Top Baby Names For 2020

Reflecting the hopes and dreams of parents.

The popular baby names of 2020 primarily depicted a desire for resilience, hope, and a deep connection to the past. These names represented the belief in timeless traditions and the need to adopt contemporary trends. However, most parents gravitated towards names that held deep meaning and a sense of continuity. They preferred names that seamlessly connected the past with the present. Classic names continued to dominate the charts, but modern names also made their mark, capturing the hearts of parents all over the country.

For girls, the classic favorites Sophia (wisdom), Evelyn (desired), and Abigail (father’s joy) remained steadfast at the top of the charts, with interesting names like Kamryn (bent nose, Holly (the Holly tree), and Poppy (the red-flowering plant) also received much love from parents. On the boys’ side, while traditional names such as Oliver (olive tree planter), James (supplanter), and Ethan (strong) continued to hold strong, modern names like Kian (ancient), Rhys (fiery warrior), and Niko (victory of the people) also emerged as popular choices, adding a contemporary flair to the list. Discover more cool and trendy names on our list below. These are names listed as the most popular baby name choices in the US by the SSA (1).

In This Article

Browse Top Baby Names by Gender

Girl Boy

Browse Top Baby Names by Year

Name		Gender	Meaning
Saul-Name-Meaning:-Guide-To-Origin,-History-And-Popularity		Boy	Asked; Loaned; Grave; Prayed for
Madilynn		Girl	One who is from Magdala; Tower
Katelyn		Girl	Pure; Each of the two
Roland		Boy	Famous land; Glorious territory; From the famous land
Myra		Girl	Myrr;
Brycen-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-Nicknames-&-Popularity-Guide		Boy	Son of Brice; Speckled man's son
Virginia		Girl	A virgin; Maid
Ryland		Boy	Land of rye
Kylee		Girl	Boomerang; Narrows; Channel; Strait
Davis-Name-Meaning:-Ultimate-Guide-To-Origin-&-Popularity		Boy	Son of David; Beloved; Uncle
Rowen		Unisex	Little red one; Red-haired one
Lawrence		Boy	From Laurentum; Bright; Shining
Leslie-Name-Meaning-And-History:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Unisex	Garden of holly; From the gray fortress
Aleah		Girl	Rising; Height; Exalted; Champion
Zain-Name-Meaning-&-History:-6-Meanings,-Variations-&-Trends		Boy	Beauty; Grace
Hanna		Girl	Favor; Grace; God has favored me
Duke-Name-Meaning:-Comprehensive-Guide-To-History-&-Popularity		Boy	Leader
Jaliyah		Girl	Sublime; Exalted; Ascending
Antonella		Girl	Priceless; First born; Flower
Jaime		Boy	Supplanter; One who follows; Holder of the heel
Alec		Boy	Defender of the people
Aviana		Girl	Family; Bird; To breathe
Stetson		Boy	Stithweard's town; Fighter; Boxer
Yusuf		Boy	God increases; He will add
Cadence		Girl	Rhythm; Flow; Falling
Cecelia-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity-Guide		Girl	Blind; Lily of heaven
Case-Baby-Name:-Expert-Guide-To-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity		Boy	Vigilant; Watchful
Chelsea-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-A-Complete-Guide		Girl	Chalk landing place
Trenton-Name-Meaning,-History,-And-Origin:-Complete-Guide		Unisex	Trent's town
Emberly-Name-Meaning:-A-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-&-Popularity		Girl	Spark; Glowing flame; Woodland; Clearing
Mae-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-Mythology,-And-Popularity-Insights		Girl	A bitter pearl; The month of May; Mother; Lovable
Donald-Name-Meaning:-A-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-And-Popularity		Boy	One who rules the world
Alia		Girl	Noble; Sublime; Exalted; Heavenly; High; Divine
Keith-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History,-And-What-You-Need-To-Know		Boy	Wood; From the battleground
Callen		Girl	War; Rock; Descendant of Cathalán; Battle rule
Charley		Unisex	Free man; Army
Janelle		Girl	God is gracious
Jasiah-Name-Origin,-Meaning,-And-History:-A-Complete-Guide		Boy	Yahweh supports
Bethany		Girl	House of figs
Soren-Name-Meaning-In-2025:-Origin,-Popularity-&-Variations		Boy	Stern; Severe
Mallory		Girl	Unhappy; Unlucky
