Oh Baby! The Names Emma and Liam Are Tops for Tots in 2019
110,443 babies born in New York City in 2019 and Emma and Liam are once again the most popular names
December 23, 2020 — The Health Department today announced that Emma and Liam were still the most popular baby names in New York City in 2019. Li-ding the pack is Liam, which has led the list for boys since 2016. And the Em-mazing name Emma has been the number one name for girls since 2017. The Health Department’s birth certificate records show 497 Emmas and 764 Liams were born in New York City in 2019.
| Most Popular Baby Names New York City, 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Girls | Boys |
| 1 | Emma | Liam |
| 2 | Olivia | Noah |
| 3 | Sophia | Ethan |
| 4 | Mia | Jacob |
| 5 | Isabella | Lucas |
| 6 | Leah | Aiden |
| 7 | Ava | Daniel |
| 8 | Chloe | Michael |
| 9 | Amelia | David |
| 10 | Charlotte | Matthew |
| Total Births | 53,927 | 56,516 |
“Whatever their names, they’re perfect to us,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi. “We are proud to welcome our newest New Yorkers to the world.”
Name Trends
Nine of the top ten girls’ names from 2018 stayed on the top ten list for 2018. Sarah dropped off the top ten list in 2019. Olivia and Isabella swapped positions from second to fifth. Leah and Ava also switched positions in 2019.
Nine of the boys’ names from 2018 stayed on the list for 2019. Alexander was dropped from the list and Michael was added in 2019. The top four names remained the same from 2018. Aiden dropped one spot to the sixth most popular while Lucas moved up to the fifth most popular name. Daniel moved up the popularity rankings from 2018 whereas Matthew fell to the tenth most popular name.
New York City Births by Borough, 2019
From 2018 to 2019, the number of babies born in New York City decreased 3.4 percent – from 114,296 births to 110,443 (56,516 boys and 53,927 girls).
| Borough | Count |
|---|---|
| Manhattan | 42,482 |
| Bronx | 12,607 |
| Brooklyn | 27,067 |
| Queens | 22,606 |
| Staten Island | 5,681 |
Looking to the stars
Parents may be inspired by artists with hits in 2019: Camila (No. 22), Ariana (No. 29), Justin (No. 54), Tyler (No. 84), Taylor (No. 156), Adele (No. 99), Harry (No. 134), Frank (No. 141), Selena (No. 117), Shawn (No. 144), Megan (No. 124) and Travis (No. 151).
Babies for every season
The seasons and months have long been favorite name choices for parents. In 2019, parents chose Winter (No. 113), Summer (No. 88), and Autumn (No. 86). For the months, babies were given the names of August (No. 110), June (No. 110), and April (No. 120).
Resources for Expectant Parents
The Health Department has a webpage to guide parents with filling out legal paperwork related to their child including birth certificates, acknowledgement of paternity for unmarried fathers, and information for same-sex couples. For additional details, please visit: Expecting Parents.
Parents who need additional time to name their child for religious or other reasons may register their child’s birth without a first name and go back to add their child’s name later. They may do this without a fee either through DOHMH within 60 days of birth or through the birthing hospital within 12 months of date of birth. Once the name is added, it is final and requires a correction to change.
The Health Department also provides information on free or low-cost services for new parents, ranging from pre-pregnancy health related issues to offering resources to new mothers for keeping their babies healthy. For more information, please visit our website: Pregnancy and Baby Care.
The Health Department’s Bureau of Vital Statistics compiles baby name lists from birth certificates and collects other data, including total births by year and demographic characteristics. To learn more about the information gathered from birth certificates, please visit: Vital Statistics.
###
#035-20
MEDIA CONTACT: Patrick Gallahue / Victoria Merlino
PressOffice@health.nyc.gov