The Letter X in Modern Baby Names

February 15, 2021

Did you know that Jaxon was the 42nd most popular name for baby boys in the U.S. in 2019?

It's not the only "X" name to gain popularity in recent years. As you can see from the chart below, names with an X in them have steadily increased in popularity since about 1980.

What were the most popular baby names containing an X in 2019?

1. Alexander

11,253 births; 99.8% male

2. Jaxon

7,243 births; 99.7% male

Alternate spelling of Jackson, which is itself a pretty newfangled name.

3. Axel

4,487 births; 99.8% male

When Guns 'n Roses groupies grow up and start a family...

Aging rocker Axl Rose. The spelling Axl has also gained popularity recently.

4. Jaxson

4,480 births; 99.8% male

5. Xavier

4,167 births; 99.9% male

6. Braxton

3,014 births; 99.6% male

7. Max

2,763 births; 99.0% male

I personally intend to name my first child Max Danger Power.

8. Maxwell

2,673 births; 97.9% male

9. Maddox

2,570 births; 95.8% male

10. Alex

2,525 births; 94.1% male

11. Phoenix

2,416 births; 57.9% male

Phoenix really took off after the death of actor River Phoenix in 1993. River has seen a very similar trend.

The mythical Phoenix, rising from its own ashes.

12. Xander

2,331 births; 99.7% male

13. Ximena

2,180 births; 100% female

Ximena is a female Basque variant of the name Simon. Ximena Sariñana and Ximena Navarrete are Mexican celebrities who have contributed to the recent popularity of the name.