The most popular baby names in the US for 2022 have been revealed. But can a name impact your future career success?
Using data from the Social Security Administration and Adzuna, we’ve taken a look at the average future salaries of the country’s most common names. We extracted the salary and first name from over 90,000 resumes from users of our ValueMyResume tool. We then analyzed the average (mean) salary estimate for each different name. This let us explore the earning potential for over 16,000 different first names. Pretty cool, right?
Let’s take a look at the most popular baby names and earnings, starting with the female names.
1. Olivia
Average salary: $44,553
The most popular girl’s name in 2022 is Olivia. On average, individuals named Olivia earn just under $45,000 a year. This is relatively low compared to some other popular names on the list.
2. Emma
Average salary: $48,174
Emma was the most popular girl’s name for the past three years. However, in 2022, there have been more Olivias than Emmas. But how much does the name Emma earn you? Individuals with the name Emma earn just over $48,000 per year.
3. Charlotte
Average salary: $59,243
With some parents following in the footsteps of the British royal family, the next most popular baby name for 2022 is Charlotte. The name Charlotte is the most lucrative of the top 10 most popular girls’ names, with an average salary coming in just under $60,000.
4. Amelia
Average salary: $45,206
Next on the list of most popular girls’ names is Amelia. Girls called Amelia tend to earn just over $45,000 per year.
5. Ava
Average salary: $44,519
Rounding off the top five most popular girls’ names is Ava. Individuals with the name Ava can expect to earn just shy of $45,000 per year.
Table 1: The most popular girls' names and their average earnings
| Girls' Names | Average earnings |
|---|---|
| Olivia | $44,553 |
| Emma | $48,174 |
| Charlotte | $59,243 |
| Amelia | $45,206 |
| Ava | $44,519 |
| Sophia | $54,273 |
| Isabella | $38,937 |
| Mia | $50,583 |
| Evelyn | $50,426 |
| Harper | $47,388 |
What are the most popular boys’ names?
1. Liam
Average salary: $53,294
The name Liam has taken the top spot for the last 5 years. Having the name Liam will earn you $53,294 on average each year.
2. Noah
Average salary: $53,096
Noah is next on the list of most popular boys’ names. The name Noah will earn you a similar amount of money to Liam, with an average salary of $53,096.
3. Oliver
Average salary: $55,128
Oliver is the third most popular name for 2022. On average, the name will bring you a salary of over $55,000.
4. Elijah
Average salary: $49,445
The next most popular name for this year is Elijah. The name has the lowest salary of any boys’ name in the top 10, coming in at just under $50,000.
5. James
Average salary: $83,115
James takes the final spot on the top five most popular boys’ names for 2022. The name James has the highest average earnings out of any of the most popular names. Boys named James earn an impressive $83,115 on average.
Table 2: The most popular boys' names and their average earnings
| Boys' Names | Average earnings |
|---|---|
| Liam | $53,294 |
| Noah | $53,096 |
| Oliver | $55,128 |
| Elijah | $49,445 |
| James | $83,115 |
| William | $78,292 |
| Benjamin | $78,378 |
| Lucas | $73,563 |
| Henry | $70,275 |
| Theodore | $77,521 |
Highest paying names
But which names earn the most money overall? The top 10 highest-paid list of names include Murat ($220,864), Bilal ($175,064), and Harsh ($164,034). Only one female name features in the list of highest paying names. Females named Marina earn $154,125 on average.
If you’re looking for a popular name which will still earn a good wage, the names James, Charlotte, and Liam earn the most.
Read more: Top names for earning the big bucks: What’s your name worth?
If you are struggling to think of a name for your little one, why not think about how their name can impact their earning potential?
Looking for a new job? Check out all available roles in the US here. Are you being paid your market value? Use our ValueMyResume Tool to find out how much you should be paid.
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