When it comes to baby boy names, Liam can’t be beat. It has taken the top spot on the list of most popular choices for the past four years, and has been in the top 20 since 2011. (Overall, these are — so far — the most popular baby names of the 21st century.)
What makes Liam so popular? A shortened version of the Germanic name William, which rose in popularity in the English-speaking world after the Norman invasion of England in 1066, perhaps it goes back centuries to its original meaning, signifying strength and protection.
Liam first appeared on boy name charts in the U.S. in 1967, but didn’t become widespread until the mid-1990s. Coincidentally or not, that was around the time that the Irish actor Liam Neeson achieved fame, which could have influenced more parents.
To identify the most popular baby boy names in 2020, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the total number of births for each name with five or more occurrences in 2020 as recorded by the Social Security Administration. (Names with fewer than five occurrences are not tracked by the SSA in order to protect anonymity.)
Click here to see America’s 50 most popular baby names for boys in 2020
In addition to Liam, the name William appears high on the list, at No. 5, with Noah, Oliver, and Elijah rounding out the top quintet. One new moniker in the top 50, though only at No. 49, is Maverick. Other comparative rarities include Jaxon, Hudson, and Jayden. At the same time, though, such traditional male names as James, Benjamin, Henry, and Alexander remain strong. (These were the most popular never-before-seen names in 2020.)
50. Josiah
> Birth count 2020: 6,077
> Pictured: Josiah Warren, Writer
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49. Maverick
> Birth count 2020: 6,088
> Pictured: Maverick Baker, Musician
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48. Jaxon
> Birth count 2020: 6,107
> Pictured: Jaxon Benge, Musician
47. Christopher
> Birth count 2020: 6,143
> Pictured: Christopher Cross, Musician
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46. Charles
> Birth count 2020: 6,186
> Pictured: Charles Dickens, Writer
45. Thomas
> Birth count 2020: 6,386
> Pictured: Thomas Edison, Inventor
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44. Ezra
> Birth count 2020: 6,745
> Pictured: Ezra Koenig, Musician
43. Dylan
> Birth count 2020: 6,788
> Pictured: Dylan McDermott, Actor
42. Hudson
> Birth count 2020: 6,807
> Pictured: Hudson Stuck, Climber
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41. Anthony
> Birth count 2020: 6,966
> Pictured: Anthony Hopkins, Actor
40. Lincoln
> Birth count 2020: 6,998
> Pictured: Lincoln Lewis, Actor
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39. Isaac
> Birth count 2020: 7,060
> Pictured: Isaac Newton, Inventor
38. Gabriel
> Birth count 2020: 7,066
> Pictured: Gabriel Iglesias, Comedian
37. Jayden
> Birth count 2020: 7,102
> Pictured: Jayden Antwi-Nyame, Soccer Player
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36. Leo
> Birth count 2020: 7,159
> Pictured: Leo Tolstoy, Author
35. Grayson
> Birth count 2020: 7,424
> Pictured: Grayson Allen, Basketball Player
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34. Julian
> Birth count 2020: 7,488
> Pictured: Julian Assange, Editor
33. Carter
> Birth count 2020: 7,511
> Pictured: Carter Sharer, YouTube Personality
32. Asher
> Birth count 2020: 7,606
> Pictured: Asher Angel, Actor
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31. Luke
> Birth count 2020: 7,734
> Pictured: Luke Bryan, Musician
30. Matthew
> Birth count 2020: 8,052
> Pictured: Matthew McConaughey, Actor
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29. Wyatt
> Birth count 2020: 8,135
> Pictured: Wyatt Earp, Lawman
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28. David
> Birth count 2020: 8,153
> Pictured: David Bowie, Musician
27. John
> Birth count 2020: 8,180
> Pictured: John Lennon, Musician
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26. Joseph
> Birth count 2020: 8,349
> Pictured: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Actor
25. Samuel
> Birth count 2020: 8,488
> Pictured: Samuel L. Jackson, Actor
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24. Aiden
> Birth count 2020: 8,534
> Pictured: Aiden Flowers, Actor
23. Theodore
> Birth count 2020: 8,558
> Pictured: Theodore Roosevelt, US President
22. Owen
> Birth count 2020: 8,623
> Pictured: Owen Wilson, Actor
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21. Jack
> Birth count 2020: 8,876
> Pictured: Jack Black, Actor
20. Mateo
> Birth count 2020: 8,900
> Pictured: Mateo Musacchio, Soccer Player
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19. Sebastian
> Birth count 2020: 8,927
> Pictured: Sebastian Stan, Actor
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18. Levi
> Birth count 2020: 9,005
> Pictured: Levi Miller, Actor
17. Jackson
> Birth count 2020: 9,051
> Pictured: Jackson Pollock, Artist
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16. Logan
> Birth count 2020: 9,086
> Pictured: Logan Lerman, Actor
15. Jacob
> Birth count 2020: 9,196
> Pictured: Jacob Tremblay, Actor
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14. Daniel
> Birth count 2020: 9,419
> Pictured: Daniel Kaluuya, Actor
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13. Ethan
> Birth count 2020: 9,464
> Pictured: Ethan Hawke, Actor
12. Michael
> Birth count 2020: 9,717
> Pictured: Michael Jackson, Musician
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11. Mason
> Birth count 2020: 10,029
> Pictured: Mason Williams, Musician
10. Alexander
> Birth count 2020: 10,151
> Pictured: Alexander Hamilton, Statesman
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9. Henry
> Birth count 2020: 10,705
> Pictured: Henry Cavill, Actor
8. Lucas
> Birth count 2020: 11,281
> Pictured: Lucas Sebastián Torreira Di Pascua, Soccer Player
7. Benjamin
> Birth count 2020: 12,136
> Pictured: Benjamin Franklin, Statesman
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6. James
> Birth count 2020: 12,250
> Pictured: James Marsden, Actor
5. William
> Birth count 2020: 12,541
> Pictured: William Shakespeare, Playwright
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4. Elijah
> Birth count 2020: 13,034
> Pictured: Elijah Wood, Actor
3. Oliver
> Birth count 2020: 14,147
> Pictured: Oliver Phelps, Actor
2. Noah
> Birth count 2020: 18,252
> Pictured: Noah Centineo, Actor
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1. Liam
> Birth count 2020: 19,659
> Pictured: Liam Neeson, Actor
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