Top names based on geographical location GIRLS

General Name Discussion
1

I’ve been analyzing the top 20 names from each US state and I’ve found some pretty interesting trends. For one, almost half of the names in each state’s top 20 are not in the nationwide top 20. Since popularity of a name [name_m]IRL[/name_m] contributes to many people’s opinions on names, it’s interesting to see where one name is very popular but a few states away an entirely different name is very popular.

Anyway, these are the names in each state’s top 20 that aren’t in the national top 20. I’ve grouped them by location so you can see how some names are oddly popular in one region but not in others. [name_m]Feel[/name_m] free to discuss!

(Italicized names are ones extremely popular in that region)

[name_u]California[/name_u]: [name_f]Camila[/name_f], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_f]Alexa[/name_f], [name_f]Samantha[/name_f], and [name_f]Aria[/name_f]
Oregon: [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], and [name_f]Lily[/name_f]
[name_m]Washington[/name_m]: [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Audrey[/name_f], and [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]
[name_m]Hawaii[/name_m]: [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_f]Aria[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], and [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u]
[name_f]Alaska[/name_f]: [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_f]Aria[/name_f], and [name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Arizona[/name_f]: [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Camila[/name_f], [name_f]Aria[/name_f], and [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]
[name_m]New[/name_m] Mexico: [name_f]Layla[/name_f], [name_f]Ximena[/name_f], [name_f]Aria[/name_f], [name_f]Aaliyah[/name_f], [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Serenity[/name_f], and [name_f]Nevaeh[/name_f]
[name_u]Nevada[/name_u]: [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], [name_f]Camila[/name_f], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Zoe[/name_f], and [name_f]Aria[/name_f]
Oklahoma: [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_f]Zoey[/name_f]
[name_u]Texas[/name_u]: [name_f]Camila[/name_f], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_u]Genesis[/name_u], and [name_f]Zoe[/name_f]

Idaho: [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f], [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]
[name_u]Utah[/name_u]: [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], and [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u]
[name_u]Colorado[/name_u]: [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] and [name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Wyoming[/name_f]: [name_u]Piper[/name_u], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Hailey[/name_f], [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], and [name_u]Aspen[/name_u]
[name_u]Montana[/name_u]: [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], and [name_f]Aria[/name_f]

[name_u]North[/name_u] [name_u]Dakota[/name_u]: [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f], [name_u]Hadley[/name_u], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Piper[/name_u], and [name_f]Lillian[/name_f]
South [name_u]Dakota[/name_u]: [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_u]Quinn[/name_u], [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], and [name_u]Paisley[/name_u]
Nebraska: [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]
Kansas: [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Natalie[/name_f], and [name_f]Zoey[/name_f]
Minnesota: [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], and [name_f]Claire[/name_f]
Iowa: [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f], and [name_u]Quinn[/name_u]
Michigan: [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u]
Illinois: [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], and [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u]
[name_u]Indiana[/name_u]: [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], and [name_f]Nora[/name_f]
Wisconsin: [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], and [name_f]Zoey[/name_f]
Ohio: [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], and [name_u]Riley[/name_u]

[name_f]Florida[/name_f]: [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_f]Aria[/name_f], and [name_f]Leah[/name_f]
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f]: [name_u]Skylar[/name_u], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], and [name_f]Zoey[/name_f]
[name_f]Alabama[/name_f]: [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Skylar[/name_u], and [name_f]Anna[/name_f]
Mississippi: [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_u]Skylar[/name_u], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], and [name_f]Anna[/name_f]
[name_f]Louisiana[/name_f]: [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], and [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u]
Arkansas: [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], and [name_f]Lillian[/name_f]
[name_u]Tennessee[/name_u]: [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], and [name_f]Lillian[/name_f]
Kentucky: [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], and [name_f]Lillian[/name_f]
[name_u]West[/name_u] [name_f]Virginia[/name_f]: [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u], [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], and [name_f]Aria[/name_f]
South [name_f]Carolina[/name_f]: [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_u]Skylar[/name_u], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_f]Layla[/name_f], and [name_f]Zoey[/name_f]
[name_u]North[/name_u] [name_f]Carolina[/name_f]: [name_u]Skylar[/name_u], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], and [name_f]Layla[/name_f]

Maryland: [name_u]Skylar[/name_u], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_f]Zoe[/name_f], and [name_u]Genesis[/name_u]
[name_f]Virginia[/name_f]: [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_u]Skylar[/name_u], and [name_f]Hannah[/name_f]
DC: [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_f]Zoe[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_u]Genesis[/name_u], [name_f]Maya[/name_f], and [name_f]Caroline[/name_f]
Pennsylvania: [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], and [name_f]Lily[/name_f]
Delaware: [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], [name_f]Natalie[/name_f], and [name_u]Skylar[/name_u]

