These Are The Most Popular Baby Names In The Northeast

When it comes to baby name trends, there are regional differences.

The Social Security Administration’s list of most popular baby names in the U.S. doesn’t have many surprising rankings, but there are some interesting trends on the regional level.

Take the Northeast, for example. Looking at the most recent SSA data from 2017, we identified the most popular baby names for boys and girls born in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont (the states the Census Bureau defines as the Northeast).

While there was much overlap between the Northeast rankings and national data, there were also points of divergence. On the regional list, Emily sits at No. 10; it’s No. 12 on the U.S. list. Meanwhile, nationally ranked No. 9, Evelyn, falls out of the Top 10, sitting at No. 13 in the Northeast rankings. Leah, Sarah and Gabriella are also more popular in the region (where they rank at Nos. 18, 29 and 32, respectively) than in the U.S. as a whole (where they fall at Nos. 40, 52 and 68).

The Top 10 national and regional lists look quite different when it comes to popular names for boys. In the Northeast, Jacob ranks No. 3, Lucas is No. 5, Michael is No. 6 and Joseph is No. 10, but nationally, those names fall at Nos. 10, 11, 12 and 19, respectively. Other names, like Ryan, have an even more dramatic contrast in ranking ― Ryan is No. 15 in the Northeast vs. No. 43 in the U.S.

Below, find the top 35 boys’ and girls’ names for Northeast babies. For more data and state-by-state breakdowns, visit the SSA website.