Boy Name

Popular Boy Names Vary by State

The Social Security Administration ranks names by popularity each year, and for the most recent year of record, the most popular boy names varied a bit among states. In 2008, for example, the boy name Jacob was the most popular in the nation as a whole. Michael was number two, while Ethan was number three. But when broken down by individual states, sometimes these names fall far from the top three spots.

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Jayden is the surprising number one boy name in Florida, with Joshua as a close second. In Maine, parents are partial to Benjamin, which ranks second in popularity, just behind Jacob. Logan is uniquely preferred in Missouri – it earned a fourth place finish. The unpredictable name Wyatt received a surprise fourth place in Montana behind the more popular names of Ethan, Jacob, and William. Wyatt earned a second place spot in nearby Wyoming. Owen earned an astonishing second place in New Hampshire, just behind Jacob.

In Hawaii, Ethan was the number one boy name in 2009. Jacob was all the way down at number seven. Noah and Isaiah came in second and third, respectively, in Hawaii. Isaiah took the unexpected number one spot in New Mexico. In Texas, Jose came in number one, and more names fill out the top ten that aren’t as popular in other parts of the country, like Angel as a boy name for child. Angel holds the number three spot in both California and Arizona. Out of all Boy names you can choose from the list, the best names are the ones similar mot the parents.

North Dakota really broke the mold with its number one boy name, Carter. Carter took third place in Iowa. Ryan took first in Massachusetts, but is hidden much further down on the other states’ lists.

This list shows that in general, parents do go for pretty predictable, safe names – but it does matter to some degree what region they live in.