Wednesday January 1, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated January 2, 2025]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Each year the top names for babies born in BC are announced on new year’s eve.
In 2024 the top name was Oliver, a name that has been in the top 10 for several years in this province.
According to BC Vital Statistics the names given to babies born in 2024 (up to December 16, 2024) are:
- Top 10 Names Given to Boys in 2024 in BC: Oliver, Liam, Noah, Theodore, Lucas, Leo, William, Henry, Ethan, Levi.
- Top 10 Names Given to Girls in 2024 in BC: Olivia, Charlotte, Isla, Amelia, Emma, Sophia, Chloe, Ava, Lily, Evelyn.
Only names that occur five or more times are listed.
In 2023, the top names for babies born in B.C. were similar: Noah, Oliver, Olivia, Theodore, Liam, Jack, Emma, Sophia, Ethan and Leo.
21st century names for girls:
In this century so far (2000 to 2024) there are some first names given to girls that are brand new to the 21st century in BC. That list is: Bella, Emerie (Emerson/Emersyn), Gia, Harper, Hayden, Juniper, Kaia, London, Lyla, Malia, Meadow, Nadar, Naya, Neveah, Nyah/Nyla, Parker, Peyton, Poppy, Presley, Raelynn, Raina, Raya, Reese, Rehmat, Remi, Ryleigh, Seerat, Sehaj, Winter, Wren, Yara, Yuma, Zara, Zelda, Zia, Zoya, and Zoe/Zoey.
First names almost exclusively new to the 21st century list in BC for girls: Annabelle, Annika, Aria, Aurora, Avery, Camryn, Cora, Delilah, Ella, Ellie, Gemma, Gracie, Ivy, Kenzie, Lexi, Lily, Marley, Mia, Mila, Noelle, Nova, Olivia, Phoenix, Piper, Rhea, Rowan, Sage, Scarlett, Serenity, Sienna, Summer, Teagan, Trinity, and Willow.
Girls’ names that are now nearly entirely left to the 20th century in BC include: Brenda, Brittany, Christina/Christine, Colleen, Dawn, Denise, Donna, Janet, Karen, Linda, Lisa, Marilyn, Michelle, Patricia, Paula, Renee, Sally, Shirley, Susan, Teresa, Tiffany, Wendi/Wendy, and Yvonne.
First names that have not been given to any girl babies during 2020-2024 include: Arlene, Barbara, Beverley/Beverly, Bonny, Carol/Carole, Darlene, Debbie/Debra/Deborah, Diane/Dianna, Francis, Jean/Jeanette/Jeannie, Marsha, Pamela, Peggy, Shawna, Sherry, Sheryl, Tami/Tammy, Terry, Tracey/Traci/Tracie, and Trudy.
Meanwhile, girls’ first names that have held moderately or consistently over the last 100 years in BC include: Audrey, Charlotte, Jennifer, Rose and Victoria.
The popularity of these girls names has gone down in the 21st century but still show entries during 2020 to 2024: Amanda, Amy, Angela, Anita, Ashley, Catherine, Elizabeth, Laura, Mary, Ruth, Sarah, Valerie, Vanessa and Veronica.
21st century names for boys:
In this century so far (2000 to 2024) the first-time usage as first names for boy babies includes: Asher, Atlas, August, Baron, Barrett, Cosmo, Crew, Enzo, Finlay/Finley/Finn, Greyson, Jett, Kingsley, Knox, Koa, Koen/Kohen, Maddox, Miller, Milo, Muhammad, Remy, Ryker, Sullivan, Tait, Teo, Weston, Wilder, Xander, Xavier, Yuvraj, Zayn, Zion, and Zora/Zoravar/Zorawar.
Names popularized for boys in 2000 to 2024 include (*=nearly all in 2000 to 2024): Aidan/Aiden, Armaan/Arman, Ashton, Avery, Ayden, Beau, Benson, *Bentley, Braxton, Caden/Kaden, Carter, *Cooper, Dante, Darius, Dawson, *Declan, Dominic, Dylan, *Easton, *Emmett, Ethan, Felix, Grayson, Griffin, Harrison, Hayden, Hudson, Hunter, Isaac, Isaiah, Jaden/Jaiden/Jayden, *Jasper, Jaxson, Jonah, *Jude, Kai/Kayden. Kian, Kingston, Kobe, Lachlan, Leo, Liam, Logan, Lucas, Mason, Micha, Noah, Oliver, Oscar, Owen, Parker, Paxton, Phoenix, Preston, River, Roman, Ronan, Rowan, Ryder, Rylan, Sawyer, Sebastian, Seth, Silas, Theo, and Zain/Zane.
Boys’ first names in BC that show a big drop this century (compared to pre-2000) include: Alan/Allan, Albert, Brian, Bruce, Colin, Daniel, Darcy, David, Dean, Dennis/Denny, Donald, Eric, Gary, George, Gregory, Ian, Jason, Jesse, John, Joseph, Justin, Kenneth, Kevin, Kirk, Kyle, Mark, Martin, Michael, Neil, Norman, Patrick, Paul, Peter, Raymond, Richard, Robert, Ronald, Sean/Shaun/Shawn, Shane, Sheldon, Spencer, Stanley, Stephen, Stewart/Stuart, Timothy,Travis, Trevor, and Wade.
These boys’ first names from the 20th century did not show any new entries in the list for 2020-2024: Barney, Barry/Barrie, Bernard, Bobby, Garry/Gary, Herbert, Jim, Mandeep, Maurice, Murray.
Meanwhile, boys’ first names that have held consistently over the last 100 years (at various levels of popularity) include: Alexander, Andrew, Austin, Benjamin, Blake, Evan, Jack, Jackson, Jacob, James, Jordan, Joshua, Julian, Marcus, Matthew, Myles, Nathan, Riley, Ryan, Sam/Samuel, Simon, Sterling, Sunny, Tanner, Theodore, Thomas, Tristan, Tyler, Tyson, Victor, Vincent, William, Winston, Wyatt, and Zachary/Zachery.
Continuing decline in BC birth numbers:
As of Monday December 16, 2024 there was a total of 38,103 babies registered born in B.C. in 2024.
The number of births in BC has steadily declined since 2017. This could be seen as a reflection of economic challenges (i.e. rising cost of living and the housing crisis), further exacerbated by the lingering social and economic impacts of the COVID pandemic.
Births in the Province of British Columbia, Canada [2017-2024]
| Year | Births in BC |
| 2024 | 38,103 (to Dec 16, 2024) |
| 2023 | 41,403 |
| 2022 | 41,833 |
| 2021 | 42,783 |
| 2020 | 42,413 |
| 2019 | 43,878 |
| 2018 | 44,050 |
| 2017 | 45,045 |
| Source: Vital Statistics BC | Table by: Island Social Trends (Dec 31, 2024) |
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