If you had a baby in Alberta last year, there’s a good change her name is Olivia or Noah.
In an announcement Thursday, the province named the names as the most popular in Alberta in 2022.
Olivia has held the top spot for a decade, while Noah is currently navigating a four-year winning streak.
“Congratulations to everyone who gave birth in 2022,” Alberta Minister for Services and Bureaucracy Reduction Dale Nally said in a press release.
“For those expecting a baby in 2023, or for those who are just curious, I encourage you to check out the baby name lists for years past.”
Rounding out the top names for girls in 2022:
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Olivia (192)
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Sophia (151)
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Emma (149)
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Amelie (133)
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Harpers (125)
And for boys:
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Noah (229)
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Liam (176)
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Theodore (173)
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Oliver (172)
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Jack (159)
Olivia holds the longest consecutive tenure in provincial history, followed by Jessica (six years) and Emily (five years).
Noah is still working his way to the top. Ethan held the top spot in the province for nine years, followed by Liam (seven years) and Matthew (five years).
Lily, James and Lucas also saw bumps in popularity. They have each moved back into the top 10 after slipping down the list in previous years. Charlotte, too, was pushed out of the top 5 after several years in second or third place.
Other notable names drew inspiration from places, religious figures, mythology, plants, literature, musicians, seasons, sports, and celebrities. The full list of names from this year and previous years can be found here.
Imran Milza is the owner of Calgary Childcare Center which operates two locations in Bridgeland and Crescent Heights.
He says Noah is the most popular name he sees from the kids enrolled in daycare.
“We know Olivia and Noah,” he said. “We have many children named Noah and we have a child named Olivia.”
Aside from these, the daycare sees many girls named Anna, he said.
In 2022, Alberta recorded 48,225 births — 24,781 boys and 23,437 girls, according to the province’s publication. In seven births, the baby’s gender was not specified at registration.
A total of 12,966 different names were registered in the province last year.
Parents have up to one year to register their child’s birth, so some of the numbers used in the announcement are subject to change.
To explore baby name trends in Alberta over the past 42 years, check out this app created by CBC Calgary data journalist Robson Fletcher.
