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Summary

Here's What Canada's Most Popular Baby Names Were In The '00s, '10s & '20s So Far

How popular was your name?!👇👶
Managing Editor, Canada

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Canada’s most popular baby names have changed quite a lot over the years.

While some names, like Olivia and William, have remained pretty common year-over-year, other names like Kaitlyn and Tyler have now totally vanished from Canada’s top 100.

Some may even be banned or against the law altogether!

If you’re interested in how things have changed over the years, here’s a look at the hottest names of the last three decades so far.

Top baby names of the 2000s

According to data from BabyCenter, names beginning with the letter E were increasingly popular in 2005.

The top baby names in Canada for girls were Emma and Emily (or Emilie), and Ethan (or Ethen) for boys.

Sarah, Madison, Hannah, Hailey, Lauryn and Taylor were also among the most popular names of the year, as were Matthew, Joshua, Tyler and Dylan.

The top names remained pretty similar throughout the decade, with Emma, Emily and Ethan remaining consistently popular throughout 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Top baby names of the 2010s

By 2010, some new names had made it onto Canada’s most popular baby names list.

According to BabyCenter, it was at the start of this decade that the name Olivia became exceptionally well-liked.

It took the top or second-place spot for girl names almost every year between 2010 and 2019.

Names like Sophia, Ava, Chloe and Abigail were also gaining popularity at the start of the decade, as were names like Liam, Logan, Owen, Noah and Alexander.

By the end of the decade, towards 2019, names like Charlotte, Amelia, Ava, Mia, and Ivy were becoming more common, as well as Jackson, Leo, Aiden and Zayn.

Top baby names of the 2020s so far

By 2020, so many of the most common names from the mid-2000s had already totally disappeared from Canada’s top 100 list.

This includes Kaitlyn, Jessica and Taylor when it comes to girls' names, and Andrew and Tyler when it comes to boys' names.

Instead, names like Luca, Levi, Miles and Maverick gained popularity. For girls, Everly, Leah, Ellie, Luna, Grace and Hazel became increasingly recurrent.

Things are changing year over year, too.

In 2021, Baby Centre said Canada's most-used names were Noah, Jackson and Liam, while for girls it was Amelia and Sophia. Oh, and Olivia, of course!

However, some names dropped considerably in the overall ranking between 2020 and 2021 alone, including Samuel, Axel and Grayson for boys, and Lucy, Rosalie, Sadie and Addison for girls.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

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    • Managing Editor

      Helena Hanson (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Canada for Narcity and MTL Blog, where she brings her expertise in dreamy, aspirational travel journalism to life. A first-class graduate of Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Helena has a passion for inspiring readers to discover the magic in their own backyards. Originally from the U.K., Helena has spent years uncovering hidden gems and must-see destinations across countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, and more. Having lived in both Canada and Australia, she's become a seasoned expert in off-the-beaten-path adventures and bucket-list experiences that don't break the bank. Whether she's writing about things to do in Ottawa, Montreal, or her favourite spot—Disney World—Helena hopes to leave readers dreaming of their next adventure.

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