State name profile
Most Popular Baby Names in Georgia
The boys' and girls' names most often given in Georgia, ranked by total recorded births in Social Security Administration state data, 1910–2024.
- James
- #1 boy name
- Mary
- #1 girl name
- 3,277,633
- Births recorded
- 1910–2024
- Years covered
What the Data Says About Baby Names in Georgia
The Social Security Administration has registered 3,277,633 births across the top 50 boy and top 50 girl names in Georgia from 1910 through 2024 — the portion of state-level naming data released publicly. Among boys, James leads with 186,842 cumulative births, while Mary tops the girl rankings with 125,674 births. The top 50 boy names collectively account for 2,030,955 births versus 1,246,678 for the top 50 girl names, reflecting the typical U.S. pattern in which boy-name distributions are more concentrated among fewer high-frequency entries. SSA state files include any name appearing five or more times in a given state-year, so lower-frequency names are suppressed for privacy and are not counted in these totals.
Decade-by-decade data for Georgia extends back to 1910, making it possible to track how Georgia parents' naming choices have shifted across more than a century of birth records. In the 1910s, the #1 boy name was James and the #1 girl name was Mary. By the 2020s, the top names had shifted to Noah for boys and Olivia for girls. Across 12 decades with complete data, the turnover in #1 rankings reflects broader cultural and generational forces — baby-boom naming conformity, the 1970s individualism shift, and the current resurgence of short, classic names.
Because Georgia reports under the same SSA framework as every other jurisdiction, these figures are directly comparable across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The cumulative totals reflect every recorded birth registration rather than a survey sample, though names with four or fewer annual occurrences are excluded per SSA privacy policy. This means the true naming distribution in Georgia is slightly broader than what appears here, particularly for rare and emerging names. The dataset does not distinguish between alternate spellings (for example, Sophia and Sofia are tracked as separate names) or middle names, and reflects first names as they appear on Social Security card applications only. This page is for informational and research purposes.
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Top 10 girls' names in Georgia
Cumulative births recorded in state SSA files (1910–2024)
- Mary
Mary
125,674 births
- Elizabeth 43,181
Elizabeth
43,181 births
- Betty 40,794
Betty
40,794 births
- Annie 35,868
Annie
35,868 births
- Sarah 35,695
Sarah
35,695 births
- Linda 35,645
Linda
35,645 births
- Patricia 34,124
Patricia
34,124 births
- Jennifer 34,040
Jennifer
34,040 births
- Barbara 33,317
Barbara
33,317 births
- Dorothy 32,049
Dorothy
32,049 births
What this shows Mary leads Georgia girls with 125,674 recorded births.
Top 10 boys' names in Georgia
Cumulative births recorded in state SSA files (1910–2024)
- James
James
186,842 births
- William
William
137,552 births
- John
John
125,562 births
- Robert
Robert
110,416 births
- Michael
Michael
91,472 births
- Charles
Charles
79,017 births
- David
David
78,218 births
- Christopher 63,840
Christopher
63,840 births
- Willie 60,676
Willie
60,676 births
- Thomas 56,092
Thomas
56,092 births
What this shows James leads Georgia boys with 186,842 recorded births.
Decade-by-Decade Leaders
The #1 boy and girl name in Georgia for each decade
| Decade | Top Boy | Births | Top Girl | Births |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | James | 16,138 | Mary | 15,843 |
| 1920s | James | 24,261 | Mary | 24,184 |
| 1930s | James | 22,204 | Mary | 21,338 |
| 1940s | James | 27,500 | Mary | 22,602 |
| 1950s | James | 25,286 | Mary | 16,808 |
| 1960s | James | 19,929 | Lisa | 10,800 |
| 1970s | Michael | 16,873 | Jennifer | 12,262 |
| 1980s | Christopher | 17,083 | Jessica | 13,409 |
| 1990s | Christopher | 12,660 | Ashley | 9,601 |
| 2000s | William | 10,539 | Madison | 7,450 |
| 2010s | William | 7,241 | Ava | 5,848 |
| 2020s | Noah | 3,229 | Olivia | 2,550 |
Boy Top 50 Boy Names
| Rank | Name | Total Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 186,842 |
| 2 | William | 137,552 |
| 3 | John | 125,562 |
| 4 | Robert | 110,416 |
| 5 | Michael | 91,472 |
| 6 | Charles | 79,017 |
| 7 | David | 78,218 |
| 8 | Christopher | 63,840 |
| 9 | Willie | 60,676 |
| 10 | Thomas | 56,092 |
| 11 | Joseph | 53,756 |
| 12 | Richard | 42,489 |
| 13 | Joshua | 40,584 |
| 14 | George | 39,903 |
| 15 | Matthew | 37,116 |
| 16 | Daniel | 34,597 |
| 17 | Anthony | 32,424 |
| 18 | Andrew | 32,009 |
| 19 | Kenneth | 30,680 |
| 20 | Henry | 30,304 |
| 21 | Larry | 29,046 |
| 22 | Timothy | 28,579 |
| 23 | Jonathan | 26,926 |
| 24 | Samuel | 26,716 |
| 25 | Brandon | 26,608 |
| 26 | Jacob | 25,470 |
| 27 | Jason | 25,124 |
| 28 | Benjamin | 24,633 |
| 29 | Donald | 23,910 |
| 30 | Justin | 23,682 |
| 31 | Edward | 23,681 |
| 32 | Jerry | 22,804 |
| 33 | Bobby | 22,467 |
| 34 | Johnny | 22,337 |
| 35 | Kevin | 21,917 |
| 36 | Walter | 21,614 |
| 37 | Steven | 21,152 |
| 38 | Mark | 20,837 |
| 39 | Paul | 20,489 |
| 40 | Brian | 20,473 |
| 41 | Ronald | 20,439 |
| 42 | Jack | 20,078 |
| 43 | Jimmy | 19,480 |
| 44 | Charlie | 19,427 |
| 45 | Stephen | 18,886 |
| 46 | Gregory | 18,867 |
| 47 | Eric | 18,453 |
| 48 | Nicholas | 18,217 |
| 49 | Billy | 18,015 |
| 50 | Ryan | 17,079 |
Girl Top 50 Girl Names
| Rank | Name | Total Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 125,674 |
| 2 | Elizabeth | 43,181 |
| 3 | Betty | 40,794 |
| 4 | Annie | 35,868 |
| 5 | Sarah | 35,695 |
| 6 | Linda | 35,645 |
| 7 | Patricia | 34,124 |
| 8 | Jennifer | 34,040 |
| 9 | Barbara | 33,317 |
| 10 | Dorothy | 32,049 |
| 11 | Jessica | 28,289 |
| 12 | Ashley | 28,234 |
| 13 | Martha | 26,817 |
| 14 | Margaret | 26,329 |
| 15 | Emily | 25,081 |
| 16 | Kimberly | 24,738 |
| 17 | Brenda | 24,605 |
| 18 | Emma | 24,136 |
| 19 | Angela | 23,094 |
| 20 | Amanda | 22,731 |
| 21 | Sandra | 22,367 |
| 22 | Shirley | 20,643 |
| 23 | Carolyn | 20,460 |
| 24 | Ruby | 20,282 |
| 25 | Lisa | 20,066 |
| 26 | Frances | 19,682 |
| 27 | Rebecca | 19,587 |
| 28 | Evelyn | 19,363 |
| 29 | Deborah | 19,101 |
| 30 | Cynthia | 19,034 |
| 31 | Laura | 18,811 |
| 32 | Stephanie | 18,710 |
| 33 | Susan | 18,610 |
| 34 | Anna | 18,284 |
| 35 | Donna | 17,838 |
| 36 | Helen | 17,824 |
| 37 | Melissa | 17,662 |
| 38 | Willie | 17,661 |
| 39 | Nancy | 17,590 |
| 40 | Katherine | 17,164 |
| 41 | Virginia | 17,067 |
| 42 | Sara | 16,967 |
| 43 | Pamela | 16,610 |
| 44 | Madison | 16,251 |
| 45 | Olivia | 16,001 |
| 46 | Hannah | 15,987 |
| 47 | Catherine | 15,862 |
| 48 | Mildred | 15,748 |
| 49 | Amy | 15,632 |
| 50 | Karen | 15,373 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Related Data for Georgia
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files, 1910–2024 (ssa.gov).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.