How popular is the baby name Jade in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Jade.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Jade


Posts that mention the name Jade

Popular baby names in New York City, 2021

Flag of New York
Flag of New York

New York City, located in southeastern New York state, is the most populous city in the United States.

In 2021, New York City welcomed 99,262 babies — 48,648 girls and 50,614 boys.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Emma and Liam.

Here are New York City’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2021:

Girl Names

  1. Emma, 434 baby girls
  2. Olivia
  3. Mia
  4. Sophia
  5. Leah
  6. Ava
  7. Isabella
  8. Amelia
  9. Luna
  10. Sofia

Boy Names

  1. Liam, 703 baby boys
  2. Noah
  3. Ethan
  4. Lucas
  5. Jacob
  6. Joseph
  7. David
  8. Daniel
  9. Aiden
  10. Benjamin

In the girls’ top 10, Luna and Sofia replaced Sarah and Chloe.

In the boys’ top 10, Benjamin replaced Alexander.

Names in the top 100 included: Grace, Lily, Violet, Aurora, Angel, Ruby, Rose, Harper, Axel, Melody, Summer, Serenity, Iris, Autumn, Jade, Chase, August, Angelina, Ivy, Eden, Goldy, Daisy, Journey, and Faith. (Genders weren’t specified, but most of these look like girl names to me.)

If you’d like to compare 2021 to earlier years, here are NYC’s 2020 rankings, and here’s a round-up of all the NYC rankings from 2019 all the way back to 1990 (plus a few from even earlier).

Source: Health Department Announces Top Baby Names in New York City

Image: Adapted from Flag of New York (public domain)

Baby names associated with green: Ivy, Forest, Olive, Jade

green trees

Looking for baby names that are associated with green — including baby names that mean “green”?

If so, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve collected dozens of options for you in this post.

Before we get to the names, though, let’s take a quick look at what the color green represents…

Symbolism of green

What does the color green signify?

In Western cultures in particular, green can be symbolic of:

  • Nature
  • Growth
  • Wealth
  • Luck
  • Envy
  • Freshness
  • Quality

The overriding association with nature is due to the abundance of green plant life on Earth. Plants contain a green pigment called chlorophyll that allows them to absorb energy from light.

The color can also be associated with safety and permission, thanks to green traffic lights (which signal when it’s safe to proceed).

green ferns

Baby names associated with green

All of the names below are associated with the color green. The names range from common to uncommon, and their associations range from strong to slight.

Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.

Alder
Alder trees have green foliage. The word alder is derived from the Old English word for the tree, alor. Here’s the popularity graph for Alder.

Aran
Aran is a Thai masculine name meaning “forest.” Here’s the popularity graph for Aran.

Aranya
Aranya is a Hindi gender-neutral name based on the Sanskrit word aranya, meaning “forest.” Here’s the popularity graph for Aranya.

Ash
Ash trees have green foliage. The word ash is derived from the Old English word for the tree, æsc. Here’s the popularity graph for Ash.

Aspen
Aspen trees have green foliage. The word aspen is derived from the Old English word for the tree, æspe. Here’s the popularity graph for Aspen.

Aurora
Aurora is part of both “aurora borealis” and “aurora australis” — the names of the polar lights, which are predominantly green. The polar lights are caused by solar wind (that is, charged particles emitted by sun) striking the Earth’s magnetic field. The word aurora means “dawn” in Latin. Here’s the popularity graph for Aurora.

Balsam
Balsam fir trees have dark green foliage. The name of the tree can be traced back to the Hebrew word basam, meaning “spice, perfume.” Here’s the popularity graph for Balsam.

Beryl
Beryl is a mineral that can be green. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the Ancient Greek word beryllos. (Green beryl is a paler green than emerald.) Here’s the popularity graph for Beryl.

Birch
Birch trees have green foliage. The word birch is derived from the Old English word for the tree, beorc. Here’s the popularity graph for Birch.

Björk
Björk is the Icelandic word for “birch.”

