Atlas
- #21 Easton
- #22 Grayson
- #23 Colton
- #24 Owen
- #25 Samuel
- #26 Levi
- #27 Lucas
- #28 Parker
- #29 Elias
- #30 Mason
- #31 Lincoln
- #32 Walker
- #33 Beau
- #34 Dawson
- #35 Roman
- #36 Carson
- #37 Miles
- #38 Ryker
- #39 Bentley
- #40 John
- #41 Ryder
- #42 Thomas
- #43 Wesley
- #44 Archer
- #45 River
- #46 Joseph
- #47 Stetson
- #48 Alexander
- #49 Cohen
- #50 Daniel
- #51 Jasper
- #52 Jaxon
- #53 Leo
- #54 Benjamin
- #55 Colter
- #56 Ezra
- #57 Luke
- #58 Brooks
- #59 Colt
- #60 Hunter
- #61 Isaiah
- #62 Kohen
- #63 Rowan
- #64 Tucker
- #65 Cameron
- #66 Jameson
- #67 Michael
- #68 Nolan
- #69 Logan
- #70 Remington
- #71 Braxton
- #72 Isaac
- #73 Luka
- #74 Eli
- #75 Everett
- #76 Ezekiel
- #77 Jack
- #78 Maddox
- #79 Matthew
- #80 Barrett
- #81 Beckett
- #82 Jaxson
- #83 Jensen
- #84 Myles
- #85 Arthur
- #86 Beckham
- #87 Charles
- #88 Greyson
- #89 Hayden
- #90 Holden
- #91 Kai
- #92 Luca
- #93 Micah
- #94 Andrew
- #95 Bennett
- #96 Emmett
- #97 Ethan
- #98 Jacob
- #99 Kaysen
- #100 Knox
Top 10
- #1Charlotte84#2
- #2Amelia82#4
- #3Lainey68#30
- #4Harper62#16
- #5Willow61#44
- #6Sophia54#5
- #7Violet54#13
- #8Oaklynn53#153
- #9Paisley53#67
- #10Ava52#11
Names #11–100
- #11 Eleanor
- #12 Olivia
- #13 Aurora
- #14 Ellie
- #15 Emma
- #16 Hazel
- #17 Avery
- #18 Evelyn
- #19 Kinsley
- #20 Scarlett
- #21 Lillian
- #22 Ella
- #23 Ivy
- #24 Layla
- #25 Nova
- #26 Oakley
- #27 Delilah
- #28 Raelynn
- #29 Sadie
- #30 Isla
- #31 Wrenley
- #32 Adalynn
- #33 Eliana
- #34 Everleigh
- #35 Josie
- #36 Abigail
- #37 Lydia
- #38 Nora
- #39 Eliza
- #40 Addison
- #41 Octavia
- #42 Piper
- #43 Wrenlee
- #44 Aubrey
- #45 Gianna
- #46 Isabella
- #47 Lily
- #48 Millie
- #49 Penelope
- #50 Adeline
- #51 Brynlee
- #52 Naomi
- #53 Chloe
- #54 Clara
- #55 Hadley
- #56 Lucy
- #57 Aria
- #58 Emersyn
- #59 Nevaeh
- #60 Riley
- #61 Eden
- #62 Elena
- #63 Elizabeth
- #64 Ember
- #65 Iris
- #66 Stella
- #67 Audrey
- #68 Callie
- #69 Daisy
- #70 Grace
- #71 Parker
- #72 Remi
- #73 Alice
- #74 Arabella
- #75 Everly
- #76 Kennedy
- #77 Madelyn
- #78 Magnolia
- #79 Mia
- #80 Natalie
- #81 Ruby
- #82 Zoey
- #83 Amara
- #84 Emerson
- #85 Emery
- #86 Freya
- #87 Hallie
- #88 Josephine
- #89 Lilah
- #90 Lyla
- #91 Maisie
- #92 Sutton
- #93 Caroline
- #94 Cora
- #95 Elliana
- #96 Haisley
- #97 Skylar
- #98 Stevie
- #99 Vivian
- #100 Eloise
Explore Neighboring States
See how naming trends differ in nearby states