Top 200 most common passwords of the year 2020

Here are the worst 200 passwords of 2020. The list details how many times a password has been exposed, used, and how much time it would take to crack it. We also compare the most common passwords of 2019 and 2020, highlighting how their positions have changed. The green arrows indicate a rise in the position while the red ones - a fall off. Check if your password is on the list and strengthen it if it is.

Methodology: The list of passwords was compiled in partnership with a third-party company specializing in data breach research. They evaluated a database that contained 275,699,516 passwords in total.

Worst passwords by category

According to research, the majority of people use simple and easy-to-remember passwords, because it’s convenient. But the problem is that most memorable passwords are highly vulnerable to cracking. Here are the 12 categories of the most popular passwords the research has uncovered.

What to avoid when creating a password
Avoid using dictionary words, number combinations, or strings of adjacent keyboard combinations. For instance, “password”, “qwerty”, or “123456” are terrible passwords, as they are too easy to crack. Also, refrain from repetitive characters, such as “aaaa” or “123abc”, and under no circumstances choose passwords based on personal details that might not be completely confidential, such as your phone number, birth date, or name.
How to create a strong password
Never reuse passwords across multiple accounts. Create a unique one for each account and make them long — don’t settle for anything shorter than 12 characters, even more if you can. Use a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols to significantly lower the risk of getting your passwords cracked. Also, make sure to change your passwords at least every 90 days. To create a complex, robust password, take advantage of a Password Generator.
Get a password manager
Memorizing a number of random, complex passwords and having to manually type them every time is no picnic. Thankfully, you can make your life easier with a password manager such as NordPass, which is completely free. With NordPass, you can generate unique, strong passwords, securely store them in an encrypted vault, and use the autofill feature to log in to your online accounts on the go. NordPass Premium provides even more security features, such as Password Health and Data Breach Scanner.

Last year, the password “onedirection” came 184th on the list. This year, it didn’t make it at all. Does that mean the band is losing popularity as its members are pursuing solo careers, or are their fans becoming more cyber-conscious?
“Ashley” was the most popular name used as a password last year (26th place). This year, not only did it drop to the 31st position, but was also beaten by “aaron431” (18th place), which became the most popular name for a password.
Less than half of the passwords (78 of them) were new to the 2020 “most popular” list.