Oliver and Charlotte have continued to hold the crown for Victoria’s best loved baby names for the second year in a row.
Acting Minister for Government Services Melissa Horne today announced the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria list of top 100 popular baby names for 2022.
Oliver has had an impressive nine-year streak at the top of the list for boys, beating out Noah, Jack and Leo. Over the course of Oliver’s nine-year reign, 5,322 babies have received the popular name.
Charlotte, Amelia, Isla, Mia and Olivia continue to be the most popular girls’ names for a consecutive year. This is the first year since 2014 that Olivia hasn’t held one of the top two spots, dropping to fifth place this year.
Ella and Hazel are new additions to the top 10 names for girls this year, replacing Zoe and Willow. Ella and Hazel moved up to eight and tenth place from eleventh and sixteenth place in 2021.
For boys, Theodore is the only new addition to the top 10 names this year, replacing Levi which has dropped from the list.
Hazel and Theodore appeared in the top 10 baby names for the first time since records began. Traditional names are making a comeback as Hazel held a spot in the top 100 girls’ names list every year between 1930 and 1940. Theodore last made the top 100 boys’ names list in 2014.
Names with a royal flavour continue to dominate the top baby names for the state, with Charlotte, Henry, William and Archie placing first, fifth, seventh and tenth place respectively.
Names such as Matilda, Ava, Charlie and Thomas dominate the pointy end of the list but further down the top 100 are less common names such as Peyton, Stevie and Delilah for girls, and Nathan, Rafael and August for boys.
In 2022, 76,558 births were registered in Victoria – up from 76,410 in 2021 – including 585 Olivers and 366 Charlottes.
Parents have 60 days to register their baby’s name and can do so easily online and for free with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. For the full list of popular baby names visit bdm.vic.gov.au/names.
Quotes attributable to Acting Minister for Government Services Melissa Horne
“The birth of a baby is a wonderful and special time for parents—but settling on what their little bub will be named is not always an easy decision.”
“Congratulations to the parents and families of all our new Victorians born in 2022 — no matter what you’re named, you’ll get the best start in life here in Victoria.”
Reviewed 16 January 2023