The INSEE has published its annual list of the first names most chosen by parents over the past year. Changes are rare, but Isaac and Alma are making a breakthrough, while Lucas and Lina are losing popularity.
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To go classic or original? To prefer a mixed name or one very gender-specific? If each parent’s thinking is different when naming their child, some trends are clearly visible.
The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) published, on Monday, July 8, the ranking of the most popular first names in France in 2023. The statistics available since 1900 show that the popularity of certain first names evolves, while others remain popular regardless of the era. However, the ranking of the past year contains few changes compared to the previous one.
What is the most popular name for boys born in 2023? It’s Gabriel, and by quite a long way: 4,886 babies were given this name last year. Almost unbeatable since 2015, this year it comes ahead of Raphaël (3,477) and Léo (3,454) on the podium.
The rest of the ranking of the ten most popular first names for baby boys is almost the same as last year, but in a different order: Louis, Maël, Noah, Jules, Adam, Arthur… Only Isaac makes its entry in 10th place (2,551), replacing Lucas, which tumbles to 14th place (2,324).
Among the girls, the ranking is tighter. Among the births in 2023, the Louise moved from second to first place, with 3,177 babies. They are just ahead of the Ambre (3,168) and the Alba (3,088), and a little further ahead of the 2022 winners, the Jade (2,891).
Here again, the fashionable first names have changed little compared to those of 2022. Of the ten most popular first names for girls in 2023, nine are the same as the previous year, but in no particular order: Emma, Rose, Alice, Romy and Anna are still present. The only new thing is that Alma has entered the top 10, in 7th place (2,342), while Lina has dropped to 12th place (2,075).
The trend is towards increasing diversification, since the most commonly given first name was given to less than 5,000 babies out of the 678,000 births recorded by INSEE. To establish these rankings, the statistical institute relies on the File of first names attributed to children born in France since 1900, which lists the civil status bulletins transmitted by the municipalities and “only includes the most frequently given first names” (for mixed first names, the sex of the child to whom it is attributed is specified in the file). INSEE adds that people born abroad are not counted, and that “completeness is not guaranteed over the entire period, particularly for years prior to 1946”.