Yes, 25! (Feeling old yet?) Here’s a look back at the names that dominated the start of the century.
As Y2K loomed large, some folks fretted about a huge tech snafu: Would the world’s computers read the rollover to 2000 as 1900 instead? Meanwhile, on a more micro level, parents-to-be on baby watch were busy sifting through baby names for their newest family member due at the millennium’s turn.
Fortunately, there was good news on both fronts. The Y2K meltdown was mostly a #fail, and the moms and dads of 2000 landed on a batch of terrific baby names for their sweetie pies. Now, to honor their hard work and celebrate this special list of monikers, we’re looking back at the class of 2000.
We talked to Rebekah Wahlberg, a specialist in baby-name trends from BabyCenter, a leading pregnancy and parenting website and app, to see how things worked out. Ahead, check out the top baby names from a quarter century ago, and see which ones are still holding steady today.
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How were the most popular names of 2000 determined?
How do we even know the most popular names of 2000? We have the smart team at the Social Security Administration (SSA) to thank for this information every year. When new parents fill out applications for their babies’ social security cards, the SSA gathers and compiles the data. Baby names are recorded from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as long as they’re at least two letters in length.
What were the prevailing baby-name trends of 2000?
You’ll recognize these names! Many can be directly tied to pop culture, celebrities and the world of sports, Wahlberg says. Among these are Emma and James, which hold the 17th and 18th spot in the top names of 2000.
“Emma skyrocketed after Rachel from Friends gave the name to her baby, and James earned plenty of attention as LeBron James rose to dominance in the NBA,” Wahlberg explains.
Another trend for 2000 was “a wave of boy names ending with -den,” which Wahlberg says coincided with “when Jaden Smith started acting alongside his dad, Will.” Other similar names that soared in the early aughts include Brayden, Aiden, Caden and Hayden.
What were the most popular names of 2000?
The most popular names of 2000 truly fit their moment in history, as they include familiar classics that roll easily off the tongue and mesh well with many middle and last names. Topping the list for boys is Jacob, followed by Michael and Matthew. The girls are led by Emily, then Hannah and Madison.
Boys
- Jacob
- Michael
- Matthew
- Joshua
- Christopher
- Nicholas
- Andrew
- Joseph
- Daniel
- Tyler
Girls
- Emily
- Hannah
- Madison
- Ashley
- Sarah
- Alexis
- Samantha
- Jessica
- Elizabeth
- Taylor
Are any of these names still popular today?
Jacob and Emily’s time in the limelight has pretty much ended, but some of the top monikers still have legs. “Emily ranks No. 56 and Jacob ranks No. 58 right now, per BabyCenter data, and Michael, one of the most enduringly popular names in the United States, ranked No. 2 in 2000 and ranks No. 16 today,” says Wahlberg. “James has held steady just outside the top 10 for more than a decade, ranking No. 18 in 2000 and No. 11 today, and many of 2025’s most popular girl names were climbing up the ranks in 2000.”
For example, No. 1 Olivia has ruled for the past five-plus years and was ranked No. 16 in 2000, and Emma, which currently ranks No. 4, ranked No. 17 in 2000, she notes.
How have baby-name trends shifted over the past 25 years?
As for shifts in baby-name trends over the past 25 years, Wahlberg says that creativity and diversity are the two main themes that stand out right now.
“We’ve seen baby names de-consolidate as parents choose from a bigger pool. So when Emily was the No. 1 baby name in 2000, it was given to 1.3% of baby girls born that year,” she explains. “But in 2024, when Olivia was No. 1, it was given to 0.8% of girls.”
And over the past quarter century, she continues, new parents have opted for nicknames as full names, as well as unusual spellings for their wee ones (think: Jayden, Jaiden, Jaeden, Jaidyn and Jadyn).
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Sources:
- Rebekah Wahlberg, specialist in baby-name trends at BabyCenter; email interview, Sept. 2, 2025
- New York Times: “’00 Computer Glitches Are Mostly No-Show”
- Social Security Administration: “Social Security Number Holders”
- BabyCenter: “Caden”
