If You Named Your Child Olivia or Noah in 2023, You Were in Good Company
If you welcomed a bouncing bundle of joy in Alberta in 2023, chances are you might have named her Olivia if it was a girl—and Noah if it was a boy.
And he told a news conference on April 24 that Noah is the most popular boy’s name for the fifth year in a row.
Ontarians are also big on Olivia and Noah, which were the top baby names in that province last year as well.
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There are even charts. You can see how the name Noah started rising way back in 2007—and has stayed quite popular ever since.
Olivia has reigned nationally even longer.
“Among girls, Olivia kept the top spot, undefeated for seven consecutive years,” said StatsCan. “Since 2003, the number one spot has been held by either Emma or Olivia—with Olivia ranked first in 11 of the 13 years from 2010 to 2022.”
For boys, the list is Noah, Liam, Oliver, Theodore, and Jack.
A news release says some of the names appear to have been inspired by flora, such as Ivy, Rose, Juniper, Poppy, and Azalea. Turns out Alberta had 12 baby girls named Azalea in 2023.
Others may have been inspired by famous musicians, such as Lennon, Presley, and Hendrix—there were 23 boys named Hendrix.
One journalist asked Mr. Nally if Taylor Swift’s rise to stardom appeared to have any effect on girls’ names.
However, the data shows there were 13 girls named Taylor—lower than Hendrix and quite a bit lower than the 210 baby girls named Olivia.
Noah, it says, is Hebrew in origin, and originates from “Noach,” which means rest.
“Liam,” it says, “is derived from William, a name with Irish roots, meaning ‘strong-willed warrior’ or ‘protector.’”
Alberta’s long lists of baby names—there are some 13,000 in all—also include some names you may not see every day.
For example, there are two baby boys named “God.”
And another named “Hendrixxavier.”
And on the girl’s side, one little girl was named “Ambition.” Another, “Hailstorm-Leone,” and a third “Leviathan.”
