Finding just the right name for the new addition to your family is never an easy task. For most new parents picking a name is one of the first things they think about after finding out that a baby is on the way. With such a choice of traditional and modern creation and with so many baby name Canadian websites out there, where should you even begin your search? Here are some of the most popular Canadian baby names over the past few years (by country and by province).
Parents across Canada name their children all sorts of different things, but the two most popular names in 2003/04 were Emily for a girl and Ethan for a boy. Also making the top ten were Emma, Sarah, Madison, Hannah, Olivia, Jessica, Hailey, Julia, Grace, Matthew, Joshua, Jacob, Nicholas, Ryan, Alexander, Michael, Nathan and Daniel. Though traditional names such as Matthew, Michael and Sarah are on that list, more modern creations like Brianna, Trinity, Mackenzie, Jayden and Mason are in the top fifty and these names are now becoming classics in their own right.
In every place but Quebec and the Yukon Territory the top boy and girl name mirrored the top Canadian names - Emma and Ethan. In Quebec the top pick for a girl's name was Lea and for a boy it was Samuel. Also popular in Quebec was to name Canadian newborns William, Alexis, Gabriel, Jeremy, Xavier, Felix, Rosalie, Noemie, Laurence, Jade and Megane. In the Yukon, the top girls name was Emily and the top pick for the name of Canadian newborn boys was Cole. Hannah, Emma, Sarah and Alyssa were the also popular for girls, with traditional name Canadian like Joshua, Michael, William and Andrew proving the most sought after for little boys.
In British Columbia other top names includes Emily, Hannah, Olivia, Madison, Jacob, Matthew, Ryan and Joshua. In Alberta, Canadian baby names like Emily, Hannah, Madison, Sarah, Joshua, Jacob, Logan and Matthew were the top choices. Saskatchewan was much the same as Alberta with the only difference being Hailey and Austin being included in that province's top five list of Canada name choices. In Manitoba the list of popular girl names was the same as Alberta, but the top five boys list had Ryan and Tyler included. Nova Scotia's list of top five names was slightly different than other places with Abigail, Liam and Noah being included. And finally Ontario followed the national choices except for the inclusion of Olivia in the list of top five girl names. Looking at these lists, Canadian baby names were pretty standard right across the country.
In terms of a baby name, Canadian parents clearly straddle a divide between the old and the new. Some parents want to stick with more traditional names - maybe names that have been in their family for decades or even centuries. Others are more interested in setting their child apart and selecting a name that is more unique or unusual.
There are several online directories that you can consult to see the most popular and the most unique names. Online there are plenty of baby name Canadian directories or websites to consult if you need a little inspiration in naming your new addition.