How do the top baby names in Texas compare to the nationwide rankings?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas welcomed 2,532 new Liams, 2,120 Noahs, 1,892 Olivias and 1,793 Emmas in 2022.

The Social Security Administration released the top baby names of last year. Liam and Olivia were the most popular male and female names in the state, reflecting popularity seen nationwide.

In fact, the top two male and female names in Texas matched the overall rankings for the U.S. as a whole. It's not until third place where the rankings start to differ.

Liam has been the most popular male name in Texas since 2018, while Olivia has been the most popular female name since 2020.

Here's a look at the top 20 most popular baby names in last year. Toggle between Texas and the U.S. as a whole using the buttons in the top left.

How has name popularity changed over time?

When it comes to names, popularity comes and goes. The Social Security Administration shows the top five most popular male and female names each year back to 1923.

Since then, a total of 26 male names have appeared in the top five rankings at some point. James has appeared on the list in 63 separate years, 58 of which were consecutively between 1923 and 1980. More recently, the name has reappeared in the top five in the 2010s and 2020s.

Michael is the name that has appeared in the top five for the most years in a row. The name was in the top five ranking from 1949 through 2010, a total of 62 years.

The animated chart below shows how the top five rankings have changed through time.

There has been much more movement among female names: 44 have appeared in the top five since 1923.

Mary appeared in the top five list for the longest: a total of 45 consecutive years from 1923 to 1967.

This year's most popular names, Liam and Olivia, have appeared in the top five rankings for 10 and 15 years consecutively.