Most Popular Baby Names in Iowa (2025)

In 2025, the most common boy's name registered in Iowa was Oliver (198 births) and the most common girl's name was Charlotte (158).

Iowa sits in the Midwest region, West North Central division. Regional preference is visible in this data: neighbouring states often share a top name that the national list ranks lower.

Across 18 years of records (2008 to 2025), the top boy's name changed 5 times and the top girl's name changed 9 times.

The longest unbroken run at #1 belongs to Oliver on the boys' side (10 consecutive years) and Emma on the girls' side (5).

2025 Boys

  1. 1Oliver198
  2. 2Liam185
  3. 3Henry176
  4. 4Theodore176
  5. 5Cooper133
  6. 6Hudson124
  7. 7James118
  8. 8Noah118
  9. 9Bennett113
  10. 10Owen106
  11. 11Elijah101
  12. 12Jack100
  13. 13Beau98
  14. 14William96
  15. 15Waylon90
  16. 16Leo88
  17. 17Miles85
  18. 18Mateo83
  19. 19Weston82
  20. 20Asher81

2025 Girls

  1. 1Charlotte158
  2. 2Evelyn117
  3. 3Emma116
  4. 4Amelia112
  5. 5Eleanor109
  6. 6Olivia107
  7. 7Sophia104
  8. 8Lainey101
  9. 9Harper98
  10. 10Violet97
  11. 11Hazel90
  12. 12Nora88
  13. 13Ava86
  14. 14Lucy84
  15. 15Aurora83
  16. 16Ellie76
  17. 17Ivy74
  18. 18Elizabeth72
  19. 19Isabella72
  20. 20Millie72

Number one by year in Iowa

Top three each year, boys then girls.

YearBoysGirls
2025Oliver, Liam, HenryCharlotte, Evelyn, Emma
2024Oliver, Henry, LiamCharlotte, Amelia, Evelyn
2023Oliver, Henry, TheodoreCharlotte, Olivia, Amelia
2022Oliver, Liam, TheodoreOlivia, Charlotte, Ava
2021Oliver, Liam, HenryCharlotte, Olivia, Amelia
2020Oliver, Liam, TheodoreOlivia, Charlotte, Evelyn
2019Oliver, Liam, HenryCharlotte, Emma, Harper
2018Oliver, Liam, HenryHarper, Evelyn, Emma
2017Oliver, Liam, HenryHarper, Emma, Olivia
2016Oliver, Owen, WilliamOlivia, Emma, Harper
2015Liam, William, OliverEmma, Olivia, Harper
2014Liam, William, MasonEmma, Olivia, Harper
2013Liam, Mason, CarterEmma, Harper, Sophia
2012Liam, Mason, CarterEmma, Sophia, Olivia
2011Carter, Mason, OwenEmma, Olivia, Sophia
2010Noah, Mason, EthanAva, Emma, Sophia
2009Jacob, Ethan, CarterAva, Olivia, Emma
2008Ethan, William, CarterEmma, Ava, Olivia

Other Midwest states

Illinois · Indiana · Kansas · Michigan · Minnesota · Missouri · North Dakota · Nebraska · Ohio · South Dakota · Wisconsin

All 50 states and DC

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular baby name in Iowa?
For births registered in 2025, Oliver was the top boy's name (198) and Charlotte was the top girl's name (158), according to Social Security card applications filed for Iowa births.
Where does this Iowa data come from?
The Social Security Administration publishes a state-specific file of names taken from Social Security card applications. It covers 2008 onward in the range shown here and is public domain.
Why are some names missing from the Iowa list?
SSA withholds any name with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state and year. That is a privacy rule, not a gap in the records, so a missing name means "fewer than 5", never zero.
Do these counts include every baby born in Iowa?
They include births with a Social Security card application that lists Iowa as the state of birth. Names are counted as written on the application, so spelling variants are counted separately.
How often is the Iowa ranking updated?
SSA releases the previous year's data annually, usually in the first half of the following year. Past years do not change once published.

U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) - Popular Baby Names (state-specific) · Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state and year are withheld by SSA.