How popular is the baby name Robin 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 Robin.

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Popularity of the baby name Robin


Posts that mention the name Robin

Popular baby names in Quebec (Canada), 2024

Flag of Quebec
Flag of Quebec

Last year, the Canadian province of Quebec welcomed about 77,400 babies.

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

Here are Quebec’s top 50+ girl names and top 50 boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Emma, 461 baby girls
  2. Olivia, 452
  3. Florence, 449
  4. Charlotte, 447
  5. Alice, 407
  6. Charlie, 364
  7. Beatrice, 334
  8. Clara, 331
  9. Sofia, 327
  10. Livia, 298
  11. Lea, 285
  12. Romy, 281
  13. Mila, 280
  14. Juliette, 276
  15. Mia, 254
  16. Eva, 235
  17. Zoe, 234
  18. Rose, 232
  19. Victoria, 213
  20. Leonie, 212
  21. Billie, 206
  22. Julia, 205
  23. Rosalie, 198
  24. Chloe, 185
  25. Jeanne, 178
  26. Elena, 176 (tie)
  27. Flavie, 176 (tie)
  28. Jade, 173
  29. Elizabeth, 171
  30. Margot, 159
  31. Amelia, 158
  32. Adele, 152
  33. Eleonore, 149
  34. Ophelie, 144
  35. Raphaelle, 143
  36. Sophia, 140
  37. Clemence, 138
  38. Maeva, 135
  39. Camille, 130
  40. Lily, 129
  41. Ellie, 127
  42. Lena, 123
  43. Flora, 121
  44. Estelle, 109
  45. Aurelie, 107
  46. Eloise, 105 (tie)
  47. Marguerite, 105 (tie)
  48. Sophie, 104
  49. Jasmine, 102
  50. Evelyne, 101 (tie)
  51. Nora, 101 (tie)

Boy names

  1. Noah, 572 baby boys
  2. Leo, 531
  3. Liam, 494 (tie)
  4. William, 494 (tie)
  5. Thomas, 448
  6. Louis, 445
  7. Arthur, 435
  8. Edouard, 426
  9. Emile, 389
  10. Theo, 387
  11. Jacob, 354
  12. Charles, 346
  13. Adam, 340 (tie)
  14. Jules, 340 (tie)
  15. Nathan, 338
  16. James, 329
  17. Raphael, 303
  18. Laurent, 282
  19. Lucas, 274
  20. Theodore, 273
  21. Arnaud, 268
  22. Felix, 264
  23. Logan, 261
  24. Victor, 254
  25. Henri, 252
  26. Benjamin, 244
  27. Eloi, 237
  28. Elliot, 234
  29. Jackson, 228
  30. Gabriel, 226
  31. Samuel, 209
  32. Nolan, 204
  33. Milan, 203
  34. Ethan, 192
  35. Matheo, 181
  36. Antoine, 180
  37. Jayden, 168
  38. Olivier, 163
  39. Alexis, 159
  40. Leonard, 152
  41. Matteo, 139
  42. Eli, 137
  43. Robin, 131
  44. Hubert, 127
  45. Axel, 126
  46. Leon, 125 (tie)
  47. Zack, 125 (tie)
  48. Caleb, 124
  49. Jake, 123 (tie)
  50. Maverick, 123 (tie)

In the girls’ top 10, Clara and Sofia replaced Lea and Juliette.

In the boys’ top 10, Emile and Theo replaced Jacob and Nathan.

And what about the names at the other end of the spectrum?

Among those given to fewer than five babies, I spotted the place names Kenai and Sitka, the plant name Melilot (sweet clover), the French word Tantine (meaning “auntie”), and the Inuktitut versions of various Christian names:

  • Joanassie (based on John, Jonah, or Jonas)
  • Jusipi/Juusipi (based on Joseph)
  • Paulusie (based on Paul)
  • Silasie (based on Silas)
  • Tuumasi (based on Thomas)
  • Elisapee/Elisapi/Elisapie (based on Elizabeth)

I also noticed names from various indigenous languages, such as…

  • Aqiaruk, which means “stomach” in Inuktut.
  • Arnaq Talittuq, made up of the Inuktitut words arnaq, meaning “woman,” and talittuq, meaning “disappears, hides.”
  • Maikaniss, which means “wolf cub” in Innu. (The word maikan means “wolf.”)
  • Mispun, which means “it is snowing” in East Cree.
  • Missinak, which means “turtle” in Innu.
  • Nipinok, based on the Cree word nipinohk, meaning “last summer.” (The word nipin means “summer.”)
  • Piponik, based on the Cree word pipon, meaning both “winter” and “year.”
  • Putulik
  • Qumaluk
  • Tillikasak
  • Timangiak
  • Uashtessiu, part of the Innu term uashtessiu-pishimu, meaning “the month when the leaves become yellow” (i.e., October).
  • Uiviru
  • Ulluriaq, which means “star” in Inuktitut.
  • Weetalutuk

(I can’t give you the usual sampling of Quebec’s single-use names because, as of 2024, the province has decided to stop specifying which names were given to just one baby. The single-use names — along with the names that were given to two, three, and four babies — are now labeled “<5” in the data.)