Dennis-Name-Meaning:-Origins,-History,-And-Key-Insights		Boy	Danish; The Dane; Greek God Dionysus
Beatrice		Girl	Voyager; Blessed one
Izaiah-Name:-Complete-Guide-In-2025		Boy	Yahweh is salvation
Kaliyah		Boy	Sweet; Beloved; Darling; High; Lofty; Sublime
Elaine		Girl	Torch; Light; Moon; My God has answered me
Lewis-Name-Meaning:-Ultimate-Origin,-History-&-Popularity-Guide		Boy	Famous in battle
Gloria-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-A-Complete-Guide		Girl	Praise; Glory; Immortal glory; Fame
Kobe		Boy	Holder of the heel; May God protect; City of Kobe; Tortoise
Kylan		Boy	Narrows; Channel; Strait
Briana		Girl	High; Power; Hill
Makai		Boy	Who is like God; Ocean
Dorothy-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-10-Adorable-Nicknames		Girl	Gift of God
Zaire		Boy	River that swallows other rivers
Jayleen		Unisex	Beautiful jaybird; Victory; Tranquility
Ford		Boy	A causeway across a river or stream
Lorelai-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-And-Popularity		Girl	Murmuring rock; Alluring temptress
Malaysia		Girl	To run; To go fast
Landyn		Boy	Long hill
Rayan-Name-Meaning-and-Origin:-A-Comprehensive-Guide-for-2025		Boy	Wise; Smart; Thinker; Watered; Luxuriant; Little king; Gate to Heaven
Rosie-Name-Meaning-2025:-Complete-Guide-To-History-&-Popularity		Girl	Rose; Famous type
Roy-Name-Meaning-And-History:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	King; Red
Jemma-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-Popularity:-Complete-Guide		Girl	Gem; Precious stone; Dove
Jamari		Boy	A good-looking man; Beauty; The pool
Noa		Unisex	Movement; Motion
Bo		Girl	To live; Exist; Reside; Wave
Carly		Girl	Free man; Army
Emmalyn		Girl	Brave; Unceasing; Whole; Great
Darius		Boy	Possessing goodness
Chris		Boy	Follower of Christ; Bearer of Christ
Mohammad		Boy	Praised; Commendable
Jamie		Boy	Supplanter; Holder of the heel
Ares		Boy	Bane; Ruin; Throng of battle
Karina		Boy	Pure; Beloved; Each of the two
Mariam-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-Comprehensive-Guide		Girl	Wished for a child; Bitter
Drake-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Key-Insights-For-2025		Boy	Dragon; Serpent
Anne		Girl	Grace; Favor; Eagle
Tripp		Boy	Three; Third; To Stumble; To dance; A journey
Dustin		Boy	Thor's stone
Ivory-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History-And-What-You-Need-To-Know		Unisex	Creamy-white color; Made of ivory
Samson-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Sun
Kaysen-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Son of the marsh-dwellers
Kara		Boy	To love; Dark; Beloved
Ivanna		Girl	God is gracious
Marcelo		Boy	Warlike; A young warrior; Dedicated to Mars
Gerardo		Unisex	Spear strength; Firm spear; Brave spear
Jayda		Girl	Precious stone Jade; Stone of the flank; He knows; Wise; Gift
Briar-Name-Meaning-And-History:-The-Ultimate-Baby-Name-Guide		Unisex	A group of thorny bushes; Heather; Son of the friar
Keaton		Boy	Place of hawks
Skyla		Girl	Scholar; Sky; Cloud
Layton		Boy	Leek town
Aitana-Baby-Name:-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity-Guide-For-2025		Girl	A mountain range in Valencia; Spain; Dawning moon; Wise moon
Johan		Boy	God is gracious
Meredith		Boy	Great ruler
Reece-Name-Meaning-And-History:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Enthusiasm; Ardor
Chandler-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Everything-You-Need-To-Know		Unisex	Candle seller; Candle maker
Dayana		Girl	Divine; Goddess-like
Khaleesi		Girl	Queen
Mack-Name-Meaning,-History,-And-Popularity:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Son; Great
Julieta-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-Pronunciation-&-Trends-in-2025		Girl	Youthful; Jove's child; Downy-bearded; Devoted to Jove

Infographic: Trendy Short Names Of 2020

Short names are simple and often easy to remember. In 2020, there was a rise in the preference for short names. These versatile names are adapted easily across languages while maintaining a modern, sleek appeal. Explore the infographic below to discover the top short names of 2020 and their meanings.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team