IRELAND’S MOST POPULAR baby names for 2023 have been revealed by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
For the seventh year in a row, Jack is the most popular name for boys, while Grace has regained the crown as the most popular name for girls.
The top five names for boys were Jack, Noah, James, Rían and Oisín, with Fionn, Tadhg, Liam, Cillian and Daniel rounding out the top 10.
The top five names for girls were Grace, Fiadh, Emily, Sophie and Lily, with Ellie, Mia, Amelia, Éabha and Ella making up the rest of the top 10.
Jack has held the top spot for boys’ names for every year since 2007, except for 2016, when James was the most popular.
There is more variety when it comes to the top spot for girls, though. Grace last claimed the top spot in 2020, and replaces last year’s top choice of Emily.
Jack retains top spot as the most popular boys' name in Ireland in 2023 while it's Grace for girlshttps://t.co/PhwuTRgrdp#CSOIreland #Ireland #VitalStatistics #VitalStats #Births #Deaths #Marriages #IrishBabiesNames #BoysNames #GirlsNames #BabyNames pic.twitter.com/7aGfuuXoez
— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) February 23, 2024
Compared to 50 years ago in 1973 when John and Mary were the most popular names, only James remains from the top 10 for either boys or girls. There were 152 babies called John in 2023, while 36 babies were called Mary.
As well as providing the names that top the charts, the CSO also looks at different trends including new entrants in the Top 100 and the ‘fastest rising’ names.
For girls, there are three new entrants into the top 100, they are: Lucia (85th), Cadhla (87th) and Síofra (1ooth), with Síofra rising up the rankings the fastest, going from 157th place in 2022 to 100th last year.
For boys, there are five new entrants into the top 100, they are: Caelan (50th), Jude (95th), Paddy (96th), Éanna (96th) and Dáithí (100th).
Caelan was the boys name rising most in popularity, jumping from 108th place to 50th between 2022 and 2023.
There is a wider variety in the names registered for girls, with 4,991 girls’ names in 2023 compared with 4,181 for boys.
Some of the less frequently used girls’ names registered last year and not included in the top 100 names were Bláithín, Lena, Tillie, Ceola, Líadan, Demi, Miroslava and Fíbí.
Some of the less popular boys’ names registered in 2023 were Idris, Ultán, Marcos, Kobie, Denzel and Ibraheem.
County-by-county
The CSO also provides a regional breakdown to show the variation of popular baby names across the country.
Jack was the most popular name for baby boys in all provinces in 2023. Noah was the second most favoured name for boys last year, and held the top spot in six locations including Sligo and Laois.
A number of counties picked names outside the top five. Tom was ranked 39th nationally but was most favoured in Roscommon, while Patrick was the most popular boys’ names in Longford yet ranked 19th on a national basis.
Grace was the most chosen girls’ name or joint-first in eleven areas, including Meath and Offaly. Fiadh was the second most popular name nationally, but was the top girls’ name in Connacht.
Fiadh also held the top or joint top name in four counties and shared first place with Sophie in Galway County.
Names outside the top five were chosen for girls in several counties. Ellie was the most or joint most popular girls’ name in five counties: Carlow, Louth, Cork City, Kerry and Waterford County, while ranking 6th nationally.
Annie was joint first choice in Donegal, with Grace, despite ranking 48th on a national basis.
The top 100 names for 2023 are available on the CSO’s website.
The CSO also offers a tool that shows trends of the most popular baby names each year since the 1960s, allowing people to search for a name and see how they have changed in popularity over the years.
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