Top Baby Names by State

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Written by Mary Fetzer

Did you know Emma is the top girl name in the West, while Abigail is the most popular girl name in the Northeast? Check out how your favorite name ranks state- to- state in our list of the most popular baby names by US region, as recorded by the Social Security Administration's list of top baby names.

Nationwide, the Top 10 male and female names for 2009 were:

1.    Jacob and Isabella
2.    Ethan and Emma
3.    Michael and Olivia
4.    Alexander and Sophia
5.    William and Ava
6.    Joshua and Emily
7.    Daniel and Madison
8.    Jayden and Abigail
9.    Noah and Chloe
10.    Anthony and Mia

Check out the full list of Top 100 Baby Names from the Social Security Administration here.

While most of these names are found in the Top 10 of every state, there are some variations by US region. Here’s a look at the differences among the Northeast, Southeast, West and Midwest regions and how they compare with the national average.

Top Baby Names of the Northeast

These are the top names of the northeast states, including: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont (New England states) and Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic states), and Washington, DC

1.    Abigail (National Rank = 8)
2.    Sophia (4)
3.    Ava (5)
4.    Emily (6)
5.    Isabella (1)
6.    Madison (7)
7.    Michael (3)
8.    Olivia (3)
9.    Matthew
10.   Jacob (1)

Apart from Emma, Chloe and Mia, the Top 10 female names in the Northeast were fairly consistent with national trends. The male names, on the other hand, differed considerably. Jacob, the overwhelming favorite in the rest of the country, barely made the Northeast’s Top 10, and Ethan, Alexander, William, Joshua, Daniel, Jayden, Noah and Anthony didn’t make cut at all.

Names to watch in the Northeast: Allison, Charlotte, Chase, Jack, Katherine, Matthew, Ryan, Sarah

Top Names of the Southeast

These are the top names of the southeast states, including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia1.

1.    Jacob (1)
2.    Ava (5)
3.    Chloe (9)
4.    Emma (2)
5.    Isabella (1)
6.    Madison (7)
7.    Olivia (3)
8.    Abigail (8)
9.    Emily (6)
10.    Ethan (2)

Some of the nation’s Top 5 – specifically Michael, Alexander, Sophia and William – didn’t even make the Southeast’s Top 10.

Names to watch in the Southeast: Alyssa, Christian, Makayla, Kaylee

Top Names of the West

These are the top names of the western states, including: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington (Pacific states) and Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming (Mountain states)

1.    Emma (2)
2.    Isabella (1)
3.    Jacob (1)
4.    Ethan (2)
5.    Olivia (3)
6.    Sophia (4)
7.    Abigail (8)
8.    Ava (5)
9.    Madison (7)
10.   Logan

Most of the West’s Top 10 followed the national trends, with the exception of Logan – a surprise at #10.

Names to watch in the West: Angel (for a boy), David, Faith, Hailey, Isaac, Isaiah, Liam, Joseph

Top Names of the the Midwest

These are the top names of the midwestern states, including: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

1.    Jacob (1)
2.    Ethan (2)
3.    Emma (2)
4.    Olivia (3)
5.    Ava (5)
6.    Logan
7.    Isabella (1)
8.    Sophia (4)
9.    Addison
10.   William (5)

The Midwest is typically quite representative of overall US trends, so look for Logan and Addison to soon make the national Top 10.

Names to watch in the Midwest : Andrew, Gavin

Baby Name Trends by State

The following names aren’t tops in the nation, but they each appeared in the Top 10 of two or more individual states across the country:Look for these names on the national Top 10 list for 2010: Addison, Aiden, Benjamin, Brayden, Brooklyn, Caleb, Carter, Elijah, Ella, Gabriel, Jackson, Lillian, Lily, Mason, Natalie, Owen, Wyatt

These names are still tops in some states but losing popularity nationwide: Alexis, Anna, Ashley, Christopher, Elizabeth, Grace, Hunter, James, John, Samantha, Samuel, Taylor