California's 2025 baby name list is a photo finish at the top: Olivia edges Mia by just eight births, while Liam leads all boys with 2,624.
The boys' top seven barely budged, with Liam, Noah, Mateo, Santiago, Sebastian, Julian and Oliver all holding their places from 2024. Noah's 2,607 births put him only 17 behind Liam, and Mateo isn't far off the pace at 2,239. The real movement came lower down: Elias jumped ten spots into 8th, and Luca climbed five to tie Elijah at 9th.
Among girls, Olivia's 1,796 births keep her ahead of Mia, and Sophia rose two places to third with 1,685. Camila and Emma round out the top five in a group that stays remarkably consistent. Two climbers stand out — Eliana moved up three to 9th, and Valentina leapt seven spots into 10th with 1,146 births.
Look closely and you'll spot some familiar styles: Sofia and Sophia both sit in the girls' top ten, alongside softer picks like Isabella and Amelia, while the boys' list leans on smooth, vowel-rich names like Mateo and Santiago. Change here tends to be gradual, so the biggest gains come from a handful of names quietly gathering momentum rather than any dramatic shake-up.
| Popularity Rank* | Change | Name | Babies in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | Liam | 2624 |
| 2 | - | Noah | 2607 |
| 3 | - | Mateo | 2239 |
| 4 | - | Santiago | 1991 |
| 5 | - | Sebastian | 1954 |
| 6 | - | Julian | 1680 |
| 7 | - | Oliver | 1456 |
| 8 | 10 | Elias | 1342 |
| 9 | 5 | Luca | 1257 |
| 9 | 1 | Elijah | 1257 |
| Popularity Rank* | Change | Name | Babies in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Olivia | 1796 |
| 2 | -1 | Mia | 1788 |
| 3 | 2 | Sophia | 1685 |
| 4 | -1 | Camila | 1682 |
| 5 | -1 | Emma | 1641 |
| 6 | - | Isabella | 1506 |
| 7 | - | Amelia | 1370 |
| 8 | - | Sofia | 1339 |
| 9 | 3 | Eliana | 1323 |
| 10 | 7 | Valentina | 1146 |