James vs Olivia

Side-by-side comparison of James and Olivia — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

James

Boy name · Rank #5

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Name B

Olivia

Girl name · Rank #1

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Which name is more popular?

Metric James Olivia
Current Rank #5 #1
Total Births (all years) 5,238,570 553,664
Peak Year 1947 2014
Peak Year Births 94,763 19,836
Peak Decade 1950ss 2010ss
Gender Boy Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade James Olivia
1880ss 54,056 618
1890ss 50,723 1,099
1900ss 62,170 1,575
1910ss 275,070 3,545
1920ss 515,302 4,982
1930ss 547,478 3,922
1940ss 795,767 7,201
1950ss 843,776 6,100
1960ss 684,721 4,015
1970ss 444,749 7,849
1980ss 356,498 14,061
1990ss 244,962 75,913
2000ss 163,172 156,048
2010ss 139,652 184,528
2020ss 60,474 82,208

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year James Olivia
2014 14,462 19,836
2015 14,861 19,726
2016 14,916 19,409
2017 14,357 18,777
2018 13,642 18,055
2019 13,193 18,569
2020 12,381 17,682
2021 12,464 17,841
2022 12,109 16,654
2023 11,727 15,313
2024 11,793 14,718

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1880–2024.

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