Australia’s most popular baby names 2021

Posted in Popular Baby Names.

Best Baby Names 2021

Australia’s top 200 baby names for 2021 have just been revealed, and while two very popular baby names still lead the pack, there are a host of new contenders hot on their heels.

Unique baby names, popular baby names, and nicknames as first names, all make an appearance in this year’s McCrindle most popular baby names list for 2021. And at the very top of the pops once again are Charlotte (1.) and Oliver (1.).

Naming a new generation

If you’ve had a baby in the last 10 years, you’ve given birth to a Generation Alpha. These little ones are the most digital, global, and visual folk on the planet, and they’ll finish being born in 2024.

Generation Alpha are the babies of Millenials, who are all about choosing new and different names in a very unique period in history.

Unique names trending

With such a unique generation being born, it’s only natural that their baby names are just as unique.  With the dawn of Generation Alpha in 2010, McCrindle has been able to crunch the data and see which names have been on the up and up in the past decade.

For the girls, Willow (9.), Hazel (25.), Violet (34.), Florence (39.), Aria (28.), Elsie (38.) and Audrey (31.) have had the biggest rank increase since 2010. Interestingly, they all have a distinctly old-world flavour.

When it comes to the boys, Leo (5.), Theodore (13.), Hudson (14.), Archer (23.), Hugo (34.), Arlo (33.), Harvey (24.) and Elijah (10.) have had a meteoric rise since the start of Generation Alpha.

Blooming beautiful botanical names

Sunny botanical-inspired baby names are still as popular as ever, with Willow (9.), Ivy (14.),
Lily (21.), Violet (34.), Daisy (47.), Poppy (50.), Jasmine (56.), Rose (70.), Olive (75.), Rosie (81.) and Delilah (96.) making it into the top 100 baby girl names.

Colours are also still winning the hearts of new parents, with Ruby (17.), Hazel (25.), Scarlett (33.), Violet (34.) Jasmine (56.), Rose (70.) and Olive (75.) all shining in the top 100.

Nicknames as first names

Aussies are known around the world for shortening names, and it seems parents are now bypassing the middleman and giving their babies nicknames as first names.

The name Jack (4.) outranks Jackson (42.), Leo (5.) outranks Leonardo (80.) and Archie (16.) outranks Archer (23.). The trend is the same with baby girls, with Ella (11.) outranking Isabella (15.) and Isabelle (36.).

Shortening names and adding an ‘ie’ on the end is also a big trend, like Rose to Rosie, Savannah to Sadie, Amelia to Millie, Isabella to Billie, Charlotte to Charlie, Elizabeth to Ellie and William to Billy.

Atop the throne

It’s difficult to ignore the Royal family’s influence when it comes to Australian baby names. Prince George (born in 2013) and Princess Charlotte (born in 2015) helped their names shoot to fame. In the seven years since Prince George’s birth, his name has jumped 29 places to 31.

Then along came Prince Louis and Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, with the name Louis hit the top 100 in 2013 at 74 and now ranked at 55. The name Archie was 31 in 2010 and since the birth of the Royal Archie, the name has risen to 16.

And of course, since Princess Charlotte was born in 2015, her name surpassed Olivia as the most popular baby girl name, where it has remained, yet to be dethroned.

Biblical names for boys

While not as popular as 20 years ago when all five of the top five boys’ names were Bible characters (Joshua, Daniel, Matthew, James and Thomas), and 12 of the Top 20 were from the Bible, including Benjamin, Luke, Nathan, Andrew, Alexander, Jacob and Samuel), Biblical baby names for boys are still heavily featured.

In the new top 100 baby boy name list, seven of the Top 20 boys’ names can be found in the Bible: Noah (2.), Thomas (8.), Elijah (10.), Levi (11.), James (15.), Alexander (18.), and Ethan (20.).

Charlotte and Oliver most popular baby names, again

Once again, Charlotte continues to be the most popular name of choice for baby girls in Australia. More than 1,500 squishy little girl babes were named Charlotte in 2020, and it’s been the number one girl baby name eight years out of the last 10.

But there has been a little shift at the top of the table, with Amelia (2.) now the second most popular girl’s name, taking over from Olivia. The other top 10 girls names have stayed the same, other than Matilda (10.) ousting Harper (12.).

