Rattle and rank! These are NYC’s most popular baby names as the Big Apple rings in 2026

The city’s Health Department released its top baby names of 2024, with Mia and Noah climbing into the top spots for girls and boys.

The list, which was released on Dec. 22, tracked babies born in NYC in 2024. Of the 65,222 babies born in the city last year, families chose the name Noah 722 times and Mia 422 times.

The names replace Liam and Emma, both of which had topped the list since 2016 and 2017, respectively. The number of babies born in the city last year dropped from 98,389 in 2023.

“Every year, our list of the most popular baby names serves as a reminder of who we are as a city and who the next generation of New Yorkers will be,” Michelle Morse, MD, acting health commissioner, said. “We love to see so many little New Yorkers bringing hope and joy into the city. As we enter the new year, we recommit ourselves to creating a New York City where our children can live long, healthy lives.”

Emma and Liam remained in the top 10, sliding down to #2. Meanwhile, Sophia and Ethan took the third-place spots.

The health department reported seeing several name shake-ups in 2024. Amelia slid to number 12 for girls’ names, down from number 6 in 2023. Zoe moved up to the number 6 from the 11 spot. 

For boys, Aiden rose to number 8 from 12. Mohammad stayed steady at number 10 after breaking into the top 10 names for the first time last year.

The top 10 most popular baby names in NYC in 2024

Meanwhile, the health department looked back at back names most popular in NYC’s yesteryears. The top 10 girl names in 1898 were Mary, Catherine, Margaret, Annie, Rose, Marie, Esther, Sarah, Frances, and Ida. The top 10 names for boys that year were John, William, Charles, George, Joseph, Edward, James, Louis, Francis, and Samuel.

Both Esther and Joseph were on the most recent list, proving in life that many things remain the same.