Looking for inspiration? Or just curious how unique your baby’s name is? The top baby names for 2024 are in.
Market research company McCrindle has crunched the numbers and uncovered the hottest names for 2024, using data from the top names given to babies last year in every Australian state and territory.
“As well as similar names with spelling variations between genders, there are also gender-neutral names in the top 100,” McCrindle’s report, Baby Names Australia Report 2024, states. “Parents of Gen Alpha are inspired by various influences when naming their children, but the most common influence is a family name (30%). Baby Names websites (21%) and cultural/religious influences (17%) also inspire choice of name.”
After getting bumped into 3rd place last year by Charlotte, Isla reclaims their position as Australia’s top baby girl name. Over in the boys’ list, Oliver continues their reign as the most popular boys name in Australia for the 11th year in a row. Demonstrating the strength of this name, the shortened nickname Ollie has now also entered the top 100, debuting at number 84.
And while the rest of the top 10 boys’ list look pretty similar to last year, Lily, Hazel and Harper have replaced Ella, Grace and Willow in the girls’ list.
Top 10 girls’ names
- Isla
- Amelia
- Charlotte
- Olivia
- Mia
- Ava
- Matilda
- Harper
- Lily
- Hazel
Top 10 boys’ names
- Oliver
- Noah
- Henry
- Leo
- Theodore
- Hudson
- Luca
- William
- Charlie
- Jack
New names enter the Top 100
Five boys’ and girls’ names each made a debut in the Top 100 this year.
The new names for boys are:
- Miles
- Ollie
- Owen
- August
- Myles
Over in the girls’ camp, new names this year are:
- Lottie
- Cleo
- Riley
- Kaia
- Athena
Other trending names of 2024
Based on the the popularity of some names over the past decade, it is predicted these will make it into the top 10 in the next few years.
Girls:
- Nina
- Ada
- Maisie
- Margot
- Nora
- Millie
- Phoebe
- Aubrey
Boys:
- Theo
- Miles
- Ezra
- Luka
- Billy
- Rover
- Ari
This year, McCrindle has found that when it comes to boys’ names, “abbreviations of names are no longer used as simply nicknames, but names in and of themselves”. Examples include Theodore/Theo, Harrison/Harry and William/Billy.
Over on the girls’ side, parents are “opting for names that are short and feature two syllables, including ‘i’ or ‘y'”. These include names such as Isla, Lily, Ivy and Mila. Names ending in “ie” are also seeing an increase in popularity.
Spelling variations and royal names become popular
Parents are also drawing inspiration—with a spelling twist—from names of the opposite genders. These include Oliver/Olivia or Olive, Harry/Harriet, Elijah/Ellie and Ari/Aria.
Gender-neutral names such as Charlie, Jordan, Riley and Darcy are becoming more common, while noble-associated names such as Henry, Eleanor and Pippa are gaining traction. “In fact, many names from Bridgerton have seen a steady climb since the first season of the show,” the McCrindle report observed.
So, is your baby’s name on the list?
