As 2025 draws to a close, the hospital networks serving the Lehigh Valley have shared the year’s most popular names for babies born in their facilities.
St. Luke’s University Health Network released its annual baby name rankings as follows:
At St. Luke’s Anderson Campus in Bethlehem Township, Noah or Noa topped the list for boys, followed by Owen, Oliver, Carter, and a tie between Lucas and Luke. For girls, Sophia led the rankings, followed by Olivia, Charlotte, and a tie between Amelia and Zoe.
St. Luke’s Allentown Campus showed Charlotte as the top girls’ name, followed by Lainey, Gianna, and a three-way tie between Isabelle, Olivia and Sofia. Noah also claimed the top spot for boys at the Allentown location, with Elijah, Michael, and a tie between Oliver and Theodore rounding out the list.
The 2025 rankings show some consistency with previous years. In 2024, the most popular girls’ names across St. Luke’s network were Olivia, Mia, Sophia or Sofia, and Charlotte. The top boys’ names that year were Liam, Noah, Lucas or Luke, and Henry. In 2023, Isabella and Liam were the leading names.
Lehigh Valley Health Network parent Jefferson Health says Sophia and Noah topped its list of most popular baby names in 2025.
Parents across Jefferson Health’s 10 delivery facilities showed preferences that mirror national trends while adding distinctly Philadelphia flavor to their choices.
Sixty parents chose Sophia for their daughters, making it the most popular girl’s name at Jefferson Health. Emma came in second with 53 babies, followed by Isabella with 52. For boys, Noah dominated with 103 babies receiving the name, while Liam claimed second place with 91.
The local preferences align closely with national data from babycenter.com, which shows Noah and Olivia holding the top spots for boys and girls nationally. The national top five boy names remained unchanged from 2024, with Noah, Liam, Oliver, Elijah and Mateo claiming the spots in that order.
The sports culture in Philadelphia, where Jefferson Health is based, left its mark on naming trends this year. More than 45 babies were named Cooper, potentially inspired by Eagles player Cooper DeJean or hometown actor Bradley Cooper. Seven Jalens were born, possibly referencing Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Baseball fans contributed to the 35 Harpers born to parents at Jefferson Health facilities, while seven Bryces also arrived. One baby boy was named Kelce.
Parents also selected unconventional names including geographic references such as Toronto, Egypt, Boston, Bronx and Holland, according to the Jefferson Health roundup of 2025 baby names. Names conveying positive emotions appeared as well, with babies named Love, Miracle, Charm and Wonder.