Canada's Most Popular Baby Names Are Different To The US & Here's How They Compare

While Canada's most popular baby names have remained largely unchanged over the last few years, our neighbours to the south are not necessarily choosing the same names for their newborns.

For example, Amelia took first place as the most popular girl's name in Canada in 2021, while Noah came out on top when it comes to boys' names in Canada.

The most popular baby names in the U.S. are a little different though, with Olivia and Liam taking the top spots.

Admittedly, both of these titles are pretty popular names in Canada too, so it's not all that surprising.

That said, there are some names on the top 100 lists from both countries that vary in popularity depending on which side of the border you're on.

For example, names like Zayn, Caleb, Muhammad and Miles are some of the top boys' names in Canada, whereas they don't make the hottest 50 over in the United States.

Similarly, when it comes to girls' names, Anna, Maya, Aliyah and Madelyn are among those big in Canada but not so much down in the U.S.

On the other side, Willow, Camila, Penelope, Victoria and Aurora are among the most chosen by parents living in America, whereas those names are not included in Canada's overall top 100.

You're more likely to find male babies named Julian, Asher, Dylan, Josiah and Elias in the U.S. than Canada, too, as they are less-popular choices among Canuck parents naming their newborns.

While some titles clearly are popular in both countries and have remained so for many years, others fluctuate in popularity depending on a number of factors.

For example, in the United States, the name Karen has recently plummeted as a choice for parents. The same goes for the names Willie and Alexa.

Conversely, the name Raya saw a significant jump in popularity for girls in 2021, coinciding with the release of Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon.

Gender-neutral baby names such as Ocean, Morgan and Clover are also on the rise in the States.

In Canada, names that saw a decrease in popularity in 2021 include Bennet, Wesley and Evan, which all ended the year in the bottom quarter of the list. Elliot and Austin also slumped miserably.

Rosalie, Sadie and Addison took a hit when it comes to girls' names, while Lucy continues to plummet as a popular name year after year.

Canadian parents also have to be mindful that baby naming restrictions do exist, and some regions have particularly strict rules.