Closer look also hints at influence of Phillies’ success and popularity

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Dec. 27, 2023) – For the third consecutive year you’ll find the same names for both girls and boys respectively at or near the top of the list among newborns at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) in 2023. This year’s most popular overall choice is Noah, which was selected for 45 newborn males as of mid-December. The most chosen girls name in 2023 is Isabella, picked by 32 parents for their child.

Both Noah and Isabella have been entrenched near the top of the new-baby names list at LVHN for several years, including last year when Noah was No. 2 behind Liam. Isabella also came in second last year to Charlotte, which remains in the top four in 2023. Oliver and Cameron are other boys’ names selected most often, while on the girls’ side Sophia and Olivia continue to be popular choices.

Nationally, Noah also took over the top spot from Liam for boys, according to babycenter.com. Olivia (at No. 1) and Emma hold the top two spots for girls.

One naming trend that could be unique to the region among the more than 6,200 births at LVHN in 2023 seems to be tied to the success and popularity of the Philadelphia Phillies the past couple of years. The club’s playoff runs that included a World Series appearance two seasons ago might have sparked the parents of 16 newborn girls to name their child Harper this past year. Phillies slugger Bryce Harper is the team’s superstar and among its most popular players. Last year, Harper was the most popular girls’ name at Lehigh Valley Hospital Schuylkill–E. Norwegian Street, leading the way with six.

Harper became a hot new-baby name in 2016, cracking the Top 10 national list for girls for the first time. That year, Harper came in at No. 10, according to data from the Social Security Administration. But the local connection to the Phillies seems logical when you also consider seven families chose to name their son Bryce in 2023. While the data don’t tell us why parents picked a particular name, it also seems telling that 14 boys born at LVHN hospitals were named Bryson. Bryson Stott is one of Harper’s teammates and also a fan favorite.

Babycenter.com also reports that with the record-breaking success of performer Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” there’s been a boost in popularity for names inspired by Swift songs. They include Betty, Marjorie, Summer and Ivy, all climbing the ranks among popular names this year.

That has not been the case among newborns at LVHN. This year the only name among the four

proving more popular in mother-baby units across the five sites that deliver is Ivy with nine. Two Summers, one Marjorie and one Taylor round out the “Swift list” at LVHN.

Hit movies also can influence baby names. However, that was not the case for the “Barbie” movie as that name or some version of it did not make the cut among the girls born this year at LVHN. On the other hand, “Top Gun: Maverick” might have influenced some parents’ choices both last year and in 2023 as the number of boys named Maverick (various spellings) increased to 15 this year across the network.

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) includes 13 hospital campuses, four in Allentown, two in Bethlehem, one in Easton, one in East Stroudsburg, one in Hazleton, two in Pottsville, one in Dickson City, and one in Lehighton, Pa.; 28 health centers; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices; 20 ExpressCARE locations including the area’s only Children’s ExpressCARE; pharmacy, imaging, home health, rehabilitation and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred. Specialty care includes: trauma care for adults and children, burn care at the Regional Burn Center; kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, orthopedics, neurology, complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and robotic surgery in 10 specialties. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute and Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute physicians provide the most advanced treatments. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute is a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance (MSK Cancer Alliance), an initiative that helps community providers improve the quality of cancer care and offers access to MSK clinical trials. Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the community’s first and most trusted children’s hospital, provides access to the most pediatric specialties in the region and general pediatrics. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) is ranked 27th in the country for orthopedic care and among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report. LVH is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the top hospital in the Allentown metro area for the 10th year in a row. LVH–Cedar Crest, LVH–17th Street and LVH–Muhlenberg are the region’s only Magnet® hospitals for nursing excellence. Additional information is available by visiting LVHN.org or following us on Facebook,  LinkedIn and Instagram.

Information provided to TVL by:
Brian Downs
Public Information Officer
Marketing and Public Affairs
Lehigh Valley Health Network
LVHN.org

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