Baby names in Kentucky
What parents in Kentucky actually named their children in 2025, and which names the state uses far more than the country does.
Top 20 girls' names in Kentucky, 2025
| # | Name | Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amelia | 212 |
| 2 | Charlotte | 187 |
| 3 | Sophia | 166 |
| 4 | Evelyn | 164 |
| 5 | Lainey | 160 |
| 6 | Emma | 159 |
| 7 | Willow | 156 |
| 8 | Ellie | 152 |
| 9 | Eleanor | 149 |
| 10 | Harper | 147 |
| 11 | Olivia | 141 |
| 12 | Ivy | 124 |
| 13 | Ava | 123 |
| 14 | Ella | 122 |
| 15 | Elizabeth | 119 |
| 16 | Lily | 113 |
| 17 | Violet | 110 |
| 18 | Hazel | 106 |
| 19 | Scarlett | 103 |
| 20 | Lucy | 99 |
Top 20 boys' names in Kentucky, 2025
| # | Name | Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oliver | 278 |
| 2 | Liam | 253 |
| 3 | Hudson | 229 |
| 4 | Waylon | 223 |
| 5 | Noah | 203 |
| 6 | Henry | 191 |
| 7 | Theodore | 191 |
| 8 | Elijah | 185 |
| 9 | James | 181 |
| 10 | William | 173 |
| 11 | Asher | 171 |
| 12 | John | 163 |
| 13 | Grayson | 157 |
| 14 | Levi | 157 |
| 15 | Samuel | 148 |
| 16 | Lucas | 145 |
| 17 | Cooper | 143 |
| 18 | Maverick | 141 |
| 19 | Walker | 136 |
| 20 | Weston | 136 |
The most distinctive names in Kentucky
These are the names Kentucky uses most out of proportion to the rest of the country. The location quotient is the state's share of births going to a name divided by the national share, over 2016–2025. A quotient of 3.0 means the name is three times as common here as it is nationally.
| Name | Births in Kentucky | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|
| Anniston | 131 | 6.3× |
| Kenton | 66 | 5.5× |
| Raylan | 254 | 5.2× |
| Kolson | 103 | 5.2× |
| Raylee | 132 | 5.1× |
| Raylynn | 119 | 5.1× |
| Blakelynn | 56 | 5.0× |
| Rayleigh | 95 | 4.8× |
| Brantlee | 66 | 4.6× |
| Gatlin | 135 | 4.5× |
| Brentley | 97 | 4.5× |
| Bentlee | 118 | 4.4× |
| Lakyn | 63 | 4.3× |
| Annistyn | 51 | 4.2× |
| Memphis | 347 | 4.2× |
| Wrenlee | 138 | 4.2× |
| Maylee | 106 | 4.1× |
| Branson | 115 | 4.1× |
| Hadleigh | 118 | 4.0× |
| Houston | 163 | 3.9× |
The number one name in Kentucky, year by year
| Year | Girls | Births | Boys | Births |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Amelia | 212 | Oliver | 278 |
| 2024 | Charlotte | 205 | Liam | 260 |
| 2023 | Amelia | 203 | Liam | 257 |
| 2022 | Harper | 205 | Liam | 262 |
| 2021 | Emma | 231 | Liam | 272 |
| 2020 | Amelia | 240 | Liam | 275 |
| 2019 | Amelia | 244 | Liam | 277 |
| 2018 | Emma | 256 | William | 294 |
| 2017 | Emma | 292 | William | 307 |
| 2016 | Emma | 313 | William | 317 |
| 2015 | Emma | 309 | William | 338 |
| 2014 | Emma | 320 | William | 367 |
| 2013 | Emma | 347 | William | 312 |
| 2012 | Emma | 358 | William | 353 |
| 2011 | Emma | 335 | William | 397 |
| 2010 | Isabella | 376 | William | 376 |
| 2009 | Emma | 331 | Jacob | 427 |
| 2008 | Madison | 360 | William | 429 |
| 2007 | Madison | 407 | Jacob | 481 |
| 2006 | Madison | 419 | Jacob | 500 |
State files start in 1910 and use the same five-birth reporting floor as the national data, applied per state, year and sex — so small states show fewer distinct names, not fewer names in use.