The Top Global Names Right Now
The popularity of baby names is usually country or even region-specific, with the top names in the US different from those in the UK, which are different again from those in Sweden or Spain.
But as the world gets ever more connected, there are a growing number of names that rank highly on the charts of a wide range of countries.
Using the most recent statistics from nations and provinces around the world, we have the most up-to-the-minute data on which names are the current global stars.
Top International Names
The rankings below are based on the number of times each name featured on a different Top 10 list from the countries we were able to analyze.
The countries we surveyed are: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, England and Wales, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal Puerto Rico, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
The regions we included are: The Australian state of New South Wales, the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Quebec in Canada, and the regions of Catalonia and the Basque Country in Spain.
It’s important to note that there are outstanding statistics — and many places don’t publish baby name data at all — so the lists below are not exhaustive and they do feature mainly European names.
Nevertheless, they do give us a fascinating insight into which names are the biggest international superstars of the moment!
Top Global Girl Names
Due to linguistic and cultural differences, many names are used internationally in alternative spellings or distinct yet closely related variants. Examples include Amelia and Amelija, or Matilda and Matilde.
In the statistics we studied, there were six different variations of the Number 1 international girl name, Sophia — and in some cases, multiple forms of the name featured in the same Top 10! To give a more accurate picture of the most popular global names, we have grouped variations together.
Top Global Girl Names
1. Sophia – Top 10 in Germany, British Columbia (BC), Austria, Canada, Hungary, Moldova, Catalonia, New South Wales (NSW), and the United States (US). It appears as Sofia in Denmark, Bulgaria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Macedonia, The Philippines, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, and Estonia, as Sophie in the Netherlands and in Ireland, Sofie in Norway, Sofija in Lithuania and Macedonia, and Zofia in Poland.
2. Emma – Top 10 in Denmark, Norway, Monaco, Germany, the Netherlands, BC, the US, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Catalonia, France, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Puerto Rico, Quebec, Spain, Switzerland, and Estonia. It also appears as Ema in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH), Slovakia and Lithuania.
3. Olivia – Top 10 in Australia, BC, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the US, Belgium, Canada, Catalonia, England and Wales (EW), Finland, North Ireland, Scotland, Quebec, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. It appears as Oliwia in Poland and Olivija in Lithuania.
4. Maria – a name with many variants, this form appears in the Top 10 in Bulgaria, Brazil, Estonia, Poland, Armenia, Moldova, Spain, and Portugal. The related names Miriam, Marie, Merjem, Meryem, Mariam and Mariyam appear in the Top 10 in Israel, Austria, BH, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan.
5. Mia - a new addition to this list, Mia appears on the Top 10 lists in the US, NSW, Austria, Canada, Catalonia, Croatia, Ireland, Moldova, New Zealand, Macedonia and Estonia.
6. Mila - a name that has risen up the charts since last year, it appears in the Top 10 in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, New Zealand, Macedonia, and Switzerland. Longer forms Camila and Kamilla also feature in Portugal and Hungary.
7. Amelia – Top 10 in New Zealand, the US, NSW, EW, Ireland, Canada, N. Ireland, and Scotland. It features in Lithuania as Amelija.
8. Alice – Top 10 in Brazil, Portugal, Belgium, France, Italy, Quebec, Sweden, and Monaco. The variation Alicja was in the Top 10 in Poland.
9. Ella – Top 10 in New Zealand, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, and N. Ireland.
10. Charlotte - another new addition to this list, Charlotte ranks in the Top 10 in the US, NSW, Canada, New Zealand, Quebec, Scotland, Slovakia, and Switzerland.
If the list was to be extended, a Top 20 would included Lia, Emilia, Anna, Ava, Isla, Lina, Sara, Lily, Julia, and Eva.
Top Global Boy Names
A truly global choice, the Number 1 international boy name Noah is remarkably consistent in spelling around the globe. It only appeared in a different form twice in the Top 10 lists we examined and that was in Lithuania, where it became Nojus, and in Georgia, where Noe is used.
Other high-ranking international boy name families are much more varied, many being translations and variants of classic names like John, William, James, and Matthew.
As with the girl names, these global choices are grouped into name families, with some countries having multiple forms of the name in their Top 10 — Switzerland's favorites, for example, feature four different forms of the Leo- family.
1. Noah – Top 10 in BC, Brazil, Canada, NWS, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the US, Austria, Belgium, Canada, EW, France, Ireland, Northern Ireland, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Quebec, Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland. It also ranks as Nojus in Lithuania. and Noe in Georgia.
2. Leo – Top 10 in New Zealand, BC, Canada, Armenia, NSW, Catalonia, EW, Finland, France, Northern Ireland, Quebec, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. It also appears as Leon in Germany, Poland, and Austria, Leonardo in Italy and Monaco, Leonas in Lithuania, and then as Leon, Lio and Leano in Switzerland.
3. Luca – Top 10 in the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, NSW, Switzerland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Moldova, and EW. It also appears as Lucas in NSW, The Netherlands, the US, Belgium, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Spain, as Lukas in Lithuania and as Luka in the Basque Country, Macedonia, Croatia, and Georgia.
4. Mateo – new to the list this year, it is in the Top 10 in the US, Croatia, Macedonia, and Spain. It features as Matteo in Belgium, Germany, Puerto Rico, and Switzerland, Matej in Croatia and Slovakia, Mattias in Puerto Rico, Matei in Moldova, Mattia in Italy, Matthew in The Philippines, Matas and Motiejus in Lithuania, and Máté in Hungary.
5. Liam – Top 10 in The Netherlands, Germany, the US Belgium, Canada, Catalonia, BC, Ireland, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Quebec and Sweden. Long form William also ranks in Sweden, Denmark, the US, NSW, and Quebec.
6. Jack – Top 10 in BC, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Several other John variants also ranked internationally: Jan in Poland and Catalonia, João in Portugal, Ivan in Croatia and Bulgaria, Ioane in Georgia, Johannes in Norway, Kaloyan in Bulgaria, and as Jon in Basque Country.
7. Oliver – Top 10 in Australia, BC, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the US, Canada, EW, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, and Northern Ireland. This may feel more popular than it is when considered alongside the also highly ranking Olivia.
8. Theodore – Top 10 in NSW, New Zealand, BC, the US, Canada, and EW. Equally popular is nickname Theo, a top ranking choice in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Brazil. The name also appears as Theodor in Norway and Teodor in Bulgaria.
9. Jakob – Top 10 choice in Norway and Austria, but features as Jakub in Poland and Slovakia, James in Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the US, Jakov in Croatia and Macedonia, Jacob in Quebec, and as Jokūbas in Lithuania.
10. Aleksander – Top 10 in Poland and Estonia, with variations featuring in Bulgaria (Aleksandar), Estonia (Aleksei), Catalonia (Alex), Georgia (Aleksandre), Italy (Alessandro) Moldova (Alexandru), and Spain (Alejando).
If the list was to be extended, a Top 20 would include David, Mark, Arthur, Adam, Gabriel, Henry, Daniel, Elias, Michael, and Omar.