As fireworks faded and countdown clocks reset, New Jersey began the new year with its most heartwarming tradition — the arrival of the state’s first babies of 2026. Within minutes of midnight, maternity units across the Garden State welcomed the earliest members of Generation Beta, ushering in a new cohort defined by fresh beginnings and a rapidly changing world.
Hospitals from North Jersey to the Shore reported a steady stream of newborns during the opening hours of January 1, turning delivery rooms into the true centers of celebration. These early arrivals were born during Capricorn season and the Year of the Horse, a pairing often associated with determination, energy, and resilience — fitting traits for a generation entering a fast-moving era.
Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick marked one of the state’s first births just six minutes into the new year. Gabrielle Faye arrived at 12:06 a.m., weighing just under eight pounds, to parents Michelle Baldric and Michael Campellone of Edison. At Virtua Voorhees Hospital, Landon followed closely at 12:29 a.m., tipping the scales at 8 pounds, 10 ounces as he joined his family in Voorhees Township.
Minutes later, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center welcomed Bella Rose Santos at 12:37 a.m., while Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick reported a baby boy born at 12:40 a.m. to parents from Lakewood. Englewood Health added another early arrival just after 12:40 a.m., as Hellen was born to a family from Dumont.
The first hours of the morning continued to bring a steady cadence of births across the state. Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch greeted Elian shortly after 1 a.m., while Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair announced the arrival of Nova Nicole Norton minutes later. Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, Morristown Medical Center, and Capital Health Medical Center–Hopewell each welcomed newborns in the early morning hours, extending the celebratory tone well into the day.
By midday, Shore Medical Center in Cape May and Hackensack Meridian Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood also reported new arrivals, reflecting the statewide scope of this annual tradition. Across the network of major health systems, dozens of families began 2026 with hospital bracelets, birth announcements, and first photographs — creating a wave of optimism that resonated beyond delivery rooms.
While these newborns represent the personal milestones of their families, they also symbolize broader demographic and community trends shaping New Jersey’s neighborhoods, schools, and future housing needs. The arrival of Generation Beta will gradually influence everything from childcare demand to suburban growth patterns and long-term community planning — factors closely followed within New Jersey’s evolving real estate landscape.
Generation Beta, defined as those born between 2025 and 2039, will largely be raised by younger Millennials and older members of Generation Z. Their formative years are expected to unfold alongside rapid technological advances, changing work environments, and evolving family structures that continue to reshape where and how New Jersey families choose to live.
For now, however, the focus remains on the simplest and most joyful part of the story. As hospitals dimmed their lights and nurses swaddled newborns in pastel blankets, New Jersey’s first babies of 2026 quietly claimed their place in the state’s timeline — marking a beginning filled with promise, possibility, and the unmistakable sound of new life.
Hospitals across New Jersey welcomed the first members of Generation Beta (the cohort following Generation Alpha) shortly after midnight on January 1, 2026.
The following were among the first babies born in the state this year:
Earliest Reported Births (Before 1:00 a.m.)
- Gabrielle Faye: Born at 12:06 a.m. at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick. Weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces, she is the second child of Michelle Baldric and Michael Campellone of Edison.
- Landon: Born at 12:29 a.m. at Virtua Voorhees Hospital. He weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces, and is the son of Caitlyn and Mark from Voorhees.
- Bella Rose Santos: Born at 12:37 a.m. at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces, she is the first child for Lesly Leonetti and Elvis Santos of Newark.
- Unnamed Boy: Born at 12:40 a.m. at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick to parents Esther Gut and Oshe Foldlem of Lakewood.
- Hellen: Born at 12:41 a.m. at Englewood Health’s medical center to Karen V. Duenas of Dumont.
Other Notable Early Arrivals
- Elian: Born at 1:03 a.m. at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch to Jaqueline Vallego Velazquez and Lezama Hernandez.
- Nova Nicole Norton: Born at 1:05 a.m. at Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair. She is the daughter of Naomi and Ezra Norton of Somerset.
- Xolani Faith Camilo: Born at 1:16 a.m. at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck to Samantha Tineo and Ankaury Camilo of Lodi.
- Cole Andrew Allaman: Born at 1:25 a.m. at Morristown Medical Center. He is the son of Danee and Steven Allaman of Lake Hopatcong.
- Dash Milton Ballard: Born at 1:57 p.m. at Hackensack Meridian Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood to Jennel and Dondre of Teaneck.
- Derek Kook-Miller: Born at 3:27 a.m. at Capital Health Medical Center-Hopewell to Rhiannon and Jorden Kook-Miller of Florence.
- Jayden Mateo Ventura Dehesa: Born at 9:56 a.m. at RWJUH Somerset to Alondra Lizzeth Dehesa Flores and Isrrael Ventura Cortes.
- Hayley Mae Cauterucci: Born at 1:15 p.m. at Shore Medical Center to Emilee Cauterucci of Cape May.
