Camila, Noah rise to top of New Mexico baby names rankings

Dec. 25—There’s a new king and queen in New Mexico — but they rule in name only.

This year saw Liam — the most popular name for New Mexico baby boys for years — finally dethroned. In Liam’s place, Noah emerged victorious, according to a Monday news release from the New Mexico Department of Health.

And Olivia, the most popular choice for girls in 2023, dropped five placements to number six. In Olivia’s stead, Camila rose from 10th place in 2023 to top the list for the girls.

Liam’s deposition marked the latest turn in a yearslong power struggle for the state’s most widely given name.

“Noah has reclaimed the top boy’s name from Liam, continuing their long-standing back-and-forth competition for first place over the last seven years,” the release stated.

The Department of Health compiles annual lists of the state’s most popular baby names based on birth certificates filed throughout the year. As of Dec. 18, 16,404 registered babies were born in New Mexico, department spokesperson David Morgan wrote in an email.

Behind Camila, Mia and Emma took the silver and bronze popularity medals, respectively, and Liam held on for silver behind Noah. Ezekiel was the third-most popular name for boys.

For three consecutive years, the list has largely kept the same names, albeit with changes in the rankings. On both lists, eight of the 10 names each have been the same.

For the boys, Levi and Oliver — last seen in 2021 and 2022, respectively — replaced Josiah and Julian. On the girls’ side, Aurora and Emily, neither of which had made the list since 2017, replaced Aria and Luna.

The U.S. Social Security Administration has not yet released its national accounting of this year’s most popular names for babies. But New Mexico parents last year aligned with parents across the country, who also favored Olivia and Liam most, according to 2023 data.

Nationally, parents also liked Noah in 2023, with that name coming in second, and Oliver — not on New Mexico parents’ 2023 list but squeaking into ninth place this year — coming in third.

In second and third on the national list for girls in 2023 were Emma and Charlotte. Emma earned third place in New Mexico in 2024 and fourth in 2023, but Charlotte was nowhere to be found on either list.

Esteban Candelaria is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. He covers child welfare and the state Children, Youth and Families Department. Learn more about Report for America at reportforamerica.org.

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