This Is the Most Popular Boy Name in Every State Since 2001

Special Report

Published: April 29, 2021 1:00 pm

The process of choosing a name for a newborn can be fun. It can also be stressful, considering it’s basically the first decision parents make that will affect their child for the rest of their life — unless they decide to change it.

Parents may draw on many influences — pop culture, family history, or simply what sounds good to them.

To identify the 21st century’s most popular baby boy names in each state, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the top 1,000 boy names from the Social Security Administration for each state and for each year from 2001 to 2019.

Baby boys born between 2001 and 2019 had a good chance to be named Jacob. As of 2019, this has been the century’s most popular boy name in 20 states across the country — from Arizona to Maine. Michael and William are tied for second place, with each being the most popular since 2001 in 10 states.

Of these names, however, only William has consistently been among the most popular boy names in the U.S. since the Social Security Administration started keeping records in the 1880s. It was not until the 1940s that Michael made it into the top 10. Jacob made its debut among the most popular names in the 1990s.

Parents try to choose what they consider the best name for their child. And in some cases, that means a unique name instead of a popular one — these are the 30 most uncommon baby names of the last 100 years.

Click here to see the most popular boy name in every state since 2001

Methodology

To identify the 21’s century’s most popular names in each state, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the top 1,000 boy names from the Social Security Administration for each state and for each year from 2001 to 2019. The SSA has been tracking the most popular names each year beginning in 1880. The dataset includes 31,277,694 male births between 2001 and 2019, the latest year for which data is available.

Alabama
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 2.1%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 9,486 (out of 445,493)
> Most popular in: 2004 with 639 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

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Alaska
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: James
> Pct. of boys named James, 2001-2019: 1.5%
> Boys named James, 2001-2019: 932 (out of 62,684)
> Most popular in: 2006 with 68 baby boys named James
> Meaning and origin: James is derived from the Latin name Iacomus, which comes from Iakobos, which is the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Ya’aqov (or Jacob).

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Arizona
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.2%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 8,701 (out of 733,269)
> Most popular in: 2003 with 676 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

Arkansas
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.4%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 3,976 (out of 276,725)
> Most popular in: 2007 with 270 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

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California
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Daniel
> Pct. of boys named Daniel, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named Daniel, 2001-2019: 59,762 (out of 4,487,977)
> Most popular in: 2004 with 4,169 baby boys named Daniel
> Meaning and origin: Daniel is a form of the Hebrew Daniyyel, which means “God is my judge.”

Colorado
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.1%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 5,966 (out of 536,298)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 527 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Connecticut
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.8%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 5,265 (out of 294,637)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 489 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

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Delaware
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.8%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1,309 (out of 70,835)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 107 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

Florida
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 22,739 (out of 1,818,209)
> Most popular in: 2003 with 1,687 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

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Georgia
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.6%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 16,654 (out of 1,070,760)
> Most popular in: 2004 with 1,175 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

Hawaii
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Noah
> Pct. of boys named Noah, 2001-2019: 1.8%
> Boys named Noah, 2001-2019: 1,593 (out of 89,124)
> Most popular in: 2007 with 100 baby boys named Noah
> Meaning and origin: Derived from the Hebrew name Noach, meaning “rest, repose.”

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Idaho
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.1%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1,814 (out of 158,088)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 180 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Illinois
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.2%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 16,620 (out of 1,339,461)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 1,448 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

Indiana
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 8,867 (out of 696,777)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 943 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Iowa
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.2%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 3,699 (out of 297,301)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 433 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

Kansas
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.2%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 3,649 (out of 304,398)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 343 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Kentucky
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.7%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 7,248 (out of 427,168)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 505 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

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Louisiana
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Ethan
> Pct. of boys named Ethan, 2001-2019: 1.0%
> Boys named Ethan, 2001-2019: 4,784 (out of 468,609)
> Most popular in: 2003 with 385 baby boys named Ethan
> Meaning and origin: The name is of Hebrew origin that means “solid, enduring, firm.”

