Baby names A-Z are a fascinating bunch, with the most popular name starting with every letter of the alphabet often different from what you'd expect.

　　You can probably guess the top girl name starting with O, and the top boy name that starts with L… they’re the current American number ones, Olivia and Liam.

　　But what about the most popular names beginning with F? Or Y? You won’t find them in the Top 100, that’s for sure.

　　We found the top names for each letter of the alphabet, A to Z, on the US and Nameberry popularity lists, and how they compare.

　　Click here for alphabetical search tools for all our names.

　　

Top US Baby Names A to Z

We’ve pulled out the most popular names in the USA for each letter in 2022. Some are easier to find than others!

　　The top of the charts is dominated by a few repeating initials, like A and E for girls, J and L for boys. Most letters appear at least once in the Top 100, but for some you have to look further down. The most popular girl name starting with U, Unique, is way below the Top 1000!

　　For some letters, the girl/boy pairs are a good style match: we can see Josephine and James, or Kinsley and Kai, as siblings. Others are less likely, such as falling 90s favorite Taylor and newly-revived Theodore.

　　

Why does it matter?

Tracking the top baby names from A-Z is more than just trivia for name nerds. (Although it is also that.)

　　If you’re looking for a name that stands out, knowing which letters are under-represented on the charts can help you narrow down your choices. Pick a name starting with F, and you know there’s nothing similar in the Top 100. Any Y name is guaranteed to stand out even more.

　　It also highlights gender differences. You may assume that names starting with J are very common, but actually, that’s only boy names starting with J. For girls, you have to scroll down to number 70 before you find one (Josephine). That may reassure you if you love J names for girls but worry there are too many around.

　　

Changes since last year

Most top names for each letter are the same as they were in 2021, but one girl name and two boy names have changed.

　　Zoe replaces Zoey as the most popular girl name that starts with Z. These two soundalikes have ping-ponged back and forth in which is more popular, but now 2010s favorite Zoey is falling, while the more traditional spelling remains stable.

　　Gabriel overtook Grayson by just one place to become the top boy name starting with G, and Roman is the new top boy name the starts with R, replacing Ryan. This signals a style change as parents move away from the well-used sounds of earlier decades, and discover previously overlooked classics.

　　

Most Popular US Baby Names A-Z

Here are all the most popular baby names for each letter in the USA in 2022, with their rank in brackets.

　　Amelia (4), Alexander (17)

　　Brooklyn (72), Benjamin (9)

　　Charlotte (3), Carter (47)

　　Delilah (58), Daniel (14)

　　Emma (2), Elijah (5)

　　Freya (129), Finn (176)

　　Gianna (22), Gabriel (36)

　　Harper (11), Henry (7)

　　Isabella (6), Isaac (42)

　　Josephine (70), James (4)

　　Kinsley (61), Kai (59)

　　Luna (10), Liam (1)

　　Mia (8), Mateo (11)

　　Nora (28), Noah (2)

　　Olivia (1), Oliver (3)

　　Penelope (21), Parker (94)

　　Quinn (73), Quinn (443)

　　Riley (39), Roman (68)

　　Sophia (5), Sebastian (13)

　　Taylor (217), Theodore (10)

　　Unique (1961), Uriel (486)

　　Violet (20), Vincent (123)

　　Willow (37), William (6)

　　Ximena (143), Xavier (100)

　　Yaretzi (489), Yusuf (568)

　　Zoe (38), Zion (144)

　　

Top Nameberry Names A-Z

Let’s look at the most popular names on Nameberry for each letter. How do they compare?

　　The Nameberry chart shows the most-viewed names on the site. It’s updated regularly, so it shows what parents-to-be are considering right now.

　　There is some overlap with the US names A-Z list. Names on both include Freya, Josephine, Kai, Nora, Penelope, Quinn (for girls and boys), Theodore, Vincent, Violet, and Xavier.

　　But generally the Nameberry chart is more forward-looking and whimsical. The top names for each letter feature long names with soft, melodic sounds (Aurelia, Nathaniel), but also short, snappy ones that work across cultures (Milo, Zara). There are also some inspired by pop culture, like Royal (Outer Range) and Uhtred (The Last Kingdom).

　　These are the most popular names on Nameberry currently, from A to Z, with ranks in brackets.

　　Aurelia (3), Atticus (5)

　　Beatrice (36), Beau (69)

　　Cora (16), Caspian (10)

　　Daphne (13), Dominic (66)

　　Eloise (5), Ethan (13)

　　Freya (15), Felix (6)

　　Genevieve (24), Graham (44)

　　Hazel (61), Hugo (8)

　　Isla (4), Isaac (60)

　　Josephine (17), Jude (14)

　　Kaia (65), Kai (22)

　　Luxury (1), Louis (39)

　　Maeve (2), Milo (17)

　　Nora (29), Nathaniel (41)

　　Ophelia (9), Oliver (7)

　　Phoebe (19), Peter (107)

　　Quinn (176), Quinn (455)

　　Rose (52), Royal (1)

　　Sienna (44), Soren (2)

　　Thea (37), Theodore (3)

　　Una (493), Uhtred (403)

　　Violet (12), Vincent (52)

　　Willa (57), William (128)

　　Xanthe (218), Xavier (75)

　　Yara (300), Yves (355)

　　Zara (141), Zachary (30)

　　

About the Author

　　

Clare Green

　　Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at [email protected]

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