Blerim
Blerim is an Albanian masculine name based on the word blerim, meaning “greenness, verdure.” Here’s the popularity graph for Blerim.

Blerta
Blerta is an Albanian feminine name based on the word blertë, meaning “green.” Here’s the popularity graph for Blerta.

Burkni
Burkni is an Icelandic masculine name meaning “fern.”

Cactus
Cactus plants are typically green. The name of the plant is derived from the Ancient Greek word kaktos. Here’s the popularity graph for Cactus.

Cedar
Cedar trees have dark green foliage. The name of the tree ultimately comes from the Ancient Greek word kedros. Here’s the popularity graph for Cedar.

Celadon
Celadon is a pale grayish-green color. The name of the shade was inspired by a character named Céladon — a shepherd who wore pale green clothing — in the popular 17th-century French novel L’Astrée by Honoré d’Urfé.

Chloe
Chloe (or Chloë) is derived from the Ancient Greek word khloe, which referred to “the first green shoot of plants in spring.” Here’s the popularity graph for Chloe.

Chlora
Chlora is a variant of Chloris. Here’s the popularity graph for Chlora.

Chloris
Chloris, based on the Ancient Greek word khloros, meaning “pale green” or “greenish-yellow,” was the name of several figures in Greek mythology. Here’s the popularity graph for Chloris.

Clover
Clover leaves are green. The word clover is derived from the Old English word for the plant, claefre. Here’s the popularity graph for Clover.

Codrin
Codrin is a Romanian masculine name based on the word codru, meaning “forest.”

Cyan
Cyan is the bluish-green color halfway between green and blue on the visible spectrum. The name of the shade comes from the Ancient Greek word kyanos, meaning “dark blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Cyan.

Cypress
Cypress trees have dark green foliage. The word cypress is derived from the Ancient Greek word for the tree, kyparissos. (In Greek mythology, a grieving boy named Kyparissos was transformed into a cypress tree.) Here’s the popularity graph for Cypress.

Douglas
Douglas is part of Douglas Fir — the name of a species of tree with dark green foliage. The tree was named in honor of Scottish botanist David Douglas. Here’s the popularity graph for Douglas.

Emerald
The word emerald refers to a vivid green variety of the mineral beryl. By extension, the word also refers to the green color of these crystals. The name of the stone can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word smaragdos, which referred to any green gemstone (including emerald, beryl, malachite, and jasper). Here’s the popularity graph for Emerald.

Emeraude
Emeraude is the French word for “emerald.” Here’s the popularity graph for Emeraude.

Esmeralda
Esmeralda is the Spanish word for “emerald.” Here’s the popularity graph for Esmeralda.

Evergreen
Evergreen trees retain their green foliage year-round. Here’s the popularity graph for Evergreen.

Fern
Fern fronds are green. The word fern is derived from the Old English word for the plant, fearn. Here’s the popularity graph for Fern.

Forest and Forrest
The word forest refers to a dense growth of trees and underbrush that covers a large area of land. It’s based on the Medieval Latin word foresta (or forestis). The more popular spelling of the name, Forrest, represents transferred usage of the English surname. The surname Forrest originally referred to a person who lived near or worked in a royal forest (that is, a forest owned by the sovereign and used as a hunting ground). Here are the popularity graphs for Forest and Forrest.

Giada
Giada is the Italian word for “jade.” Here’s the popularity graph for Giada.

Green
Green, of course, refers to the color green. :) Here’s the popularity graph for Green.

Greenlee
Greenlee comes from a habitational surname that can be traced back to the Old English words grene, meaning “green,” and leah, meaning “clearing, meadow.” Here’s the popularity graph for Greenlee.

Gretna
Gretna is part of Gretna Green — the name of the Scottish village that became famous in the late 18th century as an elopement destination for young English couples. The village name originally referred to the “green by Gretna,” with the word Gretna meaning “gravelly hill” (from the Old English elements greot, “grit,” and hoh, “heel” — denoting a hill shaped like the heel of a foot). Here’s the popularity graph for Gretna.