Maine
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.7%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1,622 (out of 94,068)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 201 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Maryland
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 7,213 (out of 535,454)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 600 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

Massachusetts
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.6%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 9,538 (out of 594,566)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 904 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

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Michigan
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.4%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 13,818 (out of 961,045)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 1,384 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Minnesota
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.2%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 6,628 (out of 543,811)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 720 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

Mississippi
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.9%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 5,054 (out of 271,423)
> Most popular in: 2004 with 354 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

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Missouri
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 8,112 (out of 619,718)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 831 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

Montana
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 1,002 (out of 74,433)
> Most popular in: 2004 with 63 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

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Nebraska
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 2,544 (out of 191,604)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 288 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Nevada
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Anthony
> Pct. of boys named Anthony, 2001-2019: 1.4%
> Boys named Anthony, 2001-2019: 3,664 (out of 260,601)
> Most popular in: 2006 with 278 baby boys named Anthony
> Meaning and origin: This is the English version of the Roman last name Antonius, which is of Etruscan origin. The name gained popularity in the Christian world because of Saint Anthony the Great, who founded monasticism.

New Hampshire
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.9%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1,787 (out of 95,639)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 166 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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New Jersey
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.9%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 15,731 (out of 836,401)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 1,417 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

New Mexico
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 2,505 (out of 185,942)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 208 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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New York
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.6%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 31,596 (out of 1,996,317)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 2,758 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

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North Carolina
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.6%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 15,292 (out of 984,931)
> Most popular in: 2002 with 1,010 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

North Dakota
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Ethan
> Pct. of boys named Ethan, 2001-2019: 1.4%
> Boys named Ethan, 2001-2019: 999 (out of 69,293)
> Most popular in: 2002 with 89 baby boys named Ethan
> Meaning and origin: The name is of Hebrew origin that means “solid, enduring, firm.”

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Ohio
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.4%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 16,373 (out of 1,182,678)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 1,756 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

Oklahoma
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.2%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 4,693 (out of 388,752)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 456 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Oregon
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.1%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 4,018 (out of 354,826)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 389 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Pennsylvania
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1.4%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 16,828 (out of 1,165,214)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 1,438 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

Rhode Island
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Michael
> Pct. of boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 2.0%
> Boys named Michael, 2001-2019: 1,605 (out of 81,630)
> Most popular in: 2003 with 150 baby boys named Michael
> Meaning and origin: Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which means “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

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South Carolina
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.9%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 7,787 (out of 403,807)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 533 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

South Dakota
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.4%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1,096 (out of 77,050)
> Most popular in: 2002 with 102 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Tennessee
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.8%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 12,119 (out of 684,708)
> Most popular in: 2004 with 832 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

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Texas
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jose
> Pct. of boys named Jose, 2001-2019: 1.2%
> Boys named Jose, 2001-2019: 39,485 (out of 3,427,891)
> Most popular in: 2002 with 3,148 baby boys named Jose
> Meaning and origin: The name is of Hebrew origin, meaning “he shall add.” Jose is the Spanish and Portuguese version of Joseph.

Utah
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Ethan
> Pct. of boys named Ethan, 2001-2019: 1.2%
> Boys named Ethan, 2001-2019: 4,827 (out of 411,460)
> Most popular in: 2004 with 413 baby boys named Ethan
> Meaning and origin: The name is of Hebrew origin that means “solid, enduring, firm.”

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Vermont
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 2.0%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 706 (out of 36,030)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 77 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

Virginia
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: William
> Pct. of boys named William, 2001-2019: 1.5%
> Boys named William, 2001-2019: 12,152 (out of 794,716)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 795 baby boys named William
> Meaning and origin: This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

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Washington
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Ethan
> Pct. of boys named Ethan, 2001-2019: 1.1%
> Boys named Ethan, 2001-2019: 7,509 (out of 674,669)
> Most popular in: 2002 with 562 baby boys named Ethan
> Meaning and origin: The name is of Hebrew origin that means “solid, enduring, firm.”

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West Virginia
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.9%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 3,056 (out of 158,605)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 325 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

Wisconsin
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Jacob
> Pct. of boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 1.3%
> Boys named Jacob, 2001-2019: 6,654 (out of 529,616)
> Most popular in: 2001 with 751 baby boys named Jacob
> Meaning and origin: The name is derived from the Latin name Iacobus and is of Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”

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Wyoming
> Most popular boy’s name, 2001-2019: Wyatt
> Pct. of boys named Wyatt, 2001-2019: 1.5%
> Boys named Wyatt, 2001-2019: 552 (out of 35,689)
> Most popular in: 2016 with 46 baby boys named Wyatt
> Meaning and origin: Wyatt is of English origin and means “brave in war.”

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