When it comes to the most popular baby boy names, the top 10 is almost a carbon copy of last year. A whopping 2138 little gents were named Oliver (1.) in 2020, which has been at the top baby boy spot for the last eight years. The new kid on the block is Elijah (10.) who removed James (15.) from the top 10.

Top 100 baby girl names in Australia for 2021

  1.  Charlotte
  2. Amelia
  3. Olivia
  4. Isla
  5. Mia
  6. Ava
  7. Grace
  8. Chloe
  9. Willow
  10. Matilda
  11. Ella
  12. Harper
  13. Sophie
  14. Ivy
  15. Isabella
  16. Zoe
  17. Ruby
  18. Evie
  19. Evelyn
  20. Sophia
  21. Lily
  22. Mila
  23. Lucy
  24. Sienna
  25. Hazel
  26. Emily
  27. Hannah
  28. Aria
  29. Layla
  30. Zara
  31. Audrey
  32. Georgia
  33. Scarlett
  34. Violet
  35. Ellie
  36. Isabelle
  37. Frankie
  38. Elsie
  39. Florence
  40. Abigail
  41. Alice
  42. Emma
  43. Emilia
  44. Luna
  45. Freya
  46. Sofia
  47. Daisy
  48. Ayla
  49. Penelope
  50. Poppy
  1. Mackenzie
  2. Billie
  3. Aurora
  4. Eleanor
  5. Eva
  6. Jasmine
  7. Stella
  8. Sadie
  9. Harriet
  10. Maya
  11. Addison
  12. Savannah
  13. Elizabeth
  14. Millie
  15. Lola
  16. Piper
  17. Imogen
  18. Bonnie
  19. Eloise
  20. Rose
  21. Summer
  22. Phoebe
  23. Remi
  24. Charlie
  25. Olive
  26. Bella
  27. Harlow
  28. Annabelle
  29. Aaliyah
  30. Elena
  31. Rosie
  32. Maddison
  33. Hallie
  34. Peyton
  35. Quinn
  36. Maeve
  37. Ariana
  38. Lara
  39. Anna
  40. Claire
  41. Sarah
  42. Adeline
  43. Molly
  44. Maggie
  45. Eden
  46. Delilah
  47. Eliza
  48. Clara
  49. Isabel
  50. Pippa

 

Top 100 baby boy names in Australia for 2021

  1. Oliver
  2. Noah
  3. William
  4. Jack
  5. Leo
  6. Henry
  7. Charlie
  8. Thomas
  9. Lucas
  10. Elijah
  11. Levi
  12. Liam
  13. Theodore
  14. Hudson
  15. James
  16. Archie
  17. Oscar
  18. Alexander
  19. Harrison
  20. Ethan
  21. Mason
  22. Hunter
  23. Archer
  24. Harvey
  25. Luca
  26. Harry
  27. Cooper
  28. Lachlan
  29. Max
  30. Isaac
  31. George
  32. Benjamin
  33. Arlo
  34. Hugo
  35. Xavier
  36. Jacob
  37. Finn
  38. Samuel
  39. Sebastian
  40. Arthur
  41. Lincoln
  42. Jackson
  43. Edward
  44. Joshua
  45. Ryan
  46. Eli
  47. Riley
  48. Kai
  49. Jordan
  50. Logan
  1. Jayden
  2. Jasper
  3. Patrick
  4. Austin
  5. Louis
  6. Flynn
  7. Beau
  8. Daniel
  9. Joseph
  10. Jaxon
  11. Sonny
  12. Aiden
  13. Connor
  14. Spencer
  15. Michael
  16. Carter
  17. Muhammad
  18. Angus
  19. Charles
  20. Owen
  21. Gabriel
  22. Ashton
  23. Felix
  24. Ryder
  25. Matthew
  26. Asher
  27. Caleb
  28. Jude
  29. Adam
  30. Leonardo
  31. Luke
  32. Ari
  33. Darcy
  34. Parker
  35. Theo
  36. Bodhi
  37. Zachary
  38. Ezra
  39. Ali
  40. River
  41. Luka
  42. Leon
  43. Fletcher
  44. Marcus
  45. Hamish
  46. Billy
  47. Dylan
  48. Lewis
  49. Vincent
  50. Lennox

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Want to take sneaky peek back to previous years? Take a look at these:

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