Haljand
Haljand is an Estonian masculine name based on the word haljas, meaning “green, verdant.”

Holly
Holly trees have green foliage. The word holly is derived from the Old English word for the tree, holen. Here’s the popularity graph for Holly.

Hunter
Hunter is a dark yellowish-green color. It was the shade of green worn by hunters during the 19th century. Here’s the popularity graph for Hunter.

Ivik
Ivik is a Greenlandic masculine name meaning “(blade of) grass.”

Ivy
The word ivy refers to any of several species of climbing or ground-creeping evergreen plants in the genus Hedera. By extension, it also refers to the deep green color of ivy’s foliage. Here’s the popularity graph for Ivy.

Jade
The word jade refers to two similar-looking minerals, nephrite and jadeite, that are commonly used as gemstones. By extension, it also refers to the green color of these minerals. Their common name can be traced back to the 16th-century Spanish term piedra de ijada, meaning “loin stone” (because the stone was thought to help cure loin and kidney ailments). Here’s the popularity graph for Jade.

Jandi
Jandi is a Korean feminine name meaning “grass.” Here’s the popularity graph for Jandi.

Kelly
Kelly is a bright green color. The Irish surname Kelly can be traced back to the Old Irish personal name Cellach. Here’s the popularity graph for Kelly.

Khidr and Khadir
Khidr, also spelled Khadir, is an Arabic masculine name meaning “green.” Here’s the popularity graph for Khadir.

Lakhdar
Lakhdar is an Arabic masculine name based on al-akhdar, meaning “the green.”

Laurel
Laurel trees have green foliage. The word laurel is derived from the Latin word for the tree, laurus. Here’s the popularity graph for Laurel.

Leaf
Leaf green is the bright yellowish-green color typical of plant leaves (due to the presence of chlorophyll). Here’s the popularity graph for Leaf.

Levert
Levert comes from the French surname LeVert, which is based on the Old French word vert, meaning “green.” Here’s the popularity graph for Levert.

Lin
Lin (second tone) is a Chinese name that can mean “valuable jade,” depending upon the character being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Lin.

Linden
Linden trees have green foliage. The word linden is derived from the Old English word for the tree, lind. Here’s the popularity graph for Linden.

Malachite
Malachite (pronounced MAL-uh-kiet) is a mineral that is green. The name of the mineral ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek word malache, meaning “mallow” — a reference to the resemblance between the color of malachite and the leaves of the mallow plant. Here’s the popularity graph for Malachite.

Matsu
Matsu is a Japanese feminine name that can mean “pine tree,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name.

Matsue
Matsue is a Japanese name that can include the element Matsu. Here’s the popularity graph for Matsue.

Matsuko
Matsuko is another Japanese name that can include the element Matsu. Here’s the popularity graph for Matsuko.

Midori
Midori is a Japanese gender-neutral name that can mean “green, verdure,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Midori.

Mint
Mint leaves are green. Aromatic mint plants are part of the genus Mentha, the name of which derives from the Ancient Greek word minthe.

Minttu
Minttu is the Finnish word for “mint.”

Moss
Moss are small, flowerless plants that grow in dense green mats. The Old English word for “moss” was mos. Here’s the popularity graph for Moss.

Mynta
Mynta is the Swedish word for “mint.”

Mynte
Mynte is the Danish word for “mint.”

Myrtle
Myrtle trees have green foliage. The word myrtle is derived from the Ancient Greek word for the tree, myrtos. Here’s the popularity graph for Myrtle.

Oak
Oak trees have green foliage. The word oak is derived from the Old English word for the tree, ac. Here’s the popularity graph for Oak.

Oihan
Oihan is a Basque masculine name meaning “forest.”

Oihana
Oihana is the feminine form of Oihan.

