What’s in a name?
In one generation, the nursery nameplate went from pop culture to Scripture—with a detour through a Victorian English garden.
Louisiana parents have changed the nursery nameplate. And the shift is not subtle.
The Social Security Administration just released its latest state-by-state baby name rankings. RedEye compared Louisiana's 2025 favorites with the top names from 2000—roughly one generation ago. What came back reads like a cultural conversion.
Why it matters: Baby names are cultural time capsules. They tell you what parents are watching, reading and admiring when filling out birth certificates and what they wish for their own children.
Back then: Louisiana's top names in 2000 sound like they were shaped by television and the late Clinton era.
- Boys: Joshua, Jacob, Christopher, Michael, Tyler
- Girls: Madison, Hannah, Alexis, Emily, Taylor
Michael had Jordan and Jackson. Tyler was the kid who definitely owned a skateboard. Madison was the lead character of Splash. Hannah, as in Montana, had the best of both worlds. Taylor was peak unisex.
Now: The 2025 list sounds like someone put down Entertainment Weekly and picked up a Bible, then wandered through a 19th-century English garden.
- Boys: Noah, Liam, James, Elijah, John
- Girls: Amelia, Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Sophia
The boys' list is heavy with Scripture: Noah, James, Elijah and John. Beyond the top 5, the pattern is verified—Joseph, Levi, Luke, Samuel and Josiah. These are names that want to sound rooted.
The girls went a different direction—not biblical, but older. Amelia, Charlotte, Eleanor, Eloise and Josephine sound like characters with good posture and complicated inheritances.
The bottom line: A generation ago, Louisiana parents gave their children names that sounded like the moment. Today, they're reaching for names that sound like the distant past.
The babies, meanwhile, still plan to wake up at 3 a.m.
