‘Oli’ names took top spots for boys and girls in 2020
Published 11:00 am Monday, May 17, 2021
PORTLAND — Few people will look back fondly on the year 2020, with the possible exception of one group — new parents.
How can you not remember with joy when your little baby went from being an inside person to an outside person, even if the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic meant your outside person spent most of its time indoors?
But the real question — did these pandemic babies get pandemic baby names? Did Oregonians decide to call their bundles of joy “Corona” or “Mask”?
Well, not in droves, it appears.
Last week, the Social Security Administration released its list of top baby names in the country and in each state. So, how did the names stack up to previous years?
It was a big year for little buddies who go by “Oli.”
Olivia took the No. 1 spot for the girl category, with 207 new humans receiving that name in Oregon. Oliver took No. 1 for boys, with 234 new little Olivers.
Both names in the top spot shouldn’t come as a surprise. Oregonians have been pumping out little Olis for some time.
Oliver was No. 1 in 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016, while Olivia was No. 1 in 2019 and 2016 and No. 2 in 2018, 2017 and 2015, switching off with juggernaut Emma.
For girls, coming in behind Olivia were Amelia (160 babies), Charlotte (149), Emma (148, in a major upset) and Evelyn (133).
For boys, after Oliver were Liam (189 babies), Henry (187), Noah (186) and William (167).
Nationally, Elijah made the top five for boys, and Ava and Sophia for girls, but none of those three placed that high in Oregon. Otherwise, the list didn’t contain too many surprises, except maybe the seeds of a Beatles revival — 117 babies were named Eleanor in 2020, 70 were named John, 60 were named Lucy and 40 each were named George, Harrison and Jude.
No Pauls or Ringos made the top 100, but keep an eye out for 2021.