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November 8, 2025 22 mins

Baby center has just released the top 100 baby names for 2025. There are some surprising newcomers to the top 10 for both girls and boys…  and some unique new names that are inspired by pop culture… think. “The Sumner I Turned Pretty” kind of inspired!

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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome everyone to this edition of Amy and TJ. And
for parents out there or soon to be parents out there,
the name you give your child is probably one of
the most important decisions you make in your life. Wouldn't
you say? How much time did you spend coming up
with Sabine's name?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Really? I have a I could probably find the file
somewhere in front of me and computer. But I had
a full list of boy game names, girl names. Had
mostly girl names. Struggled with boy names, but I had
a lot of them. He was almost an Adele.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Almost Adele or Ripley, Ripley, believe it or not.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Ripley Holmes. You see Sabine now was.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Ripley Sherlock is her middle name.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Adele Holmes.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
That's like, that's that's a weak direction to go, Like,
that's just an old It's not even Fanny, it's lazy Robes,
It's lazy.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
What did you do? How did you go about trying
to find the name?

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Every time I heard one, I like to wrot it down. Period.
That's it. She's named now after a German tennis player
because I was watching a match and her name is
Sabine Lichitski. I believe is what her name is. And
she even tweeted me back one time because I said, yeah,
there's her namesake playing, and she was like, what the hell.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, that's so funny.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Mean is named after a German tennis player.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Period, so it's funny. I actually knew I wanted to
give both of my children, who ended up both being girls, obviously,
German names because I knew they were going to get
their dad's last name, which was Scottish, and I thought
that was a way for me to bring my heritage
into them. So I looked for German names, and that's
how I came up with Ava and Analyse. But I

(01:43):
went online and I was searching, oh yeah, girl German names,
trying to find or get some sort of inspiration.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Oh wow, No, not to think about googling a kid's name.
I'm looking for some ideas for this child. I'm caring.
Let me go to the internet.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
I don't think Google was around though, actually twenty two
years ago. Yeah, twenty yeah, I have to go check
that out. I don't know how I did, but I
was like looking up. I was buying books, baby name books,
that kind of a thing. But there is a resource
that has been around since after Eva was born in
two thousand and four. Baby Center has been publishing Top

(02:19):
Baby Names Now for more than twenty years, and you
can go into the Social Security Administration. They have a
list of names that come out every year as well.
What I'm using What the Hottest Baby Names Now? Baby
Center claims they have a jump on Social Security Administration
because of the way their algorithm works and how they
formulate what names are popular. They say there's is in

(02:42):
real time and is accurate. So anyway, they have and
they've just released the Hottest baby Names of twenty twenty five,
the number one girl name and the number one boy name.
Can you guess what they are?

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Oh my god, I can't remember from last year, but
they were in the top three from last year.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
I would assume, Well, here's a hint.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Was Liam in there? Was it? I'm trying to think
of the girls name. Yeah, we just did this, so yeah,
they've been the same name in the past three years,
have been rotating in the top three to five.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Okay, so the most popular baby name for both boys
and girls stayed exactly the same as last year. Olivia
is the number one girl's name and Noah remains the
number one boy's name. But there have been some shakeups
in the top ten, and there have been some really
interesting trends in the top one hundred names. I actually

(03:32):
found this so fascinating. But some familiar names got booted
out of the top ten list. On the girls side,
Bye bye Ava and bye Luna booted out of what
the top ten top ten girl's name. Ava is no
longer she's number eleven now, and Luna is out of
the top ten. On the boy's side, Luca got pushed

(03:53):
out of the top ten.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
It's about time. I love yo. Luca's out there now.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
Here's some really interesting trends and we'll get into why
Baby Center believes some of these names are now coming
into popularity. But there are seven brand new girls' names
that have made the top one hundred lists. I want
to get your take on them. Eloise Oakland, Emerson, Sienna, Catalina, Juniper,

(04:23):
and Kialani.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
I know all but a Juniper. I have at some
point come across somebody. Everybody but a Juniper. So yeah,
you said Juniper.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Yes, I don't know anyone named any of those names.
That's amazing, all right, and then introduced after falling out
of the top one hundred names in nineteen forty three.
Josephine is back in the top one hundred for the
first time this century, and Vivian last appeared in the
top one hundred and nineteen thirty four, and she's back,

