JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — What’s in a name? Well, the O’s have it in Wyoming for 2021 as Olivia remained the most common name in the state for newborn girls, while Oliver was the top choice for boys, according to Vital Statistics Services (VSS).
For girls in 2021, Olivia was followed by Charlotte and Amelia. Emma, Evelyn, and Harper tied for the fourth place girls’ spot, with Sophia, Elizabeth, Ava, and Lucy rounding out the top ten.
For newborn Wyoming boys, Oliver was followed by Liam, Henry, and Lincoln. Owen, Noah, William, and Wyatt tied for the fifth place boys’ spot. James and Jack were next on the list of top names.
“In addition to family traditions, we know many factors can influence the attractiveness of names over time such as popular movies, television shows or music, or current popular and celebrity culture. Ultimately, parents make the choice that sounds right to them,” said Guy Beaudoin, VSS deputy state registrar with Wyoming Department of Health.
Perhaps it was influence from across the pond where Oliver and Olivia have been the most popular baby names for newborns in the UK for five straight years.
There were 6,232 births among Wyoming resident mothers in 2021 compared with 6,132 in 2020. The high over the past decade was in 2015 with 7,678 resident births.
“Last year was the first in quite some time with an increase recorded in the number of new babies in Wyoming,” Beaudoin added. “Previously, we had seen an ongoing significant downward trend over several years.”
