Expect to see a lot more kids named Charlotte and Liam running around Virginia in a couple of years.
Those are the most popular names for boys and girls among the 96,683 babies born in the commonwealth last year, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health. Both names have held the top spot for at least six years straight.
The second most popular name for boys remained “Noah” in 2025, but second place for girls saw a shakeup as “Emma” jumped from No. 4 to No. 2 — trading places with “Olivia,” which fell to No. 4.
“Choosing your child’s name is more than a tradition — it’s a defining moment,” Virginia Health Commissioner B. Cameron Webb said in a news release. “It might carry the weight of a family legacy, echo a name heard long ago that never left your heart or emerge as the perfect fit when you finally see their face.”
The top 15 boys names for 2025 were:
- Liam
- Noah
- Oliver
- Theodore
- Henry
- William
- James
- Elijah
- Lucas
- John
- Benjamin
- Levi
- Samuel
- Thomas
- Daniel
The top 15 girl names were:
- Charlotte
- Emma
- Sophia
- Olivia
- Amelia
- Isabella
- Evelyn
- Mia
- Elizabeth
- Eleanor
- Ava
- Eliana
- Ailany
- Lily
- Sofia
There were several differences for top boy and girl names among different racial and ethnic groups. While Liam was the top choice for boys among Hispanic parents, Muhammad was the top boy name for Asian parents, Noah for Black parents and Theodore for white parents.
Top girl names included Charlotte for white parents, Emma for Asian parents, Naomi for Black parents and Ailany for Hispanic parents.
The Social Security Administration has historical data on top baby names dating back as far as 1960 for all U.S. states.
Here are some other facts about 2025 births provided by VDH:
- Month Most Births Occurred in: August (8,310)
- Least Number of Births Occurred in: November (7,111)
- Day Most Births Occurred on: September 5 (351 births)
- Most common birthday of the week: Wednesday (15,144 births)
- Least common birthday of the week: Sunday (9,314 births)
- Total Born as Twins: 2,837
- Total Born as Triplets: 55
- New Year’s Eve Births (December 31, 2024): 177
- New Year’s Day Births (January 1, 2025): 220
- Babies sharing a birthday with Mom: 267
- Babies sharing a birthday with Dad: 268
Image via Omar Lopez/Unsplash