[name_m]New[/name_m] [name_u]Jersey[/name_u]: [name_f]Leah[/name_f], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Samantha[/name_f], and [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]
[name_m]New[/name_m] [name_m]York[/name_m]: [name_f]Leah[/name_f], [name_f]Sarah[/name_f], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], and [name_f]Victoria[/name_f]
[name_m]Vermont[/name_m]: [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], and [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]
[name_m]New[/name_m] Hampshire: [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Natalie[/name_f], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], and [name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Maine[/name_f]: [name_f]Natalie[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], and [name_u]Piper[/name_u]
Rhode Island: [name_f]Aria[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], and [name_f]Savannah[/name_f]
Connecticut: [name_u]Riley[/name_u] and [name_f]Aria[/name_f]
Massachusetts: [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f]

Overall Stats:
[name_f]Lillian[/name_f] 16/50 top top 20’s and really spread out and used all over
[name_f]Zoey[/name_f] 15/50 top 20’s with the mid-Atlantic favoring “[name_f]Zoe[/name_f]”
[name_f]Nora[/name_f] 13/50 top 20’s with the Mid-[name_u]West[/name_u] favoring it by far and the NE showing interest too
[name_u]Paisley[/name_u] 12/50 top 20’s with overwhelming popularity in the SE
[name_u]Riley[/name_u] 14/50 top 20’s being favored by the Mid-Atlantic
[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] 9/50 top 20’s favored by the Mid-[name_u]West[/name_u] and NE equally

2

How has no one commented on this yet? This is awesome and so interesting! Thanks for putting it together.

As someone who has moved across country (lived in the South until I graduated college and then moved to a very Nordic Midwestern state), I love seeing the variations in naming based on where you are.

I’ve been surprised how different the names are in my home state vs. my new state. When my southern family & friends are looking for a unique name, they tend to go with more modern names (Boden, Deacon, Hadley, Tucker). When my northern family & friends are looking for a unique name, they tend to use older, obscure names or heritage picks (Bjorn, Imogene, Friedrich, Walter). Of course, this is just one person’s experience. :smiley:

I also wonder how much demographics and accents/dialects have to do with it - Paisley and Boden sound a lot better in a southern accent than a midwest one.

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Wow, awesome work! Your dedication is amazing!

Looking at this breakdown, a few things jump out. One, I’m surprised to see the top names for my state. I live in the Midwest and I have heard of little girls with some of these names- some being more prevelant than others- but I had no idea that names like [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] ranked so high here! My second thought was that the top names in the Southern states are pretty much what I’d expect to see.

Honestly, though, these names are mostly standard girl names. I thought there would’ve been more variety, but I guess what is popular is popular :wink:

4

Being in Australia not much surprises me about our top 10-20 (not every state/territory has a list of popular names, some do, some don’t), there are a lot of [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_u]Noah[/name_u], [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Jack[/name_m], etc. But something I’ve noticed which surprises me is a few names which seem so much more popular here than the US, like [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], super popular here, has been for decades and it’s not even close in the US, like 28th for us 227th or something for you.

5

@aleerakate I think Americans associate the name [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] with the state, so it feels more southern American than classic British.

Along the lines of what ccmrath mentioned about accents, I definitely see the influence of the Spanish language on naming choices here in the [name_u]West[/name_u]. [name_f]Camila[/name_f] and [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] are that much prettier in a Chicano accent, and [name_f]Ximena[/name_f] doesn’t translate so well without one!

I think it’s funny that people who name their kids [name_u]Brooklyn/name_u have probably never been there. I don’t know if it sounds urban and edgy to them, or if they’re thinking [name_u]Brooke[/name_u]+[name_u]Lynn[/name_u]. And I wonder if [name_u]Paisley[/name_u]'s popularity has to do with country singer [name_m]Brad[/name_m] [name_u]Paisley[/name_u]. I doubt it has much to do with appreciation for [name_f]Indian[/name_f] textiles!

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I agree with the accent thing! @ccmrath, I also grew up in the south and now live in the north, so what is so prevalent down there doesn’t always translate very well up here. My son has a friend named [name_u]Harper[/name_u] and it is always said like Haw-Puh.

I have always liked [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] and find it to be pretty unused in my state (my kids haven’t ever met one!) and now I see that I am just like all the southerners I grew up with who apparently like it too! And now I know why every other person I graduated HS with has a girl named [name_u]Skylar[/name_u]! My cousin in Iowa named his daughter [name_f]Nora[/name_f] about 4 years ago which I thought was a bold choice for him as they are much more farm-like people (lmao not sure how to put that?), but now I see that it’s a fan favorite in the Midwest!

I’m working on the boy version of this and will have that posted soon :wink: