The arrival of a new baby is an exciting time.

While part of the excitement for many is choosing a name, others may feel pressure to make the right choice since it has impact on their identity and journey throughout life.

Parents often choose a name that reflects family traditions, cultural backgrounds or religious beliefs, or honors loved ones.

Often, choosing a name is influenced by popular culture – sports figures, movie stars or musicians play a part in the decision.

Or, some parents simply pick a name just because they really like it!

To get a pulse on parents’ preferences, Jefferson Health tracked the 2025 most popular names among the thousands of babies born across the system which includes 10 hospitals that deliver babies.

At Jefferson Health, the most popular name for girls is Sophia, chosen by 60 parents, with the name Emma coming in second place, chosen by 53 parents, and Isabella right behind with 52.

For boys, Noah came in first place as the most popular boy name with 103 babies given the name, followed by 91 named Liam.

Noah is also the most popular boy name nationally.

More than 45 Coopers were born this year, perhaps inspired by Eagles Super Bowl hero Cooper DeJean and hometown megastar Bradley Cooper.

Speaking of the Eagles, seven Jalens were born, perhaps a nod to quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Families continue to favor names that resonate with Phillies fans, including 35 Harpers (both boys and girls!) and seven Bryces.

Among the births is a boy named Kelce; we like to think the inspiration for the name came from the former Eagles player Jason Kelce, and not the other Kelce who is engaged to the world’s biggest pop star!

In looking at Jefferson Health’s 2025 list, there were quite a few unique names, including those of geographic locations such as Toronto, Egypt, Boston, Bronx and Holland, and names that evoke the joy of having a baby, including Love, Miracle, Charm and Wonder.

Looking at a national snapshot, according to babycenter.com Noah and Olivia held onto their number one spots for boys and girls.

The top five boy names are exactly the same as in 2024, with Noah No. 1, Liam No. 2, Oliver No. 3, Elijah No. 4 and Mateo No. 5.

For girl names, Olivia and Amelia are holding onto the number one and two spots, respectively, and Emma moved up to No. 3 (from No. 4), Sophia dropped to No. 4 (from No. 3) and Charlotte moved up to No. 5 (from No. 6).

Contributed article