Olive
The word olive refers to the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea). By extension, it also refers to the dark yellowish-green color of unripened olive fruit. (Ripened olives are black.) Here’s the popularity graph for Olive.

Olivine
Olivine is a mineral that is usually yellowish-green. The name of the mineral can be traced back to the Latin word oliva, meaning “olive.” Here’s the popularity graph for Olivine.

Oren
Oren is a Hebrew masculine name meaning “pine tree.” Here’s the popularity graph for Oren.

Orna
Orna is the feminine form of Oren. Here’s the popularity graph for Orna.

Qorsuk
Qorsuk is a Greenlandic masculine name meaning “green, yellowish-green.”

Pallav
Pallav is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word pallava, meaning “shoot, sprout, young leaf.”

Pallavi
Pallavi is the feminine form of Pallav. Here’s the popularity graph for Pallavi.

Panna
Panna is a Hindi feminine name that can mean “emerald” or “leaf.”

Peridot
Peridot, a variety of the mineral olivine, is yellowish-green.

Phyllis
Phyllis, the Ancient Greek word for “foliage” (based on phyllon, meaning “leaf”) was the name of several figures in Greek mythology. Here’s the popularity graph for Phyllis.

Pilutaq
Pilutaq is a Greenlandic gender-neutral name meaning “leaf.”

Pine
Pine needles are green. The word pine is derived from the Latin word for the tree, pinus.

Sage
Sage leaves are grayish-green. The name of the sage plant (genus Salvia) can be traced back (via Old French sauge) to the Latin word salvus, meaning “healthy.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sage.

Sirkka
Sirkka is a Finnish feminine name that can be derived from the word heinäsirkka, meaning “grasshopper” (many of which are green), or from the word sirkkalehti, meaning “cotyledon” (the embryonic leaf of seed-bearing plants). Here’s the popularity graph for Sirkka.

Sylvain and Sylvaine
Sylvain (masculine) and Sylvaine (feminine) are the modern French forms of Silvanus. Here’s the popularity graph for Sylvain.

Silvana and Silvano
Silvana (feminine) and Silvano (masculine) are the modern Italian forms of Silvanus. Here are the popularity graphs for Silvana and Silvano.

Silvanus
Silvanus, based on the Latin word silva, meaning “wood, forest,” was the name of the Roman god of forests. Here’s the popularity graph for Silvanus.

Silvester
Silvester is derived from the Latin word silvestris, meaning “forested” or “of the forest.” Here’s the popularity graph for Silvester.

Silvestro
Silvestro is the Italian form of Silvester. Here’s the popularity graph for Silvestro.

Silvia and Silvio
Silvia (feminine) and Silvio (masculine) are the modern Italian and Spanish forms of Silvius. Here are the popularity graphs for Silvia and Silvio.

Silvius
Silvius was a Roman masculine name based on the Latin word silva, meaning “wood, forest.”

Sylvester
Sylvester is a variant of Silvester. Here’s the popularity graph for Sylvester.

Sylvia
Sylvia is a variant of Silvia. Here’s the popularity graph for Sylvia.

Talar
Talar (also spelled Dalar) is an Armenian feminine name based on the word talar or dalar, meaning “green, verdant.” Here’s the popularity graph for Talar.

Teal
Teal is a dark bluish-green color. The shade was named after the Eurasain teal (Anas crecca), a type of duck with a teal-colored stripe on its head. Here’s the popularity graph for Teal.

Thao
Thao is a Vietnamese gender-neutral name meaning “herbs, grass.” Here’s the popularity graph for Thao.

Turquoise
Turquoise (pronounced TUR-koyz) is a mineral that is sometimes bluish-green. The name of the stone can be traced back to the Old French term pierre tourques, meaning “Turkish stone.” Though it was mined in Persia, the stone was introduced to Europe in the 13th century by Turkish traders. Here’s the popularity graph for Turquoise.

Uumaaq
Uumaaq is a Greenlandic masculine name meaning “fresh, green (plant).”

Vipin
Vipin is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word vipina, meaning “forest.”

