Top baby names 2016 – The Most Popular Names of the Year

Topping the chart again for top baby names 2016, for boys, are Noah #1 and Liam #2; and for girls, Emma #1 and Olivia #2. While these most popular baby names retained their top positions from 2015, a few of their buddies lost their good rankings.

Boy Names that Dropped in Ranking in 2016

A few baby boy names that lost popularity from last year were Mason #4, Jacob #7 and Ethan #10. If only Alexander had been so lucky; sadly, that name lost all popularity and dropped from the top names list in 2016.

Girl Names that Dropped in Ranking 2016

Although they were shuffled around a bit, all ten female names retained their vitality in top names 2016. However, some female names did not go untouched. There were a few top girl names that lost their higher rankings from the year prior; such as: Sophia #4, Abigail #8 and Emily #9.

Boy Names that Moved Up in Rank 2016

Boy names were not only affected by their losses in 2016, there were a few names that gained favoritism and moved up in rank from the year prior; for instance: William #3, James #5 and Michael #7. In addition to that, Elijah, a name that didn’t make the top ten list in 2015 at all, made its debut at #9 on the top names for 2016.

Girl Names that Moved Up in Rank 2016

Although no girl names dropped from the most popular baby names list, there were still some adjustments made. Ava #3 and Charlotte #7 were more desired by parents in 2016 than they were in 2015. This change in preference gained them higher chart rankings among the most popular girl names for 2016.

The Ten Top Baby Names 2016 and their Meanings

Top Baby Names 2016 – Boys

Parents always look for uniqueness when it comes to picking baby names. They search endlessly for names that carry powerful meaning and originality. In 2016, the trend for popular baby boy names was biblically inspired and of Hebrew origin: Noah, “meaning rest, comfort”; James (a derivative of the name Jacob), “meaning supplanter, one who follows”; Benjamin, meaning “son of my right hand”; Jacob, meaning “supplanter”; Michael, meaning “God-like”; Elijah, meaning “Yahweh is God”; and Ethan, meaning “strong, firm.” The remaining top boy names for 2016 that didn’t share in the same biblical theme were Liam (short for William), meaning “resolute, protection,” origin: Irish; William (from the German name Wilhelm), meaning “resolute, protection,” origin: Germany; and lastly, Mason, meaning “stone worker,” origin: English.

Top Baby Names 2016 – Girls

The most popular girl’s names in 2016, unlike the boys, did not take on a particular theme. They all exhibited different meanings and origins: Emma, meaning “universal” – origin, Germany; Olivia, meaning “olive tree” – origin, Latin; Ava, meaning “life” – origin, Latin; Sophia, meaning “wisdom” – origin, Greek; Isabella (Spanish and Italian variation of Elizabeth), meaning “pledged to God” – origin, Hebrew; Mia, meaning “mine, bitter” – origin, Italian; Charlotte, meaning “free man” – origin, English and French; Abigail, meaning “my father is joyful” – origin, Hebrew; Emily (female version of Emil), meaning “rival” – origin, Latin; and lastly, Harper, meaning “harp player” – origin, English.

Names Used by Celebrities from the 2016 Top 10 List

After researching the top names chosen by celebrities from the Top Baby Names 2016 list, four boy names were chosen: Liam was born to Tony Parker and Axelle Francine on 7/29/2016; James was born to Brooke Anderson and Tim Walker on 4/19/2016; Benjamin was born to Jasmine and Chris Arteaga Sorge on 12/1/2016; Ethan was born to Cheyenne Jackson and Jason Landau on 10/7/2016; and although the name Theodore didn’t make the 2016 most popular boy names list, he was born to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner on 3/27/2016.
As far as female names chosen by celebrity parents, there were only two selected from the 2016 top ten most popular girl’s names list: Olivia was born to Kellie James and Keith Christian on 2/13/2016, and Isabella was born to Christy Carlson Romano and Brendan Rooney on 12/25/2016. Although the following names did not make it to the list of top names, they are still worth mentioning: Heiress was born to Clifford (T.I.) and Tameka (Tiny) Harris on 3/26/2016; Scarlett was born to Devon and Dawni Sawa on 3/21/2016; and Bianca was born to Kobe and Vanessa Bryant on 12/5/2016.

Why Should Parents Choose a Name from the Top Baby Names 2016

Choosing a baby name is a stressful job inherited by soon to be parents. Moms and dads alike set out to choose baby names that they would be proud of – a name that has great meaning – a powerful name. Well, deciding on a name that will stay with your baby forever could be scary. Luckily, there are helpful resources available that aid parents in their selection. One good example of readily available help is, The 2016 Top Baby Names list of SSA.GOV. This list equips parents with the correct spelling of baby names, informed meaning behind the names, and the place of origin.

Top 10 Baby Names for 2016

Click on a name below to see the meaning of the name plus additional information.

Naming Trends by New Parents in 2016

Like the wind, naming trends shift every year. In 2015, parents chose names that were socially inspired by YouTube celebrities, Instagram filters, characters from young adult novels, and even video game heroes. In 2016, parents stepped out of the box in regard to baby name trends. They did away with the custom of gender specific names and picked names that were more unisex. This could have been largely contributed to Catilyn Jenner (celebrity transgender), formerly known as Bruce Jenner, from the show “Keeping Up with The Kardashians.”

Conclusion

Having a baby can be an exciting time; yet, it comes with the great responsibility of name choice. If you are an expecting parent, and can’t decide on the right name for your buddle of joy, don’t stress. Breathe easy knowing that you can always refer to The Top Baby Names 2016 for guidance. Deciding on a baby name should be enjoyable – not frustrating. Remember, whatever name you choose for your child will be perfect because it was lovingly selected by you.

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