California Baby Name Trends (2026)

California consistently leads the country in adopting trend-forward, multicultural, and global baby names. Below: the most popular boy and girl names in 2026 — explore each name page for meaning, origin, and pronunciation.

About California naming culture

California consistently leads the country in adopting trend-forward, multicultural, and global baby names.

Popular boy names parents in California are choosing

James
John
Robert
Michael
William
David
Richard
Charles
Joseph
Thomas
Christopher
Daniel

Popular girl names parents in California are choosing

Mary
Patricia
Linda
Barbara
Elizabeth
Jennifer
Margaret
Susan
Dorothy
Helen
Betty
Nancy

Official state-level rankings

For official state-level baby name ranks, see the US Social Security Administration state baby name dataset. Our editorial picks above reflect popular national choices common in California's West naming traditions.