Oh baby! Emma and Liam among top NYC newborn names in 2021

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene ( DOHMH ) has revealed the city’s top ten most popular baby names of 2021, with both the names Emma and Liam continuing to rank highest.

The name Emma has been the most popular name choice for baby girls since 2017, and the name Liam being the top name for boys since 2016.

A total of 99,292 babies were born in NYC in 2021, with a total of 434 Emmas and 703 Liams being born, according to NYC birth certificate records. Coming in second for girls names was Olivia and Noah for boys names.

“We are so pleased to welcome the Liams, Emmas, Olivias, Noahs and every other newborn, to our city and the world,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan in a statement Dec. 27 “The joy they bring will make for a happier 2023 and beyond.”

From the top ten girls’ names, eight from 2020 remained from the previous year – with the names Sarah and Chloe dropping out and being replaced by Sophia and Luna – and nine out of the ten most popular boys’ names also remained on the list for another year – with Benjamin replacing Alexander on this year’s list.

The number of babies being born in the city has dropped from the previous year’s count of 100,022 to 2021’s total of 99,292, representing a 0.7% drop in the number of births.

Manhattan saw the highest number of births in 2021, with 39,559 babies being born. Brooklyn followed with 23,217, then Queens with 19,758 babies, the Bronx with 11,198 and Staten Island with 5,530 babies.

To view the full list of most popular baby names, visit the NYC DOHMH website here .

For resources for expectant parents, check out the DOHMH’s page here .