Last month Social Security released the national and state-specific baby name data for 2023.

Its annual data released by Social Security says Jack Myers who indicates you can see the top 10 boys and girls names of 2023 for the U.S. and you can also see state-specific lists to see how Illinois or any other states differ from the national naming trends. 

If you want to check the historical popularity of a specific name - you can do that too. But Myers often gets asked, why they keep track of this information. He says the answer is simple - they already have the data.

Myers points out that, for the last several years the top baby names have remained the same or the same names are remaining popular.

Social Security compiled baby names starting in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. Myers notes pop culture tends to have an influence on baby names from year to year.

Because the information is sought after, the release typically generates a lot of extra visits to the Social Security website. Check it out at www.socialsecurity.gov/babynames.