40 Names That Mean You Live on the West Coast
...Probably.
Have you met a baby named Clementine, Makoa or Zephyr recently? If so, there’s a good chance you’re on America’s West Coast.
We wanted to know if some baby names are particularly distinctive to the US states bordering the Pacific — California, Oregon and Washington — so we delved into the data. (You can too, with our lists of Popular Names by State.)
The result? An eclectic bunch of names that are more popular in all the West Coast states than they are overall in the US. They include ahead-of-the-curve picks, surprise throwbacks, and some quirky West Coast baby names that parents everywhere should know about.
Top Ten West Coast Names
Many popular names on the West Coast are in line with the rest of the USA. National favorites like Olivia, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Liam, Noah, Oliver, and Benjamin are also in the Top 10 in all three Pacific states.
Washington is perhaps the most normcore state: all its Top Ten names, for girls and boys, are the same as the USA's ten most popular baby names 2022, though in a different order.
In California, Spanish and Italian names like Camila and Gianna, Mateo and Julian make the Top Ten; and the top names in Oregon include up-and-coming choices like Hazel and Ezra.
Top 10 names in California 2022
Top 10 names in Oregon 2022
Top 10 names in Washington 2022
West Coast Name Trends
Each state has its own local style — like Spanish names in California — but it’s interesting how much they all have in common.
West Coast parents are clearly inspired by their neighboring Pacific. Names that are relatively popular in all three states include Ocean, Zephyr (meaning "west wind"), and Hawaiian names like Kalea and Makoa.
Ahead-of-the-trend names popular on the West Coast include Frankie and Cleo, Ozzy and Kruz. They are rising nationwide, but even more popular in these three states.
There are some surprise throwbacks,: Alyson, Jacqueline, Sonia and Enrique are all losing popularity in the US, but are still doing relatively well in all the West Coast states.
Rare West Coast Name Favorites
The following names are in the Top 500 in California, Oregon and Washington, but don't make the Top 500 nationwide. Four of them were also on the list last year — Clementine, Kiana, Moses, and Rio — making them especially distinctive West Coast names.
- Clementine
- Cleo
- Dorian
- Enrique
- Faye
- Frankie
- Irene
- Jacqueline
- Keanu
- Keira
- Kiana
- Mina
- Moses
- Noemi
- Ocean
- Ozzy
- Remy
- Rio
- Vienna
Unique West Coast Baby Names
Looking for even more unusual West Coast baby names? The following names are in the Top 1000 in California, Oregon and Washington, but fall below the US Top 1000. Four of them — Benito, Ollie, Romy, and Zephyr — also made the list the previous year.
For the full statistics, see:
Got a name story to tell? If you'd like to write about your personal experience with your own name, your child's name, names in your family or your culture, we'd love to consider your story for publication on Nameberry. Email us a sentence or two about your idea at clare@nameberry.com