Olivia and Noah are still on top. But the real story this year isn’t who held their ground — it’s who came out of nowhere to nearly take the crown.

BabyCenter released its annual list of the most popular baby names of 2026 in October, drawing from proprietary data from more than 350,000 babies born to parents registered on its app. The list gives a real-time snapshot months before the Social Security Administration publishes its official annual rankings.

The Shakeup: Eliana

Last year, Eliana debuted in the girls’ top 10 at No. 7. This year, it jumped five spots to No. 2 — one of the biggest single-year climbs the list has seen in recent memory.

BabyCenter baby name advisor Steph Coffield called it “Eliana’s meteoric rise” and said flat out that if the momentum continues, Eliana could dethrone Olivia, who has held the top spot for several years. Olivia has held the No. 1 spot every year since 2021 and has been in the girls’ top 10 since 2001.

The rise of Eliana reflects a broader trend BabyCenter is tracking: “E” names are having a moment. Fifteen percent of the top 100 girls’ names now start with E, with Elsie, Evangeline, Elodie, and Esme all posting notable gains. Parents are gravitating toward longer, melodic names with classic roots — and Eliana, at six letters with a musical cadence, fits that profile perfectly.

Full Top 10 Girls’ Names for 2026

1. Olivia

2. Eliana

3. Amelia

4. Charlotte

5. Sophia

6. Isabella

7. Emma

8. Aurora

9. Evelyn

10. Mia

Evelyn returned to the top 10 after falling out in 2024. Ellie, which had been climbing steadily, dropped three spots and fell off the list entirely to No. 11.

Full Top 10 Boys’ Names for 2026

1. Noah

2. Liam

3. Oliver

4. Elijah

5. Mateo

6. Lucas

7. Elias

8. Levi

9. Ezra

10. Leo

The boys’ top five is locked in. For the third consecutive year, Noah, Liam, Oliver, Elijah, and Mateo held their exact spots — one of the longest stretches of stability BabyCenter has recorded. The movement came in the back half of the list. Elias jumped eight places to enter the top 10 for the first time ever at No. 7. Leo returned to the top 10 at No. 10, bumping out Asher and Luca.

New Names Breaking Through

Only one girls’ name debuted in the top 100 this year: Magnolia, which rose 40 spots to land at No. 88. The name has been building quietly and its appearance in the top 100 suggests it’s crossing from niche to mainstream.

Four boys’ names joined the top 100 for the first time: Milo, Stetson, Archer, and Dean. Dean’s arrival is notable — it marks the name’s first top-100 appearance this century.

What’s Driving the Trends

Pop culture is doing its usual work. BabyCenter identified three big influences this year: hockey-themed TV dramas, Greek mythology and Western-inspired entertainment.

Hockey dramas like “Off Campus” and “Heated Rivalry” helped send names such as Garrett, Allie, Beau and Jules up the charts. The biggest breakout was Ilya, which jumped more than 6,000 spots to No. 2,197 for boys.

On the mythology side, the movie “The Odyssey” has boosted interest in names from Greek legend. For boys, Atlas rose five spots, Orion and Troy each climbed nine spots and Perseus jumped 249 spots. For girls, Iris rose 18 spots and Daphne climbed 42.

The Western trend continues to ride on the popularity of “Yellowstone.” Stetson rose 46 spots to No. 95, marking its first appearance in BabyCenter’s top 100. Walker, Wilder and Callahan are also climbing.

“The trends this year show parents are ready to dig into the archives,” Coffield said.

Names are also getting longer. Nearly three in 10 of the top girls’ names and 31% of the top boys’ names have seven or more letters. The longest name in the rankings is Christopher, at 11 letters.

For boys, “J” names lead the top 100 at 14%, while “E” has taken over as the most popular starting letter for girls, at 15%.

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