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California's most popular baby names in 2025
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"Olivia" is the new queen and "Liam" remains king of California's top baby names, according to Social Security card applications submitted at birth.
The big picture: Those are the most popular names nationally, too, and have been for the past seven years.
- California's top girls name rankings didn't change much since 2024.
- Olivia moved into first place over Emma, and Sophia jumped from fifth to third. Eliana and Valentina replaced Luna and Gianna in the top 10.
- The boys stayed the same, except that Elias and Benjamin knocked Ezra and Lucas out of the top 10.
The intrigue: Two K names are considered fastest risers nationwide last year, according to the SSA.
- For boys: Kasai, which means "fire" in Japanese and Swahili.
- For girls: Klarity, an altered spelling of "clarity."
Other novel spellings climbing the national ranks: Neithan and Madisson.