The Top Baby Names of 2025

The most popular baby names of the year have just been released, and every year, without fail, I always find myself anticipating the reveal of what BabyCenter declares as the top names. It always feels a little like peeking into a cultural diary. What are parents drawn to right now? What sounds soft or strong or hopeful to us this year? One of us will text the other, “Names are out,” and then we read through the list like we’re settling in with a cup of coffee.

Part of my fascination comes from the fact that we never got to choose our children’s names. When you foster, and then adopt, you meet your child and their name is already there, like a tiny introduction. You don’t spend months debating favorites or vetoing each other’s suggestions. You just receive the name and grow into it together. And now, of course, I can’t imagine Allan, Riah, or Anna as anything else. Their names feel stitched into them, and to us, they’re absolutely perfect.

Here are this year’s top choices:

Top Girl Names 2025
Olivia
Amelia
Sophia
Emma
Isabella
Charlotte
Eliana
Ellie
Aurora
Mia

Top Boy Names 2025
Noah
Liam
Oliver
Elijah
Mateo
Levi
Lucas
Ezra
Asher
Luca

I love how gentle so many of these names sound this year. Lots of lilting vowels and soft endings. Names that feel just as fitting for a baby in footie pajamas as they would for an adult introducing themselves at work someday.

It’s funny how a simple list can make you think about all the small ways we begin. A name is just the starting point, but it grows right alongside a child. And maybe that’s why these annual lists never get old. They’re a reminder of all the beginnings happening around us, all the tiny new stories just starting out.