West Michigan's Top Baby Names for 2020
Andy Rent
Spectrum Health Beat
Step right up, Eleanor and Leo. You've joined the big leagues now. The two names claimed spots on the top 10 lists of baby names at the Family Birthplace and Natural Birthing Suites at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital for 2020.
Spectrum Health Beat told us that Eleanor scooted her way to No. 7 for girls, and Leo crawled to a ninth-place tie for boys. Since I have a grandson named Leo, I'm a bit thrilled that he's so popular... okay, his name, anyway!
Nationally, both names have followed a steady trajectory upward in popularity in recent years, according to the Social Security Administration, which keeps records dating to 1900.
Eleanor ranked No. 27 on the national list last year.
And, ironically, the last time Eleanor reached the top 10 was in 1918—during another pandemic year of the Spanish Flu!
Leo also hit a recent high point last year—No. 40 nationally—after steadily gaining ground in the past five years. The name reached its peak of popularity in 1903, when it was the 28th most common name for newborn boys.
Because of a change in software, the Butterworth Hospital 2020 baby names list omits the first two months of the year.
But it still gives a good look at the makeup of play groups and preschool classrooms in coming years, because more babies are born at Butterworth Hospital than any other hospital in Michigan. So far this year, more than 6,800 babies arrived there.
Spectrum Health Top Baby Names of 2020:
1. Ava
2. Charlotte
3. Nora
4. Olivia
5. Amelia
6. Emma
7. Eleanor
8. Hazel
9. Evelyn
10. Harper
1. Oliver
2. William
3. Liam
4. Owen
5. Benjamin
6. Theodore
7. Noah
8. Elijah
9. Leo (a tie)
9. Levi (a tie)
Filed Under: COVID-19, spanish flu, spectrum health, top baby names