Viridian
Viridian is a bluish-green color. The name of the pigment comes from the Latin word viridis, meaning “green.” Here’s the popularity graph for Viridian.

Viridiana
Viridiana is the feminine form of Viridian. Here’s the popularity graph for Viridiana.

Willow
Willow trees have green foliage. The word willow is derived from the Old English word for the tree, welig. Here’s the popularity graph for Willow.

Zumra
Zumra is a Turkish feminine name based on the word zümrüt, meaning “emerald.” Here’s the popularity graph for Zumra.


Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color green?

P.S. Want to see more color-related baby names? Here are lists of red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple names.

Sources:

Images:

[Latest update: Dec. 2023]

Popular baby names in France, 2021

Flag of France
Flag of France

Did you know that France is the most-visited tourist destination in the world?

Last year, the country welcomed about 738,000 babies. The most popular names among these babies were Jade (pronounced zhahd) and Gabriel.

Here are France’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2021:

Girl Names

  1. Jade, 3,802 baby girls
  2. Louise, 3,768
  3. Emma, 3,202
  4. Ambre, 3,017
  5. Alice, 2,769
  6. Rose, 2,703
  7. Anna, 2,515
  8. Alba, 2,504
  9. Romy, 2,446
  10. Mia, 2,430
  11. Lina, 2,366
  12. Lou, 2,222
  13. Julia, 2,212
  14. Chloé, 2,210
  15. Léna, 2,093
  16. Léa, 2,039
  17. Agathe, 2,020
  18. Iris, 2,006
  19. Nina, 1,896
  20. Juliette, 1,870
  21. Inaya, 1,867 – an Urdu name derived from the Arabic word inayah, meaning “care, concern.”
  22. Zoé, 1,840
  23. Jeanne, 1,727
  24. Léonie, 1,726
  25. Charlie, 1,725
  26. Eva, 1,709
  27. Mila, 1,706
  28. Luna, 1,686
  29. Adèle, 1,661
  30. Victoire, 1,648
  31. Inès, 1,594
  32. Olivia, 1,594
  33. Lola, 1,547
  34. Victoria, 1,537
  35. Lucie, 1,493
  36. Margaux, 1,472
  37. Romane, 1,458
  38. Giulia, 1,454
  39. Camille, 1,428
  40. Sofia, 1,381
  41. Charlotte, 1,352
  42. Alix, 1,349
  43. Nour, 1,274
  44. Lyana, 1,237
  45. Margot, 1,225
  46. Sarah, 1,214
  47. Louna, 1,209 – likely based on Luna (#28).
  48. Mya, 1,182
  49. Manon, 1,177
  50. Lya, 1,158

Boy Names

  1. Gabriel, 4,974 baby boys
  2. Léo, 4,358
  3. Raphaël, 3,957
  4. Louis, 3,715
  5. Arthur, 3,598
  6. Jules, 3,594
  7. Maël, 3,438
  8. Noah, 3,384
  9. Adam, 3,148
  10. Lucas, 3,054
  11. Hugo, 2,905
  12. Gabin, 2,719 – based on the Latin name Gabinus, which might have referred to the ancient city of Gabii (located in what is now central Italy).
  13. Liam, 2,672
  14. Sacha, 2,628
  15. Aaron, 2,496
  16. Léon, 2,362
  17. Isaac, 2,322
  18. Paul, 2,291
  19. Nathan, 2,286
  20. Noé, 2,276
  21. Eden, 2,260
  22. Mohamed, 2,183
  23. Ethan, 2,104
  24. Tom, 1,995
  25. Malo, 1,935 – a Breton name probably derived from the Old Breton elements mach, meaning “pledge, hostage,” and lou, meaning “luminous; beautiful.”
  26. Naël, 1,919
  27. Théo, 1,902
  28. Marius, 1,868
  29. Nino, 1,838
  30. Marceau, 1,834
  31. Mathis, 1,801
  32. Victor, 1,768
  33. Ayden, 1,753
  34. Milo, 1,723
  35. Martin, 1,712
  36. Tiago, 1,658
  37. Robin, 1,657
  38. Axel, 1,571
  39. Timéo, 1,541
  40. Eliott, 1,538 (tie)
  41. Lyam, 1,538 (tie)
  42. Enzo, 1,503
  43. Antoine, 1,445
  44. Nolan, 1,439
  45. Augustin, 1,430
  46. Gaspard, 1,379
  47. Valentin, 1,362
  48. Amir, 1,309
  49. Samuel, 1,301
  50. Côme, 1,300 – (pronounced kohm, as in the brand name Lancôme) the French form of Cosmas, ultimately derived from the ancient Greek word kosmos, meaning “order.”

