The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records published a list of the most popular baby names given to babies in Virginia last year.
Whether inspired by scripture, royalty, a favorite singer, movie characters or family heritage, parents are choosing diverse names for their newborns.
Topping the list of the most popular name for boys in 2022 was Noah while Charlotte was the most popular for girls.
“It’s always fascinating to see the top names for babies in any given year,” said Seth Austin, director of VDH’s Office of Vital Records. “We see names from a number of sources: a movie, religious texts, a family’s personal history. They all represent the Commonwealth’s wonderfully diverse cultures.”
Rounding out the top 15 for boys in 2022 were James, Liam, William, Henry, Theodore, Oliver, Elijah, Levi, Benjamin, Owen, John, Jack, Asher and Lucas.
For girls, after Charlotte, 2022’s most popular names were Olivia, Ava, Amelia, Emma, Harper, Evelyn, Eleanor, Sophia, Elizabeth, Lilly, Abigail, Riley, Nora and Chloe.
Information about popular names in each of the 50 states going back to 1960 is available from the Social Security Administration by using its Popular Names by Decade tool.
Office of Vital Records data also indicate the most popular 2022 baby names for the largest ethnic groups in the state: Asian, Black, Hispanic and White:
- Asian baby names: Noah and Sophia were the most popular names. Muhammad, Liam, Kai and Henry fill out the top five list for boys; Chloe, Olivia, Mia and Charlotte complete the top five list for girls.
- Black baby names: Noah and Ava were the most popular names. Elijah, Josiah, Amir and Micah round out the top five for boys, while Naomi, Nova, Zuri and Leilani fill out the top five for girls.
- Hispanic baby names: Liam and Mia were the top names for Hispanic boys and girls born in Virginia in 2022. Mateo, Dylan, Noah, and Lucas fill out the top five list for Hispanic boys’ names, while Camila, Isabella, Emma and Genesis complete the top five list for girls’ names.
- White baby names: William and Charlotte were the top names for White babies born in 2022, followed by Henry, James, Theodore and Oliver for boys and Olivia, Amelia, Harper, and Emma for girls.
The Office of Vital Records data also revealed other interesting information about 2022 births:
- The most births occurred in August with 8,917 babies delivered
- 17 had the most number of babies born – 359
- Fridays are the busiest day of the week in Virginia delivery rooms: 14,429 babies were born on a Friday
- Sundays, on the other hand, are the slowest days of the week, with only 8,746 born on a Sunday
- There were 1,344 sets of twins born in Virginia
- There were 19 sets of triplets born in the state.
- On New Year’s Day, 178 new Virginians came into the world
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Crystal Graham
