Most Common Passwords of 2020

Since 2011, SplashData has revealed its annual list of the most commonly used passwords of the year. SplashData seems to have stopped the top password list in 2019, so there are no most common passwords of 2020 from them. The only analysis we’ve found was the biggest password trends of 2020 from SplashData or TeamPassword (the site that usually goes through the research with infographics).

Instead, we’re going to look exclusively at this year’s NordPass. Their Most Common Passwords page seems to really be coming along nicely.

Most Common Passwords of 2020 by NordPass

1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. picture1
4. password
5. 12345678
6. 111111
7. 123123
8. 12345
9. 1234567890
10. senha
11. 1234567
12. qwerty
13. abc123
14. Million2
15. 000000
16. 1234
17. iloveyou
18. aaron431
19. password1
20. qqww1122
21. 123
22. omgpop
23. 123321
24. 654321
25. qwertuiop

Comparison of the Most Common Passwords from 2019 to 2020 by NordPass

Rank	2020	2019
1	123456	12345
2	123456789	123456
3	picture1	123456789
4	password	test1
5	12345678	password
6	111111	12345678
7	123123	zinch
8	12345	g_czechout
9	1234567890	asdf
10	senha	qwerty
11	1234567	1234567890
12	qwerty	1234567
13	abc123	Aa123456.
14	Million2	iloveyou
15	000000	1234
16	1234	abc123
17	iloveyou	111111
18	aaron431	123123
19	password1	dubsmash
20	qqww1122	test
21	123	princess
22	omgpop	qwertyuiop
23	123321	sunshine
24	654321	BvtTest123
25	qwertuiop	11111
Rank	2020	2019

Most Common Passwords of 2020 Observations

Passwords like “password,” only numbers, and “senha” (Portuguese for password) can be cracked in seconds or less. Keyboard patterns, single words (including nouns and colors), and short phrases don’t help security. At most, they are buying you seconds.

New passwords like “picture1,” “Million2,” and “chatbooks,” only provide up to a day to crack.

Despite some new entries on this list, the best practice information hasn’t really changed. It’s important to emphasize not to reuse passwords across multiple accounts. Don’t create passwords that are less than 12 characters. Use a nice mix of uppercase characters, lowercase characters, numbers, and symbols to improve your security.

With more people working remotely, cybersecurity further blurs the lines between personal and professional. Your personal infrastructure has more of an impact on your workplace’s infrastructure.

Additional Sources:

• The Worst Passwords of 2020 Are Here and They’re Horrifying by Gizmodo

To compare against last year’s passwords, check out our previous Most Common Passwords of 2019 post.