The girls’ top 100 included Capucine (52nd), Apolline (65th), Thaïs (82nd), and Garance (98th).

The boys’ top 100 included Sohan (55th), Kaïs (58th), Soan (66th), and Livio (81st).

Soan, a variant spelling of Sohan, has been popularized recently by French singer/songwriter Soan (born Julien Decroix).

Also on the boys’ list, Charly (#78) pulled ahead of Charlie (#90) after the names saw nearly identical levels of usage in 2020. I wonder if this means that Charly is emerging as the preferred male spelling of the name…?

Gabriel also topped the rankings for the capital city of Paris last year. Jade, on the other hand, didn’t even make the top 10 — it was way down in 32nd place.

Finally, here are France’s 2020 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Classement des prénoms en France depuis 1900 – Insee, Demography report 2021 – Insee, World Tourism rankings – Wikipedia, Behind the Name, Malo (saint) – Wikipeda

Image: Adapted from Flag of France (public domain)

Popular baby names in Belgium, 2021

Flag of Belgium
Flag of Belgium

According to data from Statistics Belgium, the country’s most popular baby names last year were Olivia and Noah.

Here are Belgium’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2021:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 580 baby girls
  2. Emma, 500
  3. Louise, 455
  4. Mila, 435
  5. Alice, 416
  6. Camille, 403
  7. Lina, 394
  8. Sofia, 359
  9. Ella, 352
  10. Juliette, 346
  11. Nora, 342
  12. Mia, 325
  13. Marie, 317
  14. Lucie, 314
  15. Anna, 303
  16. Jade, 296
  17. Elena, 281
  18. Eva, 280
  19. Julia, 279
  20. Noor, 263
  21. Nina, 256
  22. Léa, 252
  23. Victoria, 249
  24. Chloé, 244
  25. Alix, 235
  26. Lou, 232
  27. Elise, 220
  28. Zoé, 215
  29. Giulia, 212
  30. Ellie, 210 (tie)
  31. Luna, 210 (tie)
  32. Liv, 209
  33. Renée, 207
  34. Amélie, 204
  35. Inaya, 202
  36. Rose, 194
  37. Charlotte, 191
  38. Jeanne, 188 (tie)
  39. Lily, 188 (tie)
  40. Lena, 187
  41. Sara, 176
  42. Manon, 171
  43. Julie, 170
  44. Mona, 160
  45. Alba, 159
  46. Livia, 155
  47. Billie, 154 (tie)
  48. Sophia, 154 (tie)
  49. Amira, 146
  50. Clara, 144 (tie)
  51. Stella, 144 (tie)

