Statistics Canada has released the most popular baby names in the country for 2024, and many of the top contenders align with B.C.’s naming preferences for the year.
Noah was the overall most popular baby name in the country, with 2,115 boys being given the name in 2024.
Meanwhile, Olivia was the most popular girls name of the year, with 1,639 kids registered with that name.
Those totals are similar to B.C.’s most popular baby names of the year.
Olivia was the most popular girls name in British Columbia, with 172 girls registered with that name in 2024.
However, the most popular boys name was Oliver, with 216 registrants – dethroning Noah, which previously held the title of the most popular boy’s name in B.C. in 2023 and 2022.
Statistics Canada released its list of the most popular baby names on Sept. 24, and its data showed the names Noah and Olivia both started growing in popularity around 1995.
Both names then peaked in popularity around the mid 2010s, and have shown signs of decline since then.
The top five most popular boys names in Canada in 2024 were:
Noah (2,115)
Liam (1,694)
Theodore (1,429)
Leo (1,410)
William (1,367)
The top five most popular girls names in Canada in 2024 were:
Olivia (1,639)
Charlotte (1,528)
Emma (1,358)
Amelia (1,123)
Sophia (1,086)
None of the top baby names across Canada or B.C. shared the name of the first baby born in the Island Health region in 2025.
The first baby born on Vancouver Island this year was named Zion, and he weighed in at a whopping 8.3 pounds when he greeted the world at 12:07 a.m. on Jan. 1 at Victoria General Hospital.
RELATED: Vancouver Island’s 1st baby of 2025 born just after midnight
