New Rankings From All Over the World 🌎
What's hot and what's... surprising
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In the name nerd’s calendar, after the big data releases (like the USA’s top baby names every May), the new year is one of the most exciting times.
Several super-efficient countries and territories publish their most popular name lists around this time, and there are also some interesting…shall we say, alternative lists.
And then there are the new year baby announcements! Such a lovely snapshot into what parents are calling their children, in this moment.
Top Baby Names Around the World
We’re working on updating all these country statistics on Nameberry, but you can enjoy them straight from the source now!
Brazil: the top boy names of 2022 were Miguel, Gael, and Arthur. For girls, the top three were Maria Alice (making a huge rise from 2021), Helena, and Alice.
Germany: the (unofficial but reliable) most popular names are Noah, Matteo, and Elias for boys, and Emilia, Mia, and Sophia for girls. Theo joined the boys’ Top 10 for the first time, just as Theodore recently entered the US Top 10.
Netherlands: Noah, Liam, and Luca were the top baby names for boys in 2022, and Emma, Julia, and Mila for girls.
Portugal: the top boy names were Francisco, Afonso, and João, while Maria, Alice, and Leonor take the lead for girls.
Italy released its name statistics for 2021 a few weeks ago, one of the last countries to do so every year. Leonardo was by far the most popular boy name, followed by Alessandro and Tommaso. The top girl names were Sofia, Aurora, and Giulia.
Australia’s baby name data will trickle in, state by state, over the next few weeks. First to arrive is Australian Capital Territory, led in 2022 by Oliver and Charlotte.
Canada doesn’t publish national baby name stats, but a few provinces have already announced their top names of the year:
British Columbia’s provisional list for 2022 is led by Noah, Oliver, and Liam; Olivia, Emma, and Sophia.
Nova Scotia’s most popular names were Oliver and Jack, Charlotte and Violet.
Saskatchewan’s top choices were Noah and Liam, Olivia and Emma.
In Manitoba, it’s Liam and Olivia.
On Prince Edward Island, Jack and Charlotte topped the list.
In New Brunswick, the top boy and girl names were also Noah and Olivia.
Ontario has just released the top baby names of 2021, led by Noah and Liam, Olivia and Emma.
I can’t wait for the rest to follow — Quebec and Alberta are especially fun because they publish every. Single. Name. Registered.
Local Favorites
A lot — a lot — of cities and health systems publish the most popular names of the year for babies born locally.
They’re fun to read (just do a Google News search for baby names 2022, and keep scrolling), but after a while they do get a bit same old, same old. The most popular names are, after all, popular everywhere.
But there is the odd surprise. This round-up from Michigan is pretty standard: Evelyn, Amelia, Nova… Cing? A girl name from the Chin people of Burma makes the ranks thanks to the Burmese community around Battle Creek.
The rankings of one hospital in deepest Minnesota buck the trends too: among the Top 10 are Greta, Saylor, Lainey, Ashley, August and Jose. None of them shockingly rare, but not in most Top 10 lists!
Meanwhile in New York City, the most popular names of 2021 reflect the city’s Jewish community (Joseph, David, and Leah are in the Top 10), and include many names with overtones of peace and nature.
Something a bit different: in Scotland’s Orkney Islands, the top names of the year were a tie of Jack and Tommy for boys, and Freya/Freyja for girls.
And in Vienna, the most popular names were Emilia and Felix… unless you combine spellings of names, in which case the Top 3 changes completely.
Alternative Baby Name Rankings
One list I look forward to every year is the most popular names in the British Telegraph newspaper’s birth announcements, compiled by Eleanor Nickerson of British Baby Names. They reflect what remains of the upper classes, and the names are stylish, even ahead of trends, but also impeccably long-established. This year the number one spots go to Frederick and Florence.
At the other end of things (and to be taken with a big pinch of salt!), here are the most bogan names of 2022 from down under, featuring Iveighsee, Kashdon, and Zinc.
Are Matthew, Zayn, Sophia and Zoe the most beautiful names ever? Yes, according to this list, which ranks the Top 50 names in order of how attractive they sound, according to principles of cognitive linguistics.
First Babies of 2023
Local press love reporting the first child born in the city or the hospital each new year, and that’s great news for namespotters!
Most of them have ordinary, popular, wonderful names. Together, they’re a glimpse into how parents are naming on the ground, right now. Here are some new year babies I’ve found. A big welcome to them and all the other children of 2023 🥂
UK: Dominic, Elvis, Jimmy, Harper, Teddy
US and Canada: Aaron, Abyudh, Aiden, Alaia, Anaya, Anthony James, Azalea, Barrett Jeffrey, Beckett Wylder, Briar Snow, Cali, Cason, Charles Dean, Charlotte, Chayce Leon, Ember, Emberlynn Marie, Evelyn, Gabriella Louise, Haisley, Iraklis, King, Kingsley Mei, Kingston, Kreeo, Jalayah, Jaycion Tyrell, Josalynn, Journi, Juniper Raine, Kaylor Layne, Kenzie, Liana Maria, Malakai, Mason Dominic Michael, Michaya, Mikayla, Natalie Hope, Nico, Rafael Benjamin, Raiden Leon, Riverly Michelle, Simon Arthur, Stiles George, Travis James, Victoria Maris