Finally, here’s a link to Quebec’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Quebec (public domain)

Popular baby names in France, 2024

Flag of France
Flag of France

Last year, the European country of France welcomed about 663,000 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Louise and Gabriel.

Here are France’s top 50 girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Louise, 3,125 baby girls (approx.)
  2. Jade, 3,055
  3. Ambre, 2,815
  4. Alba, 2,660
  5. Emma, 2,520
  6. Alma, 2,380
  7. Romy, 2,260
  8. Rose, 2,220
  9. Alice, 2,200
  10. Anna, 2,110
  11. Lou, 2,070
  12. Inaya, 1,990
  13. Mia, 1,945
  14. Adèle, 1,940
  15. Lina, 1,935
  16. Julia, 1,870
  17. Iris, 1,855
  18. Agathe, 1,845
  19. Giulia, 1,740
  20. Charlie, 1,725
  21. Eva, 1,680
  22. Jeanne, 1,635
  23. Olivia, 1,620
  24. Léna, 1,560
  25. Nour, 1,535
  26. Victoire, 1,535
  27. Juliette, 1,510
  28. Luna, 1,490
  29. Léonie, 1,445
  30. Zoé, 1,365
  31. Chloé, 1,360
  32. Nina, 1,345
  33. Sofia, 1,335
  34. Léa, 1,300
  35. Alya, 1,220
  36. Charlotte, 1,190
  37. Romane, 1,185
  38. Victoria, 1,180
  39. Elena, 1,080
  40. Ava, 1,060
  41. Esmée, 1,035
  42. Alix, 1,020
  43. Lucie, 1,015
  44. Lola, 980
  45. Lya, 965
  46. Albane, 925
  47. Margot, 905
  48. Mila, 905
  49. Lyna, 880
  50. Gabrielle, 875

Boy names

  1. Gabriel, 4,550 baby boys (approx.)
  2. Raphaël, 3,470
  3. Louis, 3,335
  4. Léo, 3,325
  5. Noah, 3,260
  6. Arthur, 3,085
  7. Adam, 3,045
  8. Jules, 3,030
  9. Maël, 2,830
  10. Léon, 2,570
  11. Liam, 2,500
  12. Isaac, 2,480
  13. Eden, 2,460
  14. Sacha, 2,420
  15. Marceau, 2,290
  16. Lucas, 2,165
  17. Noé, 2125
  18. Gabin, 2,,025
  19. Mohamed, 1,995
  20. Aaron, 1,975
  21. Ayden, 1,845
  22. Malo, 1,830
  23. Paul, 1,800
  24. Hugo, 1,710
  25. Elio, 1,700
  26. Ethan, 1,660
  27. Ibrahim, 1,600
  28. Marius, 1,595
  29. Nathan, 1,430
  30. Naël, 1,425
  31. Victor, 1,410
  32. Eliott, 1,390
  33. Imran, 1,370
  34. Martin, 1,355
  35. Théo, 1,345
  36. Tom, 1,300
  37. Gaspard, 1,245
  38. Mathis, 1,235
  39. Côme, 1,215
  40. Léandre, 1,185
  41. Amir, 1,175
  42. Augustin, 1,145
  43. Lyam, 1,145
  44. Aylan, 1,120
  45. Nino, 1,120
  46. Ezio, 1,110
  47. Antoine, 1,090
  48. Milo, 1,065
  49. Robin, 1,060
  50. Andrea, 1,045
  51. Valentin, 1,045
  52. Zayn, 1,045

Interestingly, France did not reveal precisely how many babies were given each name this time around. Instead, totals were “rounded to the nearest multiple of 5” and ties were listed in alphabetical order.

The girls’ top 100 included Emy (57th), Ella (69th), Jannah (77th), and Judith (94th).

The boys’ top 100 included Timéo (55th), Pablo (75th), Anas (85th), and Lenny (97th).

Finally, here are France’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Classement des prénoms en France depuis 1900 – Insee, Demographic report 2024 – Insee

Image: Adapted from Flag of France (public domain)

How did “Good Will Hunting” influence baby names?

The characters Skylar and Will from the movie "Good Will Hunting" (1997)
Skylar and Will from “Good Will Hunting“

The protagonist of the movie Good Will Hunting, which was released in December of 1997, was a young man from South Boston named Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon).

