NEW YORK (1010 WINS/ WCBS 880 NEWS) – The New York City Health Department released its list of the city’s most popular baby names for 2022, and while Emma and Liam continue to top the charts, there are some fun and adventurous names making their mark.
Liam has maintained its spot as the number one choice for boys since 2016, with Emma leading the way for girls since 2017. In 2022, 388 baby girls were named Emma, while 739 boys were named Liam, according to records from New York City birth certificates.
“What makes our city special are the New Yorkers – big and small – who call the five boroughs home,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “So welcome Emma, Liam, Mia, Noah and all the other newborns to New York. Our city and world are better for your presence in the new year and beyond.”
Last year, a grand total of 99,459 babies were born into the world in the city.
Among the top ten girls' names from 2021, nine made a return in 2022. Esther made a leap, coming into the seventh spot for girls' names, throwing out Sofia from the top ten.
However, if Sofia and Sophia, they would take the number one spot.
For baby boys, Alexander made a return, bumping Benjamin out of the top ten.
Liam and Noah have been in the top two spots since 2020, with Ethan in the third position since 2021.
Some newborns were given names that spoke of serenity, like Serenity (ranked 82), Journey (ranked 110), and Justice (ranked 141).
Others held names that seemed to aspire to spiritual and natural destinations, such as Heaven (ranked 111) and Orion (ranked 127).
Some names even spoke of adventure, like Maverick (ranked 117) and Ocean (ranked 124), while others pointed to a more precise path, including Artist (ranked 142), Princeton (ranked 143), Denver (also ranked 143), and Saint (ranked 104).
Nature and the seasons also inspired many top baby names in 2022. Names like Luna (ranked 9), Venus (ranked 127), Jade (ranked 59), Sage (ranked 99 for girls and 129 for boys), Lily (ranked 25), Rose (ranked 52), Violet (ranked 49), Iris (ranked 81), and Lilly (ranked 123) added a touch of natural wonder to the list.
For royalty and fantasy, some New York parents welcomed their own Prince and Princess (ranked 45 and 127). Majesty (ranked 128) and King (ranked 103) joined the royal court, while Khaleesi (ranked 125), a royal title from the "Game of Thrones" series, made an entrance into the world of baby names.