Popular names in European countries

Some names are subject to “fashion” – they are popular for several years, and then others come to replace them. But in every country there are those who give it to newborns year after year.

Choosing a name

The choice of a name, which begins to be discussed long before the baby is born, is influenced by many factors: traditions, culture, ancient epics, fashion trends and even popular TV series.

The many sites with lists of names that help parents make their choice are a testament to our times. As a rule, such resources are based on the same sources: national statistical offices and social registers, which keep records of names recorded in civil registries.

This is typical for all European countries except Germany. And in Greece and Cyprus, data from the latest population census is used. In Romania there is no naming system at all. Euronews succeeded make a map most commonly used names in Europe.

Boy names are the most popular in Europe in 2021-2022

For a large number of European countries the name Noah – the most common and is in the top. In six countries it is chosen most often – in Belgium, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, England and Switzerland. Among the most popular it is also worth noting: Georgiy – the most “demanded” name in Greece and Bulgaria, and Yakub – in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Names for girls in 2021-2022

Name Maria without exaggeration, it can be called the most popular in four countries – Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland and Portugal. To these countries we can add Greece, as well as Romania with the double name Ana Maria.

Next on the list of the most popular names are: Emma in Luxembourg, Malta and the Netherlands (and Ema in Slovakia), Mia in Croatia, Estonia and Switzerland, Sofia in Latvia and Lithuania.

Expanding the search to Moscow, Euronews finds an option Sophia at the top of the list for girls. For boys Alexander continues to lead over the past 30 years, with a few exceptions – Artem was at the top of the list in 2012.

The most common names in European countries

It is difficult to determine the name given to the largest number of babies in EU. Not all national statistical institutes provide the same data. They range from 1625 identical names with number of births in Belgium to only the 5 most popular names (without number of births) in Greece.

Another difficulty is variations in the spelling of the same name. For example, Alexander, Alexander or Jasmine, Yasmina, Dzhezmin, Yasmiin. But you can count how many times this name appears in the official lists of all countries taken into account (EU, Switzerland, England). So the publication carried out a complex calculation and grouped spellings of the same name to establish which names are most common in Europe. By European countries most common boy names arranged in the following order:

• Lucas
• Alexander
• Oliver/Olivier
• Matteo
• Gabriel
• Daniel
• Ryan
• Noah
• Martin
• Liam
• David
• Benjamin.

The most common girl names in European countries:

• Hannah
• Isabel
• Maria / Marie / Mary
• Jasmina / Yasmina
• Emma
• Elizabeth/Elizabeth
• Sarah
• Mia
• Emilia
• Olivia
• Sofia
• Amelia.

Depending on where the reader lives, some names will seem original. But in the search for truly rare names there are Cezanne, Toulouse, Castora, Mona, Fré, Fe and even Africa.

Some diminutive forms of classical names have now become full-fledged. Sometimes they are written in an unusual way to break away from the original name. For example, Jaxx or Jax are used today as diminutives of Jackson (in the English tradition) or Axl (in the German tradition).

Some compound names sometimes turn out to be combinations of non-traditional forms, for example, Billy-Lou or Rosie-Elaine-Antoinette in the Czech Republic, Oliver-Kai or Daniel-Raymond. But compound names are still rarely found on popular lists (with the possible exception of the Czech Republic).

As it turns out, the same names for both sexes are not in fashion now. Only four out of thirty countries have “common” names in the lists of names for girls and boys: six in the Czech Republic (Alex, Eda, Michaela, Michelle, Nicol, Chanel), five in Germany (Eliya, Isa, Janne, Mika, Toni) , two in France (Camily and Charlie) and one in Poland (Ilia).

Of all countries, the Netherlands gives preference to short names (no more than four letters for boys and five for girls), while Greece, Italy and Cyprus prefer long names (seven to eight letters for boys or six to seven for girls).

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