Thursday December 31, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated January 1, 2021 at 3 pm – Vancouver Island’s first baby of the year was born at 1:54 am at Nanaimo General Hospital. Parents Chris and Taylor Doughty welcomed their newborn son Gerald Patrick Doughty into the world as the first baby boy born in BC in this new year 2021 — per Island Health]
by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
It’s New Year’s Eve! One lucky family will soon be the proud parents of the 2021 New Year’s baby.
For some reason that’s a tradition in mainstream media, to offer fame to the firstborn of each new year. Certainly it gives everyone a reminder to reflect on the cycle of life.
As of December 28 there had been 40,526 babies born in British Columbia.
This year with the pandemic for most of 2020, there have been fewer births in BC, down from greater tallies in the previous three years: 43,878 in 2019, 44,050 in 2018, and 45,045 in 2017. In those years the economy was relatively stable if not fully robust.
Baby names in BC:
As for the most popular baby names in 2020, there’s not much change from last year. In both 2020 and in 2019 in BC, the most popular baby name for girls has been Olivia, with Emma coming in second in both years. In 2020 the name Liam has been the most popular for boys, with Oliver coming second (last year Oliver was first).
For eight of the past nine years, Olivia has been among the favourite names for babies born in BC, according to BC Vital Statistics.
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Top baby names in 2019 | Top baby names in 2018