(04:52):
coming in at number ninety nine. So some older names
that were once popular way back when are now coming
back into which we see happen all the time. But
we did lose some girls' names out of the top
one hundred, and among them this was interesting Anna out
of the top one hundred. That's wild because Anna Liise
she goes by Anna is like Anna number five and

(05:13):
all of her classes. So hopefully for future Anna's they
won't be so common. There are three new boys' names,
and one of them really stood out to me because
we've actually used this name a lot because we love
horror movies. Malachi is now a new boy's name in
the top one hundred. Ali, I guess it's Ali's at

(05:35):
how you would say it, Ali and Arthur. So there
are three new boys names in the top one hundred,
and Nathaniel is rejoining the top one hundred after it
fell out in twenty sixteen. I'm actually surprised Nathaniel fell
out of the top one hundred. I know so many
Nathaniels and Nates.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
Don't know one. I don't personally know a single Nathaniel, really,
not a one. I'm trying to.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
Go in Nates. You know Nates.

Speaker 2 (06:04):
By extension, but I don't know any personally.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
No, this is some very popular names boys' names that
fell out of the top one hundred. Max fell out
of the top one hundred boys' names. That surprises me.
I feel like, do you know any Maxes? I know
tons of Maxes.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
I do not know tons that we hang around different people.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
You mean black people versus white people.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
I didn't want to say that, but.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
All right, So here are some cool reasons or trends
behind some of these new baby names for twenty twenty five.
What's been popular? And they say, because you now have
your first generation beta is what they said. Parents now
they are more influenced by pop culture, TikTok television shows,
even reading old literary classics, and certainly sporting events, so

(06:46):
in a way that they've seen more than in generations past.
This newer crop of young parents are being influenced by
pop culture in a way they haven't seen before.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
So that means they just naming people whatever they see
on TV. And in this show, yes, yes, and so
you said the litter everything. How's that applied to this?

Speaker 1 (07:04):
People were reading books for whatever reason, they're more inclined,
that's what they're they're they're they're connecting the dots because
they're seeing names shoot up like eighty percent or you know,
there's just been a trend in that direction. So Helena
is a new name that's now like surging. They say
that's from Severance? Is it? Samira? Heather and Cassie from

(07:26):
the Pit. Those names have all skyrocketed this year. Belinda, Chelsea,
and Valentine Valentine from the White Lotus and then this
one you will get Isabelle and Conrad from the Summer
I turned pretty. They said, Isabelle has surge.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
Where's the surge?

Speaker 1 (07:45):
Well, just like I could go back and look at
each of these, but they jumped up like like double
digits in percentage, so enough where it was a trend
that was worth noting.

Speaker 2 (07:54):
I wonder if all of those kids name Isabelle are
going to be.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
Called belly, Well, I would insist that if that were
the case for me or my daughter I was please, please.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
Let's not do that forgetting it? Now, what are the
other like? That's a terrible nickname. I think jer Bear. No,
Jeremiah calls her something that we hate, bell bell bell.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
He just puts an S on it. And then Conrad
they call him Connie, which I can't stand.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
I kind of like Connie Connie. All right, all right, anyway.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
They also said names of NBA champions are now on
the rise. Jalen spelled j a l i N or
j y l i n both like surging. Isaiah and
Dylan all rose in popularity this year.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
Based on why because they like Jalen Brown from the Celtics.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
This is what they're saying. I'm just telling you. So
that was of note. And then they said the names
of w NBA stars Courtney Kelsey and Natasha have also
jumped up pretty dramatically in the list of.

Speaker 2 (08:52):
The top one.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
Elder Angel, I know, you think that if they were
really actually basing it off of the popularity of w
NBA st those would be the two that you would
see the most. Right Here were the books that they referenced,
those classic literary influences. They said, Sawyer and Finn have
surged this year, and so they're attributing that to the
Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Careful what you named the kids? Out? Are those books?

Speaker 3 (09:21):
All right?

Speaker 1 (09:21):
They also are looking at The Great Gatsby. They say,
j Daisy, Buchanan, and Baker are all up on the
top one hundred.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
People as well.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
Do I know people named those? I know, Jay, I
don't know anyone named Daisy, Buchanan or Baker. How about you?

Speaker 2 (09:39):
No, you do that?

