Decade dossier

2000s baby names

The names that defined the 2000s: Jacob and Emily led the decade, but the full roster tells a richer story.

The 2000s were defined by names that now read as cultural artifacts. Jacob and Emily dominated the decade — names that crossed class lines and regional divides. Some have become vintage revival candidates; others remain frozen in time. Browse the full rankings below to see which names defined the 2000s classroom.

Girls

#1Emily223,768
#2Madison193,222
#3Emma181,414
#4Olivia156,054
#5Hannah155,784
#6Abigail150,926
#7Isabella149,571
#8Samantha134,313
#9Elizabeth133,568
#10Ashley133,051
#11Alexis130,834
#12Sarah124,545
#13Sophia119,251
#14Alyssa114,507
#15Grace110,720
#16Ava104,539
#17Taylor100,999
#18Brianna99,798
#19Lauren97,162
#20Chloe96,503
#21Natalie95,095
#22Kayla94,356
#23Jessica90,665
#24Anna90,325
#25Victoria84,967

Boys

#1Jacob274,077
#2Michael250,715
#3Joshua232,053
#4Matthew221,631
#5Daniel203,975
#6Christopher203,372
#7Andrew202,588
#8Ethan201,835
#9Joseph194,962
#10William194,415
#11Anthony191,928
#12David180,098
#13Alexander178,847
#14Nicholas177,609
#15Ryan173,244
#16Tyler165,587
#17James163,179
#18John161,104
#19Jonathan144,848
#20Noah143,533
#21Brandon143,003
#22Christian142,433
#23Dylan140,125
#24Samuel138,647
#25Benjamin137,309