Olivia and Noah were the most popular baby names in Canada in 2024, continuing a trend that has lasted four years.
The list of top boys’ names showed little change from 2023. Noah remained in first place, followed by Liam, Theodore, Leo, William, Oliver and Lucas. James rose to eighth place, marking his first appearance in the top 10 since 2020. Benjamin and Thomas completed the list.
The top girls’ names shifted more noticeably. Charlotte moved into second place, ahead of Emma, while Ava and Lily returned to the top 10 after dropping out the previous year. The list was led by Olivia, followed by Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Sofia, Mia, Chloe, Lily and Ava.
Several names saw significant increases in popularity. Among boys, Zorawar advanced from 127th in 2023 to 74th in 2024, while Weston climbed from 108th to 76th. Adrian, Roman and Brooks also recorded notable gains. For girls, Lainey rose 60 spots to 71st, while Asees, Fatima, Adeline and Lydia also moved up the rankings.
Longer-term trends highlight changing naming preferences. Between 1991 and 2024, flower-inspired names for girls gained ground. Lily rose from 518th to 9th place, while Violet advanced from 1,167th to 17th. Other names showing similar growth included Ivy, Rose, Rosalie, Willow, Iris, Dahlia, Poppy and Briar. Jasmine has consistently remained in the top 100 since records began in 1991.
For boys, short, single-syllable names became more common over the same period. James, currently ranked eighth, has never fallen out of the top 35 in 34 years of records. Jack moved from 249th in 1991 to 11th in 2024, while Miles, Luke, Beau and Kai all rose into the top 100. Newer entries, such as Finn and Jax, also reflect the preference for concise names.
Credit: Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada has released an interactive dashboard, the Baby Names Observatory, to search for names of interest, compare them across years, and explore baby name trends.