America’s most popular baby names reveal some summer surprises

When you’ve got a new addition on the way, there’s undoubtedly a lot to think about and plan for. But one of the biggest and most important tasks is choosing a name for the new baby.

Finding the right baby name can be a challenge, especially as baby names go in and out of fashion quickly, leaving many parents-to-be worried that they’ll choose a name that’s dated.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) releases data relating to the most popular names for newborn babies. Experts at Hennessey Digital have analyzed this data to determine what the most popular baby names are that are related to summer.

Looking at the data for the most popular summer-themed names for babies, Dylan, which means ‘son of the sea’ was the name that appeared again and again, followed closely by Lily, which is a flower that often blooms in summer. Dylan was used 7,505 times, including for 451 female babies, while Lily was used 6,146 times.

According to the data, Dylan is America’s most popular baby name, with a total 7,505 babies called Dylan born in 2023. Dylan is a gender-neutral name of Welsh origin, and means "son of the sea", or "born from the ocean".

Lily is the second most popular name, with a total 6,146 babies called Lily. The name Lily often links to bloom in summer, or being “pure”, due to links to the lily flower. It has a Latin origin, and historically has been symbolic of innocence.

While the third most popular baby’s name is Parker, an English language unisex name, meaning "park keeper". While Parker was more common in the 19th century, it has now made a comeback, with 6,085 babies born in summer 2023, of which 2,293 are male and 3,792 are female.

Other popular baby girl names include Aurora, which refers to early summer mornings, Isla, which means island, and Eliana, which means ‘sun’ in Hebrew.

For boy names, Kai, which means ‘sea’ in Hawaiian, River, and Ryder, which refers to outdoor activities, are all popular choices.

Other summer-related names that seem to be trending among new parents right now include Iris, Daisy, Rose, Summer, Olive, and Jasmine.