The 1998 Baby Name Report

3,678,207 babies, 25,728 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1998

👑 #1 girls: Emily (3 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Michael (38 years running) 1,714 debuts

Top girls

  1. Emily26,188
  2. Hannah21,375
  3. Samantha20,194
  4. Sarah19,896
  5. Ashley19,874
  6. Alexis19,778
  7. Taylor18,576
  8. Jessica18,238
  9. Madison17,787
  10. Elizabeth15,193

Top boys

  1. Michael36,619
  2. Jacob36,027
  3. Matthew31,145
  4. Joshua28,095
  5. Christopher27,007
  6. Nicholas26,633
  7. Brandon23,830
  8. Tyler23,712
  9. Andrew23,662
  10. Austin23,477

Full top-50 rankings for 1998 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Calista #2,830 → #697 (+2,133)
  2. Tyrese #2,393 → #612 (+1,781)
  3. Ireland #1,995 → #819 (+1,176)
  4. Abril #2,116 → #958 (+1,158)
  5. Zion #1,508 → #695 (+813)
  6. Mya #995 → #238 (+757)
  7. Tyriq #1,533 → #776 (+757)
  8. Ally #1,036 → #417 (+619)
  9. Dawson #734 → #175 (+559)
  10. Myah #1,339 → #787 (+552)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Yulissa #424 → #1,014 (−590)
  2. Moesha #945 → #1,412 (−467)
  3. Tonya #906 → #1,284 (−378)
  4. Xena #766 → #1,117 (−351)
  5. Mandy #853 → #1,176 (−323)
  6. Julisa #730 → #1,031 (−301)
  7. Janay #969 → #1,266 (−297)
  8. Jocelyne #594 → #885 (−291)
  9. Lisette #747 → #1,020 (−273)
  10. Shakira #596 → #861 (−265)

✨ Never recorded before 1998

Naidelyn (78) Ariyon (34) Adamaris (32) Adamari (28) Inaara (28) Syann (26) Zyshonne (26) Aeris (23) Taye (21) Dawsen (21)

1,714 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1998.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1998?
Emily was the #1 girl name and Michael the #1 boy name in 1998, out of 3,678,207 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1998?
Calista made the biggest jump in 1998, climbing 2,133 spots to #697.
How many new baby names appeared in 1998?
1,714 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1998.