The East Coast and West Coast are both part of the U.S., but that’s about where their similarities end. Each side of the country has its own style on just about everything, including baby names.
Genealogy site MooseRoots compared the average 2014 rank of first names given to babies in East Coast states—Maine, N.H., Mass., R.I., Conn., N.Y., N.J., Del., Md., Va., North Carolina, S.C., Ga. and Fla.—to the average in West Coast states—Calif., Ore. and Wash. We found that some names are far more common on the East Coast than West.
Our data is from the Social Security Administration, which maintains detailed records of American births. If you’re determined to name your child like an East Coaster, browse the 25 names that parents in the region couldn’t get enough of in 2014.
Note: Each name will be accompanied by a heat map of its state-by-state popularity. When a state shows up gray, either the name was unranked or there were not enough newborns with the name to qualify it.
#15. Miracle
West Coast Average Rank: 786
East Coast Average Rank: 331.5
Percent Difference: 57.82%
Overall U.S. Rank: 414
Miracle ranked 414 for all female newborns in 2014. It has been trending up for the last decade and has reached peak popularity over the last few years.
#14. Caroline
West Coast Average Rank: 139.33
East Coast Average Rank: 58.29
Percent Difference: 58.17%
Overall U.S. Rank: 58
Caroline ranked 58 for all female newborns in 2014. The name has French and English origins.
#13. Kyleigh
West Coast Average Rank: 697
East Coast Average Rank: 286.08
Percent Difference: 58.96%
Overall U.S. Rank: 348
Kyleigh ranked 348 for all female newborns in 2014. A total of 941 baby girls were given this Scottish name that year.
#12. Nyla
West Coast Average Rank: 518.33
East Coast Average Rank: 211
Percent Difference: 59.29%
Overall U.S. Rank: 301
Nyla ranked 301 for all female newborns in 2014. The name has been trending up over the last decade and is more popular now than ever in recent years.
#11. Jada
West Coast Average Rank: 471.33
East Coast Average Rank: 191
Percent Difference: 59.48%
Overall U.S. Rank: 292
Jada ranked 292 for all female newborns in 2014. It means ‘he knows’ in Hebrew.
#10. Gabrielle
West Coast Average Rank: 307.33
East Coast Average Rank: 123.92
Percent Difference: 59.68%
Overall U.S. Rank: 173
Gabrielle ranked 173 for all female newborns in 2014. The name was very popular in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, but has been trending slightly down in recent years.
#9. Messiah
West Coast Average Rank: 602
East Coast Average Rank: 241.09
Percent Difference: 59.95%
Overall U.S. Rank: 298
Messiah ranked 298 for all male newborns in 2014. It has been trending up, with 1,178 baby boys taking the name that year.
#8. Michael
West Coast Average Rank: 20.67
East Coast Average Rank: 8.21
Percent Difference: 60.25%
Overall U.S. Rank: 7
Michael ranked No. 7 for all male newborns in 2014. The biblical name meaning ‘who is like God’ in Hebrew has been trending down over the last decade.
#7. Amir
West Coast Average Rank: 379
East Coast Average Rank: 149.42
Percent Difference: 60.58%
Overall U.S. Rank: 212
Amir ranked 212 for all male newborns in 2014. The name has Arabic, Bosnian, Hebrew, Iranian, Jewish, Pakistani and Turkish origins.
#6. Nasir
West Coast Average Rank: 797
East Coast Average Rank: 304
Percent Difference: 61.58%
Overall U.S. Rank: 551
Nasir ranked 551 for all male newborns in 2014. The Bosnian and Pakistani-rooted name has enjoyed steady popularity.
#5. Ryleigh
West Coast Average Rank: 489.33
East Coast Average Rank: 181
Percent Difference: 63.01%
Overall U.S. Rank: 188
Ryleigh ranked 188 for all female newborns in 2014. A total of 1,735 baby girls were given the name that year.
#4. Paris
West Coast Average Rank: 650
East Coast Average Rank: 239.7
Percent Difference: 63.12%
Overall U.S. Rank: 269
Paris ranked 269 for all female newborns in 2014. The name was once more popular for boys and is currently trending down.
#3. Londyn
West Coast Average Rank: 503.67
East Coast Average Rank: 177.75
Percent Difference: 64.71%
Overall U.S. Rank: 154
Londyn ranked 154 for all female newborns in 2014. A total of 2,081 little ladies were given the name that year.
#2. Gabriella
West Coast Average Rank: 94.67
East Coast Average Rank: 33.21
Percent Difference: 64.91%
Overall U.S. Rank: 43
Gabriella ranked 43 for all female newborns in 2014. The feminine form of Gabriel was given to 5,051 baby girls that year.
#1. Skylar
West Coast Average Rank: 180
East Coast Average Rank: 55.86
Percent Difference: 68.97
Overall U.S. Rank: 48
Skylar ranked 48 for all female newborns in 2014. The name means ‘scholar’ or ‘school teacher’ and was once primarily given to boys.