Will Hunting saw “nothing wrong with spending his whole life hanging out with his friends, quaffing a few beers, holding down a blue-collar job.”

The problem? He was also a self-taught mathematical genius with a photographic memory.

So several people in his life — including his best friend Chuckie (Ben Affleck), his psychotherapist Sean (Robin Williams), and his girlfriend Skylar (Minnie Driver) — pushed him to rise above his troubled past and embrace his gifts. As Chuckie put it, Will was “sitting on a winning lottery ticket” — he just had to find the courage to cash it in.

Good Will Hunting became one of the highest-grossing films of 1998. It also won a pair of Academy Awards: one for Best Supporting Actor (Williams), the other for Best Original Screenplay (Damon and Affleck).

So how did the movie affect the baby name charts?

The usage of Will, which was the only name used to refer to the main character (i.e., he was never called William), increased in 1998:

  • 2000: 447 baby boys named Will [rank: 510th]
  • 1999: 422 baby boys named Will [rank: 506th]
  • 1998: 339 baby boys named Will [rank: 578th]
  • 1997: 268 baby boys named Will [rank: 634th]
  • 1996: 280 baby boys named Will [rank: 622nd]

And the slow rise of Skylar for baby girls accelerated noticeably the same year:

Girls named SkylarBoys named Skylar
20002,503 [rank: 135th]748 [rank: 356th]
19992,513 [rank: 131st]695 [rank: 374th]
19981,731 [rank: 173rd]730 [rank: 358th]
1997953 [rank: 302nd]657 [rank: 372nd]
1996855 [rank: 328th]636 [rank: 373rd]

(The names Wil, Skyler, and Skyla also saw higher usage in 1998.)

Matt Damon wrote the first draft of the script for Good Will Hunting while attending Harvard College in the early ’90s. He based the character of Skylar, a pre-med student at Harvard, on his then-girlfriend, Skylar Satenstein, a former pre-med student at Harvard. (She’d since become a med student at Columbia.)

Incidentally, Satenstein went on the marry Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich (son of Torben Ulrich) in early 1997. Later the same year, Lars and Skylar attended the local premiere of Good Will Hunting together in New York City.

P.S. The movie was shot during the spring of 1997, which overlapped with the end of my own freshman year at Harvard. I remember other students saying they’d spotted a film crew in the area during those months.

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of Good Will Hunting

The most gender-neutral baby names in the U.S. in 2024

pink and blue cupcakes

In 2024, close to 2,700 names appeared in the U.S. baby name data both as girl names and as boy names.

Which of these names were the most gender-neutral overall?

To create a useful set of rankings, I focused on names given to at least 150 babies in total. I sorted these names by how evenly they were given to babies of both genders, and the following came out on top:

Female usageMale usage
1. Charlie50.3% (2,109 girls)49.7% (2,084 boys)
2. Arden49.5% (237 girls)50.5% (242 boys)
3. Justice50.6% (206 girls)49.4% (201 boys)
4. Akari50.7% (107 girls)49.3% (104 boys)
5. Kit50.8% (188 girls)49.2% (182 boys)
6. Huntley51.0% (102 girls)49.0% (98 boys)
7. Alexis48.7% (604 girls)51.3% (636 boys)
8. Kacey51.6% (225 girls)48.4% (211 boys)
9. Divine48.3% (97 girls)51.7% (104 boys)
10. Jael51.7% (148 girls)48.3% (138 boys)
11. Jelani48.1% (87 girls)51.9% (94 boys)
12. Ashtyn47.9% (81 girls)52.1% (88 boys)
13. Jules47.9% (81 girls)52.1% (88 boys)
14. Campbell52.1% (273 girls)47.9% (251 boys)
15. Iman52.3% (92 girls)47.7% (84 boys)
16. Dakota52.3% (1,155 girls)47.7% (1,053 boys)
17. Hollis47.5% (188 girls)52.5% (208 boys)
18. True47.5% (206 girls)52.5% (228 boys)
19. Blake52.6% (1,457 girls)47.4% (1,311 boys)
20. Brighton53.0% (88 girls)47.0% (78 boys)
21. Robin53.1% (351 girls)46.9% (310 boys)
22. Jamie46.3% (391 girls)53.7% (453 boys)
23. Joan46.1% (188 girls)53.9% (220 boys)
24. Sidney46.1% (117 girls)53.9% (137 boys)
25. Chandler46.0% (297 girls)54.0% (348 boys)

More than half of the above appeared on the 2023 list as well.

None of last year’s fifty-fifty splits were popular enough to make the cut, but Lou — given to 70 girls and 70 boys — came close.

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Gallery 1 by Sarah Howells under CC BY-SA 3.0.