Here are Oregon’s most popular baby names for 2022

Published 6:00 am Tuesday, June 27, 2023

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Olivia and Oliver — both names derived from the Latin word for “olive tree” — were the most frequently chosen baby names in Oregon for 2022.

That’s according to the Social Security Administration, which annually tracks the names given to newborn girls and boys in each state since 1880. The data is based on applications for Social Security cards.

Some 245 babies in Oregon were named Oliver in 2022, making it the state’s most popular boy name for the seventh year in a row, according to the agency’s latest data. Meanwhile, Olivia has reclaimed the title as the most popular girl name in Oregon, after Evelyn took the top spot in 2021.

Oliver didn’t make the state’s top 100 until 2006, when Oregon welcomed 68 Olivers. The name quickly ascended to the top of the chart in seven years, and there is no sign that Oliver’s reign in Oregon will end soon. Overall, there have been more Olivers born in Oregon each year since the name burst to the top five list.

After Oliver, the most common names given to newborn boys in Oregon last year were Liam, Henry, Theodore and Noah. All five names also ranked among the top 10 nationwide, with Oliver taking third, Liam taking first, Henry taking seventh, Theodore taking 10th and Noah taking second.

Meanwhile, Olivia has been among the top five girl names in Oregon every year since 2005. It previously ranked first in 2020, 2019 and 2016, when its usage peaked. Data shows there have been fewer Olivias born in Oregon each year since.

Aside from Olivia, Oregon’s most popular girl names last year were Amelia, Charlotte, Evelyn and Emma. These five names also made the country’s top 10 list, with Olivia ranking first, Amelia taking fourth, Charlotte taking third, Evelyn taking ninth and Emma placing second.

Some of the most common baby names in Oregon at the beginning of the 21st century have dropped in popularity, while others have gained popularity.

The most popular girl names in Oregon in 2000 were Emily, Hannah, Madison, Emma and Ashley. While Emma and Emily remain common, Hannah and Madison have dropped below the top 50, while Ashley is no longer even in the top 100.

Hazel has gained popularity since the beginning of this century, going from 659th place in 2000 to eighth in 2022. Aurora, which placed ninth last year, also climbed from 455th place in 2000.

The most popular boy names in Oregon at the beginning of the century were Jacob, Joshua, Michael, Daniel and Tyler. Daniel is still popular, at No. 19, while Michael dropped to 50th and Jacob to 66th place. Joshua and Tyler didn’t even make the top 100 last year.

As for yearly changes, two names saw big drops out of the Top 100 since last year. Among girl names, Fiona had one of the sharpest declines, dropping from 91th in 2021 to 237th last year. Among boy names, Eli ended its 15-year streak ranking among the 100 most popular after it dropped from 86th in 2021 to 196th last year.

Meanwhile, Theodore is quickly rising in popularity among Oregon baby boys: It didn’t make the top 50 until 2016 but rose to third in 2022. Ezra climbed from 247th place in 2000 to sixth last year, while Hudson went from 471st to 12th place over the same period.

Beaverton resident Erin Seitz is among the parents who in recent years chose the name Oliver, naming her son that in 2021, the sixth year it ranked top on Oregon’s list.

Seitz said she and her husband settled on the name Oliver after considering other “old-timey” names, like Cyrus, which was her grandfather’s name. But she said her brother had already named his son Cyrus.

“We had no idea until the time of birth whether our child would be a boy or a girl, and when it was a boy, we chose to name him Oliver,” Seitz said. She said it’s easy to list the qualities that she finds appealing in the name.

For one, Seitz said, she likes how the name rolls off the tongue and is easy to say.

“I like how each letter of the name reads like how it phonetically would sound,” she said. “And I like how it doesn’t have repeat letters, and so he could spell his name with just one set of alphabet toys.”

However, Seitz said she had no clue as to how popular the name Oliver would be and that she had no intention of giving her son a popular name.

“In retrospect, we would’ve looked up the name to see how common it was,” she said, adding: “I never wanted to have my kid to have to go by their first name and last initial.”

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