Alberta — Canada’s westernmost prairie province — welcomed 47,263 babies last year.
What were the most popular names among these babies? Olivia and Noah, yet again.
Here are Alberta’s top 50+ girl names and top 50 boy names of 2023:
Girl names
- Olivia, 210 baby girls
- Amelia, 145
- Sophia, 138
- Charlotte, 135
- Emma, 133
- Isla, 120
- Evelyn, 114
- Chloe, 101 (tie)
- Violet, 101 (tie)
- Ava, 99 (tie)
- Emily, 99 (tie)
- Hannah, 98 (tie)
- Hazel, 98 (tie)
- Abigail, 95
- Lily, 92
- Ella, 91 (tie)
- Harper, 91 (tie)
- Aurora, 90
- Grace, 88
- Aria, 87
- Mia, 86 (tie)
- Nora, 86 (tie)
- Ivy, 85
- Sophie, 84
- Mila, 82
- Ellie, 81
- Isabella, 79
- Eleanor, 78 (tie)
- Elizabeth, 78 (tie)
- Avery, 73
- Georgia, 71 (tie)
- Sofia, 71 (tie)
- Maya, 67
- Naomi, 66
- Lucy, 65
- Scarlett, 64
- Maeve, 62 (3-way tie)
- Quinn, 62 (3-way tie)
- Sadie, 62 (3-way tie)
- Luna, 60
- Kinsley, 57 (4-way tie)
- Layla, 57 (4-way tie)
- Stella, 57 (4-way tie)
- Zoey, 57 (4-way tie)
- Hailey, 56
- Zoe, 55
- Paisley, 54 (tie)
- Penelope, 54 (tie)
- Alice, 53 (6-way tie)
- Amira, 53 (6-way tie)
- Audrey, 53 (6-way tie)
- Eliana, 53 (6-way tie)
- Eva, 53 (6-way tie)
- Wren, 53 (6-way tie)
Boy names
- Noah, 276 baby boys
- Liam, 181
- Oliver, 178
- Theodore, 173
- Jack, 153
- Henry, 146
- Lucas, 140
- Benjamin, 137
- James, 136
- William, 133
- Ethan, 131
- Owen, 129
- Adam, 123
- Levi, 117
- Bennett, 114 (tie)
- Leo, 114 (tie)
- Daniel, 111
- Maverick, 107
- Elijah, 106
- Muhammad, 100
- Asher, 96
- Hudson, 95
- Alexander, 94 (tie)
- Thomas, 94 (tie)
- Nathan, 92
- Beau, 90
- Jackson, 89
- Grayson, 87 (3-way tie)
- Luke, 87 (3-way tie)
- Wyatt, 87 (3-way tie)
- Caleb, 83
- Elias, 80
- Jacob, 79
- Ezra, 78 (3-way tie)
- Logan, 78 (3-way tie)
- Rowan, 78 (3-way tie)
- David, 77 (3-way tie)
- Myles, 77 (3-way tie)
- Theo, 77 (3-way tie)
- Lincoln, 76 (tie)
- Luca, 76 (tie)
- Isaac, 74 (tie)
- Wesley, 74 (tie)
- Carter, 73
- Arthur, 72 (tie)
- Gabriel, 72 (tie)
- Michael, 71 (tie)
- Samuel, 71 (tie)
- Aiden, 70 (tie)
- Joseph, 70 (tie)
Thousands of other names were given to a single baby each in Alberta last year. Here’s a small selection of those single-use names:
| Unique girl names | Unique boy names |
| Adonica, Birille, Curly-Anne, Dalanda, Eleojo, Flaxee, Garance, Hailstorm-Leone, Ianah, Jina, Kimowan, Liala, Mihkokwaniy, Mulberry, Nîpsîy, Ozya, Parfaite, Pinkbella, Prism-Rose, Quenzy, Rhya, Simdi, Toriola, Uzira, Vhea, Wapakwaniy, Xeya, Yovela, Zhila | Auxter, Baffin, Chancel, Dezio, Edbert, Firekeeper, Graysky, Hashké, Iron, Jandro, Kalahari, Kisâkihitin, Kittiwake, Ludacris, Mardochée, Mîtos, Nightsong, Omâciw, Pelvin, Qudus, Rastko, Stoic, Tazler, Uros, Vyron, Wynn-Fortune, Xyno, York, Zaffarjot |
Some possible explanations and/or influences for a few of the above:
- Baffin is both an island and a bay in Canada. (Both were named after English explorer William Baffin.)
- Hashké means “warrior” in Navajo.
- Kalahari is a desert in Southern Africa.
- Kimowan means “it is raining” in Cree.
- The related name Kimiwan, meaning “rain,” was given to 2 baby girls.
- Kisâkihitin means “I love you” (or, “you are loved by me”) in Cree.
- Kittiwake refers to a type of seagull.
- Ludacris is the stage name of American rapper Christopher Bridges.
- I hope this baby’s family caught Ludacris in Usher’s Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year!
- Mihkokwaniy means “rose” in Cree.
- Mîtos means “poplar [tree]” in Cree.
- Nîpsîy means “willow” in Cree.
- Omâciw means “moose hunter” or “big game hunter” in Cree.
- Parfaite means “perfect” in French.
- Wapakwaniy is one letter away from wapikwaniy, the Cree word for “flower.”
Finally, here’s a link to Alberta’s 2022 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.
Sources: Alberta’s top baby names – Alberta.ca, Alberta’s baby name superstar steals the show again – Alberta.ca, Online Cree Dictionary, You always come first with me: kisâkihitin and “Order of Persons” in Cree – Cree Literacy Network
Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)
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