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
King		Boy	Monarch; Ruler
Abel-Baby-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History,-And-Complete-Guide		Boy	Breath; Vapor; Son; Noble; Strength; Fortitude
Bailey-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-Comprehensive-Guide		Unisex	Administrator; Manager; Bailiff; Porter
Reese-Name-Meaning:-History,-Origin-&-Popularity-Trends		Girl	Enthusiasm; Ardor
Camden-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Enclosed valley
Elliott-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Everything-You-Need-To-Know		Boy	The Lord is my God
Adalyn-Name-Meaning:-Guide-To-Origin,-Popularity-&-More		Girl	Noble; Of a noble kind
Malachi-Name-Meaning-&-Popularity:-Complete-Guide-For-2025		Boy	My angel; Messenger of God
Molly-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Girl	Sea of bitterness; Rebelliousness; Wished-for child
Milo-Baby-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Soldier; Peaceful; Favored
Ayla		Girl	Oak tree; Halo; With the moon
Emmanuel-Guide:-Meaning,-Origin,-Pronunciation-&-Variations		Boy	God is with us
Sara-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity-In-2025:-Expert-Guide		Girl	Lady; Princess; Noblewoman
Karter		Boy	Transporter of goods by carts; One who uses a cart
Daisy		Girl	Daisy flower; Day eye
Esther		Girl	Star; Hidden
Alex-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-History:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	To defend; To protect
Rhett		Boy	Advice; Counsel; Ardent; Fiery
August-Name-Meaning:-Origins,-History-&-Popularity-In-2025		Boy	Respected; Esteemed; Venerable; Exalted
London		Unisex	From the city of London
River-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-History:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Unisex	Someone who is like a river
Genevieve		Girl	Woman of the race or tribe; Woman of the family
Xander-Meaning,-Origin-And-Popularity:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Defender of people
Harmony-Name-Meaning:-A-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-And-Popularity		Girl	Unity; Concord
Antonio-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-A-Complete-Guide		Boy	Priceless
Annabelle		Girl	Favored grace
Alyssa		Girl	Noble; Alyssum flower
Elliot		Unisex	My God is Yahweh
Ariel		Boy	Lion of God
Brody		Boy	Broad eye; Broad island; Ditch; Fort; Fortification; Muddy area
Finn		Boy	White; Blessed; Sámi people from Finland
Aliyah		Girl	Exalted; Sublime; Ascent
Dean		Boy	Valley; Leader
Londyn-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-Popularity-&-Complete-Guide		Girl	From London; By the impassable river
Emiliano		Boy	Rival; Industrious
Juliana		Girl	Downy-bearded; Devoted to Jove; Youthful; Juvenile
Eric		Boy	Eternal ruler
Arthur-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-History-&-2025-Popularity		Boy	Bear king; Bear
Trinity-Name-Meaning,-Origin-And-Popularity:-Complete-Guide		Girl	The holy triad
Miguel		Boy	Who is like God
Juliette-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Girl	Youthful; Jove's child; Downy-bearded; Devoted to Jove
Matteo-Baby-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-Essential-Guide		Boy	God's gift
Summer-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-&-Popularity		Girl	Summertime
Graham-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Complete-2025-Guide		Boy	Gravelly homestead
Callie-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-Popularity:-Complete-Guide		Girl	Most beautiful; Beautiful-voiced; Bearer of the cup; Most lovely
Sienna-Baby-Name:-Origin,-Meaning,-Popularity-&-7-FAQs		Unisex	Reddish brown clay; From city if Siena
Nicolas		Boy	Victory of the people
Alan		Boy	Handsome; Little rock
Blakely		Girl	Black; Dark; Woodland clearing
Kayla-Baby-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History-&-Popularity-Guide		Girl	Crown of laurels; Who is like god
Blake		Girl	Pale
Thiago		Boy	Supplanter
Alaia		Girl	Joyful; Happy; Lofty
Adriel		Boy	Flock of God
Teagan		Unisex	Darling; Descendant of Tadhgán
Victor		Boy	Winner or conqueror
Alaina		Girl	Little rock; Handsome; Torch; Shining light; Moon
Joel-Baby-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-A-Complete-Guide		Boy	Yahweh is god
Timothy		Boy	Honoring God
Finley-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-2025-Popularity-Trends		Boy	Fair hero; White Warrior
Catalina-Name-Meaning-Guide:-Origin,-History,-And-Popularity		Girl	Purity; Each of the two
Abraham		Boy	Father of multitudes; Father of nations; High father; Crossing; Passage
Hayden		Unisex	Hay hill
Judah-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-History:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Praise; To be praised; Thanksgiving
Rachel		Girl	Ewe; Female sheep
Edward		Boy	Rich guard
Juniper		Girl	Young; Evergreen; A type of tree
Messiah		Boy	Savior; Anointed
Lilly		Girl	Lily; Pure; Innocence; My God is an oath
Zayden		Boy	God; Divinity; Growth
Arabella-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-2025-Popularity-Guide		Girl	Lovable; Invokable; Yielding to prayer; Beautiful grace
Theo-Baby-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-Variations-&-Popularity-Guide		Boy	Gift of God; God; Folk; People
Ember		Girl	Spark; Precious stone
Kimberly		Girl	Royal fortress meadow; Cyndeburg's field; War chief
Tucker-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-Popularity:-Complete-Guide		Boy	A cloth fuller; Torment
Grant		Boy	Large; Tall; Big; Great
Sydney		Unisex	Saint Denis
Richard		Boy	Brave ruler; Mighty king; Firm ruler
Gemma		Girl	Jewel; Precious stone; Gem
Steven		Unisex	Crown; Wreath; Renowned
Freya-Baby-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity-Guide-2025		Girl	A noble woman
Alejandro		Boy	Defender of mankind
Jocelyn		Girl	Member of a Gauts tribe; Joyful
Jesse-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-And-Popularity		Boy	God exists; Gift
Dawson		Boy	Son of David; Beloved; Uncle
Amy-Name-Meaning-&-History:-The-Ultimate-Guide		Girl	Beloved; To love
Bryce		Boy	Freckled; Strength; Swift; Speckled
Georgia-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History,-And-Popularity-Guide		Girl	Farmer; Land worker
Oscar-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	God's spear; Friend of deer
Elise-Baby-Name-Complete-Guide:-Origin,-Meaning,-And-Popularity		Girl	God is my oath
Archer		Boy	Bowman
Patrick:-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History---Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Nobleman
Ada-Baby-Name-Meaning-&-Origin:-Complete-Guide-For-2025		Girl	Noble; First-born girl; Island; Adornment; Ornament;
Rosalie		Girl	Rose; Beautiful rose; Rose garden
Leon-Baby-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-Pronunciation-&-Popularity		Boy	Lion
Laila-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-2025-Popularity-Trends		Girl	Night; Dark beauty; Dark-haired
Colt-Name-Meaning-And-History:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Young male horse; Horsekeeper
Diana		Girl	Divine; Goddesslike; Sky; Perfect
Peter:-Comprehensive-Guide-To-Origin,-Meaning-&-Popularity		Boy	Rock; Stone
Brooke		Boy	One who lived near a brook; Small stream

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