If there is a name that’s beloved in both North America and Europe, it’s Emma. It’s the most popular girls’ name in the U.S., according to the Social Security Administration. In France, it’s second, third in Canada, and 19th in Scotland. But beyond all the Emmas in U.S. classrooms, how do baby names in other countries compare? Just like trends in entertainment, popular names cross borders too. Think of platforms like National Casino. Here are the top baby names from eight countries around the world.
India
BabyCenter India says the most popular name for boys was Muhammad. This is common in many Eastern countries. The name replaced Aarav as the top choice. Aarav fell to second place after being number one for five straight years. Rounding out the top three for boys is Arjun. For girls, the names follow a global trend—ending in “A.” The most popular name for newborn girls was Aadya. It has held the top spot for the past three years. Popular names for girls also include Ananya and Shanaya.
Ireland
In Ireland, the most popular names in 2016 were Emily and James. Emily has been the most popular name for girls for the past two years, too. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade used data from nearly 18,000 passports. These were issued to children born last year. Notable names with Irish roots include Aoife (pronounced ee-fa) and Finn. Yet, multicultural names such as Freya and Muhammad were also popular last year.
Canada
Our neighbors to the north have similar tastes in baby names. According to BabyCenter Canada, the top names of the year were Liam for boys and Sophia for girls. According to an analysis released by BabyCenter, Sophia took the top spot for girls in the U.S. in 2016. Liam was the third most popular name.
Some names on the list were strictly Canadian, too. Some names stood out on BabyCenter’s U.S. list: Hudson (18) for boys and Zoey (7), which is favored over the spelling Zoe. They also chose a slight differentiation of the most popular name—Sophie (19).
Scotland
In 2016, the National Records of Scotland found that the top names for newborns were Olivia and Jack. Jack has stayed at the top for boys for nine years. This year, Olivia takes the lead, beating Emily in popularity. Also distinctly popular in Scotland were Lewis (4) and Finlay (15) for boys and Jessica (7), Lucy (9), and Millie (19) for girls.
Iceland
Iceland has strict naming rules. Parents must pick a name approved by the Iceland Naming Committee. If they want a different name, they need to ask for approval. This makes for a list of popular names with a distinctly Icelandic twist. A report from Statistics Iceland in December 2016 shows that the top name for boys born in 2015 was Aron. Alexander came next, followed by Viktor. And for girls? Emilía, followed by Sara, then Ísabella.
England
England’s baby names are closer to Scotland’s than to the U.S. BabyCentre shows that Olivia is the top name for girls in England, too. The English must like that name since the top name for boys was the masculine derivative—Oliver. Other standouts? Alice (19) and Poppy (13) for girls, and Freddie (14) for boys. They also prefer both Isabelle (9) and Isabella (8), but pick Sophie (10) instead of Sophia. Also departing from the Scottish, the English prefer to name their sons Finley (20).
France
Leaving the United Kingdom for mainland Europe brings drastically different name trends. The 2015 INSEE names registry, released in January 2017, shows that Emma is still popular. It remains the second most common name for newborn girls in France. The other two top names, yet, are distinctly French: Louise (1) and Jade (3). The most popular boys’ name? Nolan. And though Léo is a popular name for boys both in the U.K. and France, it ties for second most popular with Jules. Gabriel rounds out the top as the fourth most popular.
South Africa
In South Africa, popular names follow a cherubic theme. In October 2016, Statistics South Africa shared that the top names for girls in 2015 were Precious, Princess, and Angel. For boys, they were Junior, Blessing, and Gift.
