Silver Cross Expert Weighs in on Trending Baby Names for 2024 and What’s Ahead for 2025

If you’re expecting in 2025 and still on the fence about what to name your baby, Silver Cross Hospital’s Birth Certificate Clerk Gabrielle Snyder can fill you in on what’s trending! 

With 3,000 births annually, Silver Cross is known as the “baby hospital of Will County” and has a front-row seat to what area moms and dads are choosing to name their precious newborns. 

In 2024, the top names at Silver Cross for girls were Sophia/Sofia, Amelia, Mia, Olivia, Camila/Kamila and Charlotte. The top boys’ names were Liam, Noah, Oliver, Benjamin and Theodore. And for parents who chose a unisex name, the leading contenders were Charlie/Charleigh/Charlee, Riley/Rylee and Parker. 

With January nearly over, the top names parents have chosen for boys in 2025 include Ronan, Rowan, Raiden, Everett, Brooks, Luca/Luka, and for girls: Lea/Leah/Lia, Gianna, Emerson and Madeline. 

And sometimes, when newly delivered parents haven’t yet settled on a name, Snyder and members of the hospital’s mother/baby team weigh in and help them land on their favorite. The effervescent Snyder, who’s worked at Silver Cross for the past three years, enjoys every part of what she calls her “dream job.” 

A Day in the Life of a Busy Birth Certificate Clerk

Shortly after a new bundle of joy is welcomed into the world at Silver Cross, Snyder knocks on the parents’ door to offer her congratulations. Then, she starts to complete a document that will follow them throughout their lives: their official birth certificate! 

“We deliver a lot of babies here at Silver Cross,” Snyder explains. “We had about 3,000 births last year. And it’s not just filling in the gender, name, weight, length and parent information. There's a lot more to it." 

Snyder’s job starts at 7 a.m. daily, when she reviews the births from the previous day, night, and morning of. She prints out a daily census and then checks off the new birth certificates that need to be completed, as well as keeping track of ones who will deliver throughout the day. 

Her day begins with door-to-door visits, interviewing new parents using a worksheet with lots of information, she explains. 

It takes about five minutes or so to fill out the worksheet with the parents, maybe a little more if they’re having trouble deciding on a name. 

“Sometimes, we’ll put all the names they’re thinking of up on the dry erase board in their room, and parents and other family members can chime in. Once in a while, they’ll even take one of our suggestions!” 

Most of the time, parents have the name already picked out, and Snyder enjoys hearing them all! “Everyone has their own ideas and family traditions," she said. “I love to learn the special meaning behind each name. And I love it when there are twins or even triplets! It's fun to hear what names they come up with." 

After getting some basic information from the parents, Snyder returns to her office, where she’s required by the state to research the medical background of the parent, baby and the delivery summary. 

“The state wants us to gather all that information such as pregnancy/medical history, risk factors, infections, OB procedures, onset of labor, method of delivery, other complications, and most importantly, the newborn’s information. Researching this information can take about 15 minutes per birth certificate,” she said. 

Snyder then submits the information to the state, where the official documents are created and filed. The information is forwarded to the Will County Health Department and Will County Clerk’s office, where parents can pick up their child's Official Birth Certificate several days later. 

With thousands of annual births to record, Snyder’s job keeps her day busy, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. “What I love most about my job is getting to see all the new babies and being a part of these families’ special moments,” said Snyder. 

Upon discharge from Silver Cross, new parents are presented with an unofficial keepsake birth certificate adorned with their baby’s footprints. They typically have to wait about a week to pick up the official one at the Will County Clerk’s office. 

To qualify for her position at Silver Cross, Snyder earned an Associate’s degree in Health Care Management, and other certifications, from Joliet Junior College. 

“When I saw this job opening, I applied right away,” she added. “It’s only a five-minute drive from my house. I work while my two kids are in school. It’s just the perfect job for me!" 

Best of all, Snyder adds, “I get to talk to parents at one of the happiest times in their lives and see all the newborns. Everyone is so friendly to work with. I truly love my job!” 

For more information, visit silvercross.org