Liam, Charlotte remain top popular baby names chosen by parents in Virginia

Choosing the perfect baby’s name is one of the first big decisions for new parents. However, certain names stole the spotlight for the 94,443 babies born in 2024 in Virginia.

Whether inspired by timeless classics, modern trends or cultural favorites, the names are winning over families across the state.

“The 2024 list showcases a blend of strong, meaningful names that parents are embracing for their little ones,” said Celes Davis, chief deputy state registrar for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Office of Vital Records (OVR) in the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) unveiled its lists in early May of the top 15 baby names for children born in the Commonwealth in 2024.

Liam and Charlotte continue to hold their reign as Virginia’s most popular baby names in 2024, just as they did in 2023. Liam remains the top choice for boys, while Charlotte keeps its crown as the most popular name for girls.

Overall, for boys born in 2024, after Liam, the names of Noah, James, Oliver, William, Henry, Theodore, Lucas, Elijah, John, Levi, Ethan, Dylan, Benjamin and Michael rounded out the Top 15.

The remaining popular girl’s names were Olivia, Emma, Sophia, Amelia, Isabella, Mia, Ava, Eleanor, Evelyn, Harper, Elizabeth, Sofia, Abigail and Aurora.

Data also reveals the most popular baby names for Asian, Black, Hispanic and White parents.

Among Asian parents, the top five boys’ and girls’ names were Noah and Sophia, followed by Muhammad, Henry, Lucas and Ethan for boys and Emma, Olivia, Chloe and Eliana for girls.

Black parents’ top five names were Noah and Nova, followed by Amir, Josiah, Elijah and Ezra for boys and Naomi, Ava, Brielle and Zuri for girls.

Among Hispanic parents, the top names were Liam and Mia with Dylan, Matteo, Noah and Thiago rounding out the top five for boys and with Isabella, Sofia, Genesis and Camila round out the top five for girls.

For White parents, James and Charlotte were the most popular names followed by William, Oliver, Henry and Theodore rounding out the top five for boys and Olivia, Eleanor, Amelia and Emma rounding out the top five for girls.

Baby name trends are always evolving, and in the past five years, the registrar seen exciting shifts. From 2019 to 2024, new favorites emerged, classic names made comebacks and unique picks skyrocketed in popularity. Whether inspired by pop culture, nature or timeless elegance, the rising baby names are shaping a whole new generation.

Boys

2019            2020      2021        2022       2023       2024
1 Liam          Liam      Liam        Liam       Liam       Liam
2 Noah         Noah      Noah       Noah       Noah      Noah
3 William    William  James     James     James     James
4 James       James    William   William  Oliver     William
5 Lucas        Oliver     Oliver      Oliver     William  Oliver

Girls

2019            2020           2021              2022             2023             2024
1 Ava              Charlotte    Charlotte     Charlotte      Charlotte     Charlotte
2 Charlotte   Olivia          Olivia            Olivia            Olivia           Olivia
3 Olivia          Ava             Emma           Emma           Emma          Sophia
4 Emma        Emma        Ava                 Ava                Sophia         Emma
5 Sophia        Amelia       Sophia           Amelia          Amelia         Amelia

In 1998, more than a quarter of a century ago, parents chose names that would define a generation. Jacob and Emily topped the charts as the most popular baby names when 912 baby boys were named Jacob, and 684 baby girls were named Emily. Other classics, such as Matthew, Hannah, Michael and Sarah, followed close behind. Information about popular names in each of the 50 states going back to 1960 is available from the Social Security Administration’s Popular Names by Decade tool.

Some days, months and even weekdays are busier than others when it comes to birthdays. From the most common birth date to fun twin and triplet stats, here are fascinating birth facts from 2024:

Month most births happened in: August (8,370)
Day most births happened on: October 18 (344 births)
Most common birthday of the week: Friday (14,274 births)
Least common birthday of the week: Sunday (8,778 births)
Total born as twins: 2,806
Total born as triplets: 53
New Year’s Eve Births (December 31, 2023): 177
New Year’s Day Births (January 1, 2024): 161
Babies sharing a birthday with Mom: 277
Babies sharing a birthday with Dad: 283

More records for the state of Virginia are available with the Office of Vital Records‘ one-stop shop for any number of personal records requests, including birth and death certificates, and marriage and divorce records.