I hear it all the time. "I was one of six Ashleys in my class, and I don't want that for my kid". But baby names have changed and that's no longer the reality. Let's look at the data together.
The most common concern I hear from parents choosing a baby name is that they don’t want something too popular. That’s totally fair! But the argument is often “I was one of six kids named "X” in my class, and I don’t want that for my child.” So, let's explore the likelihood of that happening today.
The internet has given parents access to way more names than they had before! And yet, social media makes you feel like everyone has the same name.
A larger pool of names + the pressure to choose something unique = fewer people choosing the same baby name.
The top-ranking name today does not equal the top-ranking name 30 years ago.
Let's check the data. Ashley was the most popular girl’s name in the US in 1992. It was given to 38,460 baby girls that year alone. Nearly 2% of all baby girls born that year were named Ashley.
Olivia was the most popular girl’s name in 2025. And still, it was only given to 13,544 babies. 0.77% of baby girls born last year were named Olivia.
That means nearly 25,000 fewer baby girls were given the top name in the US.
To put that into perspective:
Approximately 1 in every 50 baby girls born in 1992 was named Ashley.
Approximately 1 in every 125 baby girls born in 2025 was named Olivia.
This means declining birth rates have very little to do with the 25,000 gap. Simply put, the most popular name in the US is far less popular today than it used to be.
In fact, Olivia was given to the same number of babies in 2025 as the 20th most popular name in 1992.
Now for the boys.
If we look at the same years, Michael was the top name in 1992. It was given to 54,386 baby boys that year. That’s over 2.6%.
Last year's top name, Liam, was given to 20,818 baby boys. That’s a little over 1.1% of boys born in 2025.
1 in every 37 baby boys born in 1992 was given the name Michael.
1 in every 88 baby boys born in 2025 was given the name Liam.
So what are the odds your child will go to school with someone else who shares the same name?
Look, I'm not a statistician. But I do know that there's a huge difference between name popularity 30+ years ago and today. While highly dependent on location, it's likely a child with a top 10 name will share that name with a friend or classmate. But 5 other classmates? Unlikely.
At the end of the day, choose whatever name you love. If that’s something considered “unique”? Great!
But don’t let popularity deter you from a great name.
And if you need help finding a name you love? We got you.