Speaker 1 (09:40):
How about Holden from the Catcher and the Rye. That's
another one that's popped up. All right, So we will
go over the top ten most popular girl names for
twenty twenty five according to Baby Center. Number one we
already mentioned is Olivia. Number two. This one surprised me
a little. Amelia.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
M yeah, I'm trying to I'm actually thinking about last
year's list and where some of these ranked. Yes, that
sounds familiar.

Speaker 1 (10:09):
Yes, that's too many. Was one of Sabine's friends from
last year, right, Amelia. Sophia not surprised?

Speaker 2 (10:15):
What does a Sophia and Sofia? Are they both in
the top ten? Uh?

Speaker 1 (10:18):
Nope, just Sophia.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
Okay? Then Sophia is close by.

Speaker 1 (10:23):
So Olivia Amelia, Sofia. Number four is Emma. We both
know are Emma. Number five Isabella. There we go with belly.
Number six Charlotte, and they say Charlie has been a
popular nickname. Number seven Ellianna Eleana, Ellianna e l I
A n A Ellianna. I'm actually surprised by that. I

(10:48):
don't know anyone named Eleiana. And right after Elliana is
Ellie at number eight, which I've definitely heard. Number nine Aurora. Really,
it's so interesting. I guess I don't hang out with
young parents anymore because I don't know anyone named Aurora.
And then the last number ten is Mia, which obviously
has been a popular name for quite some time. All Right,

(11:09):
the top ten most popular boys' names for twenty twenty five.
We mentioned number one, Noah, number two. You mentioned this Liam, Yes,
always always a popular boy's name.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Wait, what was number one again?

Speaker 1 (11:22):
Noah?

Speaker 2 (11:23):
Noah is Oliver in the top ten.

Speaker 1 (11:24):
You just named number three.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
Damn it, I should know these Man number.

Speaker 1 (11:29):
Four, Elijah, number five, Matteo, number six, Levi, number seven, Lucas,
number eight, Ezra, number nine, Asher and number ten Luca.
That was the new one that was introduced in the

(11:51):
top ten. And in addition to all of those popular
names the top ten, there are names that Baby Center
has listened as no longer popular as completely on the
outs will tell you what those names are and why
when we come back. Also just the bottom line as
to why these trends are happening and what they see

(12:13):
for twenty twenty six and how parents will start or
continue to choose their baby's names. Continuing our conversation about
the hottest top ten, top one hundred baby names of

(12:34):
twenty twenty five, So we got the list of names
that are surging in popularity and perhaps even why. But
there are names that Baby Center. Two of them in particular,
have singled out as no longer popular.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
Michael Helpe, George Help, Henry.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
You're just naming like basic names that we're used to
hearing and seeing. Actually, I Royal family.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
No, you know what. I've done this story at GMA
before and I had to tell George, George de monopolism,
Michael Strahan how their names have dropped on the list.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
Oh that's funny, Okay, that makes sense, all right. Let
me see if you can guess why this name is
now no longer popular, and I can tell you how
far it dropped. Blake Blake. Blake is down eighty five
spots in one year.

Speaker 2 (13:26):
This is a terrible name. I'm kidding at obviously, I'm joking.
Everybody stop, all right.

Speaker 1 (13:33):
The other name that dropped twenty four spots was Justin
Are you seeing? Are you seeing a theme?

Speaker 2 (13:40):
Blake and Justin? No?

Speaker 1 (13:41):
Okay, Well, baby sitter says after a year of headline
drama from Blake Lively and Justin Valdini, babysitter says, parents
are a steering clear of any name caught in a scandal.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
Blake Shelton, Justin Bieber, those two you name never even.

Speaker 1 (13:57):
Crossed my mind that it was Blake Lively and Justin Valdeen.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
I have checked out on that store. You and I
are very much immersed in news every day and so
sick of seeing those headlines about whatever all that legal
drama is to where I have tuned it out.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
We avoided writing or talking about it on Morning Run
forever until we had to. In fact, when his lawsuit
just got thrown out, I don't even think we mentioned
it on Morning Run.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
We did mention it to each other as we were
preparing Moran.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
But we both read it. We're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Here's another trend of names that are no longer popular,
boys names that end in a Y.

Speaker 2 (14:34):
I'm trying to think of boys Tommy else, I'm trying
to think of boys names end and why.