Boy Names

  1. Noah, 627 baby boys
  2. Arthur, 584
  3. Louis, 558
  4. Liam, 537
  5. Jules, 526
  6. Adam, 474
  7. Lucas, 426
  8. Gabriel, 422
  9. Victor, 416
  10. Oscar, 336
  11. Leon, 310
  12. Mathis, 294 (tie)
  13. Mohamed, 294 (tie)
  14. Finn, 289
  15. Léon, 275
  16. Matteo, 264
  17. Lewis, 251
  18. Hugo, 245
  19. Nathan, 238
  20. Luca, 234
  21. Elias, 225
  22. Raphaël, 223
  23. Théo, 221
  24. Amir, 217 (tie)
  25. Eden, 217 (tie)
  26. Rayan, 209
  27. Lou, 208
  28. Milo, 205
  29. Yanis, 204
  30. Achille, 201
  31. Otis, 194
  32. Sacha, 191 (tie)
  33. Vic, 191 (tie)
  34. Felix, 190
  35. Marcel, 187
  36. Basile, 185
  37. Aaron, 179
  38. Léo, 178
  39. Maurice, 174
  40. Alexander, 173
  41. Maël, 171
  42. Emiel, 168 (tie)
  43. Georges, 168 (tie)
  44. Jack, 167 (tie)
  45. William, 167 (tie)
  46. Emile, 163 (tie)
  47. Vince, 163 (tie)
  48. Samuel, 161
  49. Gaston, 159
  50. Oliver, 158

If Leon and Léon had been counted as a single name, their combined total (585) would have been enough to edge Arthur (584) out of second place on the boys’ list.

And the gender-neutral name Lou managed to pop up on both lists in nearly the same spot: 26th for girls, 27th for boys.

Map of the three regions of Belgium
Belgium’s three regions

The top baby names within each of Belgium’s three regions were…

Girl NamesBoy Names
Flanders
(57.6% of the population)
Language: Dutch
1. Olivia, 328
2. Ella, 303
3. Marie, 275
4. Mila, 266
5. Nora, 261
1. Noah, 399
2. Arthur, 321
3. Jules, 311
4. Leon, 288
5. Louis, 284
Wallonia
(31.8% of pop.)
Language: French/German
1. Emma, 204
2. Olivia, 203
3. Louise, 190
4. Alice, 188 (tie)
5. Lucie, 188 (tie)
1. Gabriel, 266
2. Louis, 235
3. Liam, 233
4. Arthur, 208
5. Jules, 191
Brussels-Capital
(10.6% of pop.)
Languages: Dutch/French
1. Lina, 89
2. Sofia, 83
3. Emma, 60 (tie)
4. Nour, 60 (tie)
5. Olivia, 49
1. Mohamed, 118
2. Adam, 112
3. Gabriel, 82
4. Amir, 70
5. Noah, 62

And here’s a selection of names from the other end of the spectrum — names that were given to just 5 babies each in Belgium last year:

Rare Girl NamesRare Boy Names
Anabia, Believe, Caro, Dea, Elaïa, Fallone, Gaby, Heike, Iluna, Jennifer, Kessy, Lyssia, Mahsa, Nihal, Otice, Puck, Queen, Ramla, Siloé, Toos, Vlera, Wassila, Yseult, ZuriAloys, Brandon, Celle, Doruk, Erion, Fedde, Gustav, Hazar, Ilyass, Jip, Karsten, Lothar, Maksim, Nellis, Obi, Paulin, Qays, Riff, Silvio, Tille, Vidar, Wiebe, Yavuz, Zjef

(I’m a little surprised that as many as 5 baby girls in Belgium got the English word “believe” as their first name. I wonder if something specific was influencing that usage…?)

This time around, Belgium also highlighted the girl and boy names that saw the largest increases and decreases in usage over the last decade (2011-2021). The top 5 in each category were…

  • Girl names
    • Largest increases: Alba, Ellie, Ellis, Alya, Cilou
    • Largest decreases: Lisa, Laura, Julie, Lotte, Anaïs
  • Boy names
    • Largest increases: Georges, Lio, Gaston, Otis, Lyam
    • Largest decreases: Maxime, Thomas, Simon, Wout, Nathan

Finally, here’s a link to Belgium’s 2020 rankings, if you’d like to compare.

Sources: First names for boys and girls | STATBEL, Demographics of Belgium – Wikipedia

Image: Adapted from Flag of Belgium (public domain)
Map: Adapted from Regions of Belgium by Ssolbergj under CC BY 3.0.