2023: Top Baby Names in New Jersey

Okay, you're expecting a baby -- WOW, that's amazing -- Congratulations! Now, are you a couple that wants to know the baby's gender before you give birth, or do you want to wait and be surprised?

I can certainly see both sides; you want to plan for and get everything ready, including the baby's room, clothes, etc. On the other hand, the surprise of finding out at the moment can be amazing and exciting at the same time.

Figuring out the baby's name is also a fun process. Many people, including myself, put together a list of top choices -- going back and forth -- sometimes even bartering for 'naming rights' or trying to convince each other why we should go with a particular choice.

A funny story: when I was born, my dad wanted to name me Richard, but my mom said, 'No way, they'll call him Dick in school... and she didn't want me being teased.' They chose right.

So in 2023 in New Jersey, the top chosen names for both boys and girls are tracked, and so far this year, here's what's trending.

For boys, the final predictions as trends indicate the following: at #10 Oliver, #9 Luca, #8 Jacob, #7 Michael, #6 Benjamin, #5 James, #4 Joseph, #3 Lucas, #2 Noah, and the #1 expected name for 2023 is LIAM.

For girls, the rankings are as follows: at #10 is Leah, #9 is Luna, #8 is Isabella, #7 is Charlotte, #6 is Amelia, #5 is Ava, #4 is Emma, #3 is Mia, #2 is Sophia, and the #1 expected name in New Jersey for 2023 is Olivia.

For boys, all of these names, except two, were in the top 10 in 2021, according to Names.org, with Luca moving up 1 spot and Oliver jumping from #20. For the girls, it's the same story, with only Luna moving from #12 to #9 expected in 2023

If we look back to 2007, it was Michael as the most popular name for boys and Isabella was tops among the girls in New Jersey. Fast forward to 2023, and we've got Liam and Olivia leading the way.

Names may change, but the fun of naming remains a timeless adventure.