Speaker 1 (14:40):
They gave some examples of names that are no longer
fashionable or.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
In Vinnie Vinnie, it's Vincent anyway, my name is a kid, Vinnie.

Speaker 1 (14:49):
The other name boy's name ending in a why that's out?
Grady Grady, Grady College of Journalism is all I can
think of from the University of Georgia.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
Grady Medical Center and yet Atlanta.

Speaker 1 (15:00):
Yeah, there you go. Okay, so Grady is out, Murphy
with the Y is out, and Cody with the Y
is out.

Speaker 2 (15:09):
Cody, what was the one before Cody Murphy? Okay, I
don't know any Murphy's I just know Murphy's Law, not
a bunch of codies.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
You do know a bunch of codies?

Speaker 2 (15:17):
Oh my gosh, I'm like a bunch of codies.

Speaker 1 (15:19):
Well, you weren't going to know many more going forward,
at least any that's going to be worn anytime soon. Anyway,
But they say that the baby naming process has gotten
a lot more creative than it used to be, and
there are a lot more places to look for inspiration
to choose from. When you look at anything that's popularized
on TikTok. We're not as immersed in social media, but

(15:41):
they say it is a huge source of creative inspiration
for parents now these days. But at the same time,
they say they stick to long held rules. If a
name is embroilering controversy, period, it will drop from the
spotlight a minute.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
Who sticks to rules?

Speaker 1 (16:01):
What do you say in parents like, it doesn't matter
generation to generation. The rules still apply. Basically, they've gotten
more creative. There are more sources, there are more outlets,
more reasons why. But typically you you know, when you
were coming up with a baby name, you would say,
like someone would say a name, and if you knew
a kid in school who you didn't like, or it
somehow elicited a negative reaction, even if it's a beautiful name,

(16:23):
you're like, nope, it's off the list, cannot.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
So Adolph's kind of fell off in the nineteen thirties.

Speaker 1 (16:28):
Correct, I don't know anyone named Adolph, Thank you. Now.
I've always been interested by the name Damien, just again
because of our horror movie Love. I always think about
some like Malachi is another one that's from Children of
the Corn. So when I hear Malachi, Damien, the one
that's the Redheads, Malachi, I.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
Can never remember the main guy, but we know Malachi the.

Speaker 1 (16:49):
Hell out of me exactly. So if I know someone
named Malachi or Damien, I immediately think of the devil and.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
Why we don't know anybody by those names. We don't
hang out with anybody.

Speaker 1 (16:58):
Malachi is on the list, now.

Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah, well you're not gonna be hanging out with, not
babysitting a kid named Malachi.

Speaker 1 (17:05):
Is there a name that you would absolutely.

Speaker 2 (17:08):
Damien and Malachi? Yes.

Speaker 1 (17:11):
I'm trying to think of a female name that's like
a has a negative connotation or a sinister connotation. Carrie,
But then you've got Carrie, You've got so many other
carries that are just wonderful that it kind of off sets.
I guess Karen would be a name that I would
never want to name a young girl now given its
current connotation.

Speaker 2 (17:32):
She'll earn it later anyway, I'm kidding.

Speaker 1 (17:34):
Wow wow, But it is true, and that does make
a lot of sense. And I do think did you.
I think veto power was always the best way to
do it. If one person hates a name, you can't
possibly go forward with it.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
Have to be on this, that's one. You have to
be completely on the same page. You can't even look
at your part and say, well, that's what you want.
You can't even do that. You have to like it.

Speaker 1 (17:56):
And I have one more question because this is also
so interesting in terms of how people handle telling people
their baby's names. So did you tell people what Sabine's
name was before she was born. I'm not sure people asked,
but no, And how did you handle that when they asked, sweetheart?

Speaker 2 (18:11):
You know me very easily not going to tell you,
holding on to that until the baby's born.

Speaker 1 (18:18):
See, I remember I didn't want to to not tell people.
I wanted to celebrate the name. I wanted to actually
talk to my baby when they were in my belly.
So I used the name and said the name. And
I did recognize at one moment why it's probably better
to keep a name to yourself until you actually have

(18:41):
the baby, because once you have the baby, people are
not going to make a negative comment about the name,
But beforehand they feel very free to offer their opinion
of the name. And so I remember when someone asked me,
what's the baby's name going to be, and I said Ava,
and this person said to me, you know that's the
name of Hitler's girlfriend, right, And so I said to them, well,
that's exactly why I'm naming her. That asshole who says

(19:04):
that to somebody, well, look.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
To your point. It was that person's first thought, but
it wasn't yours exactly. But now they're putting this thing
in your head. Yes, we get it Aba Braun right.

Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yes, and it's spelled with an E, not with an A.
So I felt better. And again then I was like, yeah,
that is that German connotation. Slightly different spelling, but whatever.
But no, it's true. Once you tell people your baby's
name before your baby is born, a lot of times
they will feel free to comment on what they think
about it.

Speaker 2 (19:31):
You should have a name and a backup because you
might lay eyes on the kid and you definitely not
an Eva. I mean, you never know. For whatever reason,
it was in the back of my head, and I'm
sure somebody told me this, like you just you gotta
make sure the name fits with the kid. You need
to lay eyes on a kid before you name the kid.

Speaker 1 (19:48):
It's funny. What was the beans backup?

Speaker 2 (19:51):
Ripley and Adele?

Speaker 1 (19:52):
You said that, okay? And Ava's backup was Ella. I
was really thinking about Ella, and with Anna Lise, I
was thinking about may m Ae. I just thought it
was a pretty name, and I loved little women. What
may name Macintosh was a cute name. I thought it
might work.

Speaker 2 (20:09):
Well, God, she would have her life would have been
so different.

Speaker 1 (20:12):
And then Ama says, I wish you would have named
me Ella. Great. I'm sorry.

Speaker 3 (20:16):
I yes, you working in broadcasting, you know, a dope
of a.

Speaker 1 (20:22):
TV Do you know what you were almost named? Did
you have a backup?

Speaker 2 (20:26):
No, I'm a jor No.

Speaker 1 (20:28):
It was always going to be Lutilius. And my mom
did tell me what my backup was, Rebecca Robock.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
Thank you guys.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
You want to know she didn't want anyone to call
me Becky, so that's why she opted for Amy.

Speaker 2 (20:43):
She could have named you whatever.

Speaker 1 (20:46):
In fact, you yeah, you never. You can't even say
my first name. You choke on it. You you yeah,
you trip on it.

Speaker 2 (20:53):
I'm not saying your name is disgusting, but the idea
of calling you that you're just not that to me.

Speaker 1 (20:57):
To the point where when we were Good Morning America
co anchors, and oftentimes you'll see when you watch anchors
they have to say TJ at the end of a read.
You then toss it to your co anchor, and you
usually say their first name. You would say Robes, but
before you felt comfortable doing it, if it said Amy
in the telepromtery, you would actually trip up your words

(21:18):
because you wouldn't want to say my name.

Speaker 2 (21:20):
It's unnatural for that to come out of my mouth.
It just did whatever. It's fine, we made it work.
I think there were times I just didn't talk. I
just stopped reading mine and say, well, I guess you
better start reading over there. Oh my goodness, I couldn't
say Amy.

Speaker 1 (21:34):
Well. I always think it's fun names or are something
that you live with for the rest of your life.
So it is a big decision, and I think it's
always fun to see where the trends are. We'll end
this by we said what the number one names were,
but do you know what the number what one hundred
on the girls and what one hundred on the boys is?
You want to take a guess?

Speaker 2 (21:52):
No, this is you told me what just barely all right?

Speaker 1 (21:57):
Number one hundred four girls, Kilanie and you say you
know a Kilani.

Speaker 2 (22:02):
I've known a colony.

Speaker 1 (22:03):
You've known it right now, Okay? And one hundred on
the boy's name, we know this person too, Easton. Wow,
and he's the only Easton I've ever met. But Kilani
and Easton are the two to one hundreds, and number
one is Olivia and Noah, but everything in between. It's
actually fun to look at all one hundred names. There
are some doozies in here, like Serenity is number seventy six.

(22:27):
I think that's so interesting. Wesley is uh number seventy
From all I can think of is Princess Brian Wesley.
Boon boy, fetch me my pale. All right, thank you
all for listening to us. We appreciate it as always.
On Baby robock On behalf of my partner Lutilius Holmes Junior.

(22:50):
Have a wonderful day.
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Amy Robach

Amy Robach

T.J. Holmes

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