These Top Baby Names from the 2000s Still Reign Supreme After 20 Years
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Madison became a defining name of the 2000s, influenced by the Tom Hanks movie Splash
Olivia and Emma remain popular today, continuing their legacy from the early 2000s
Boys’ names like Logan and Ethan reflect a lasting trend of ending in “-n”
Some names are popular for a reason — and one in particular is proving it has a lasting legacy.
According to the Social Security Administration, names like Emily, Madison and Emma, as well as Jacob, Michael and Joshua, were at the start of the list for the top names of the 2000s.
Namerology baby name researcher and creator Laura Wattenberg, who spoke with Today.com earlier this year, explained that a few of these names can be linked to popular television shows or movies from the time.These Top 10 Names of the 2000s Still Reign Supreme After 20 Years
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Wattenberg called the name Madison the “ultimate 2000s name,” pegging it to Tom Hanks’ movie Splash. In the film, Daryl Hannah’s character, who is a mermaid-turned-human, decides on the name Madison for herself. She said that teens who grew up with Splash and became parents made Madison the “defining name of the 2000s.”
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She went on to share that other “creative ‘kay’ names like Makayla and Kaylee were at their peak” for girls. Also, names such as Olivia and Emma, which still top charts today, ranked at number three and four. For the year 2026, Olivia ranked number one, and Emma ranked number three.
For boys, Wattenberg shared that names have stayed stagnant throughout the years.
“It was the beginning of a massive trend towards boys’ names ending in ‘-n,’ ” explained Wattenberg. “Names like Logan, Aidan, Ethan and Gavin capture the sound of the time.”
The top 10 girl names of the 2000s are as follows, in numerical order: Emily, Madison, Emma, Olivia, Hannah, Abigail, Isabella, Samantha, Elizabeth and Ashley.
For boys, the top 10 names of the 2000s are: Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Daniel, Christopher, Andrew, Ethan, Joseph and William.
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