Each year, the statistics office Statbel releases the list of first names most given to newborns on Belgian soil. And the verdict fell on Wednesday: in 2021, the names Olivia and Noah were given the most to our babies.
Belgium welcomed 580 little Olivias and 627 new Noahs last year. Olivia monopolizes the top spot for the third year in a row, while Noah is just ahead of Arthur, who had been in the lead for three years.
The most given female names in 2021 are therefore Olivia, Emma and Louise. While Noah, Arthur and Louis form the top three names for newborn boys.
Among the biggest increases in the top 100, we find Alba again, given 159 times, an increase of 83% compared to 2020: for the past few years, this name has been on the rise.
Other popular female names over the past 10 years include: Ellie, Ellis, Alya, Cilou, Tasnim, Feline, Charlie, Rosie and Billie. As for male first names, the strongest increases over 10 years are for Georges, Lio, Gaston, Otis, Lyam (while the form Liam is at the foot of the podium of first names given last year), Leo, Cyriel, Eden , Charlie and Mattia.
Top 5 in Wallonia
On the Walloon side, Emma remains the most popular first name, followed by Olivia, Louise, Alice and Lucie. For boys, Gabriel is the first name most attributed to newborns, followed by Louis, Liam, Arthur and Jules.