Finally! The most popular Aussie baby names of 2016 revealed
If you’ve been holding your breath waiting for the big reveal like we have, you can finally rejoice! The numbers for Australia’s top 100 baby names have finally been released and we can reveal the monikers Aussie parents couldn’t get enough of in 2016.
Choosing the perfect name for your little one is not a decision parents take lightly. Throw in the difficulty of picking a name that both you and your partner love and things get a whole lot more complicated. But no matter how individual and unique your choice is, when we crunch the numbers there are some definite trends that emerge year-on-year.
So who made the list this year?
And the winners are…
Charles Dickens hit the nail on the head when he wrote Oliver Twist, it is definitely a case of, “Please Sir, I want some more!”.
A total of 2145 baby boys born in Australia last year have taken on the popular moniker, which has dominated the list for the past decade. Oliver took the top spot in all states and territories except Western Australia and Northern Territory, where Jack stole the lead, and in the ACT where William was crowned the favourite.
When it comes to girls, Charlotte again reigns supreme nationwide, with the exception of Olivia topping the list in NSW. The name fit for an English princess was given to 1817 baby girls born in Australia in 2016.
Here are some of the trends we noticed
Scrolling through the lists released by each state and territories’ respective birth registries, it is clear to see a few popular trends emerging in the naming stakes.
Nature names
Many parents are heading back to nature for inspiration when choosing the perfect name for their little one. Flower names remain a popular choice for girls, with 890 babies called Ivy, 795 new Lilys, 463 Violets and 108 Poppys and 244 named Jasmine. Similarly, other beautiful botanical names chosen include Willow (713), Chloe (1115) and Hazel (109).
Popular vowels
When it comes to names starting with vowels, it is a close call between A and E for the girls, with Emily (1076), Evie (1072), Ella (977), Evelyn (919), Emma (639), Eva (609), Ellie (398), Elizabeth (363), Emilia (157), Elsie (15) and Eliza (11) taking it out.
But Ava (1397), Amelia (1375), Aria (659), Abigail (551), Audrey (504), Alice (317), Alexis (106), Addison (45), Anna (31), Ayla (31), Alyssa (29), Ariana (28) and Annabelle (179) were not far behind.
It is also worth mentioning that Olivia alone was given to 1632 babies born in Australia in 2016, securing its spot as the second most popular girl’s name for the year.
For boy’s names starting with vowels, Oliver really set the bar high, but A was the clear winner as 1017 Alexanders were welcomed into the world along with 700 Archers, 691 Archies, 407 Aidens, 196 Angus’ and 78 Arlos.
Something special about consonants S and H
Girls names starting with S also take a dominant place. Sophie leads the pack at 1032, followed by Scarlett (786), Sienna (752), Sophia (787), Savannah (396), Sarah (122), Sofia (280) and Stella (152).
For boys, it was H that had a strong showing, with Henry (1012), Harrison (964), Hunter (894), Hudson (854), Harry (748), Harvey (449) and Hamish (81).
Taking out the title in each State and Territory
Charlotte and Oliver
Olivia and Oliver
Charlotte and William
Charlotte and Oliver
Charlotte and Oliver
Charlotte and Oliver
Charlotte and Jack
Charlotte and Jack
Here are the top 100 baby names in Australia for 2016
| Ranking | Boys | Total | Ranking | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oliver | 2145 | 1 | Charlotte | 1817 |
| 2 | William | 1696 | 2 | Olivia | 1632 |
| 3 | Jack | 1662 | 3 | Mia | 1401 |
| 4 | Noah | 1439 | 4 | Ava | 1397 |
| 5 | James | 1269 | 5 | Amelia | 1375 |
| 6 | Thomas | 1254 | 6 | Isla | 1203 |
| 7 | Ethan | 1193 | 7 | Chloe | 1115 |
| 8 | Lucas | 1148 | 8 | Grace | 1082 |
| 9 | Lachlan | 1022 | 9 | Emily | 1076 |
| 10 | Mason | 1019 | 10 | Evie | 1072 |
| 11 | Alexander | 1017 | 11 | Sophie | 1032 |
| 12 | Henry | 1012 | 12 | Ella | 977 |
| 13 | Liam | 992 | 13 | Isabella | 953 |
| 14 | Charlie | 991 | 14 | Zoe | 951 |
| 15 | Max | 983 | 15 | Ruby | 937 |
| 16 | Harrison | 964 | 16 | Harper | 935 |
| 17 | Leo | 961 | 17 | Evelyn | 919 |
| 18 | Samuel | 916 | 18 | Ivy | 890 |
| 19 | Hunter | 894 | 19 | Matilda | 866 |
| 20 | Jacob | 866 | 20 | Lily | 795 |
| 21 | Hudson | 854 | 21 | Sophia | 787 |
| 22 | Isaac | 852 | 22 | Scarlett | 786 |
| 23 | Cooper | 849 | 23 | Lucy | 778 |
| 24 | Oscar | 842 | 24 | Sienna | 752 |
| 25 | Levi | 836 | 25 | Willow | 713 |
| 26 | Benjamin | 810 | 26 | Georgia | 698 |
| 27 | Joshua | 769 | 27 | Aria | 659 |
| 28 | Elijah | 763 | 28 | Emma | 639 |
| 29 | Harry | 748 | 29 | Zara | 635 |
| 30 | Archer | 700 | 30 | Hannah | 634 |
| 31 | Archie | 691 | 31 | Eva | 609 |
| 32 | Xavier | 683 | 32 | Isabelle | 568 |
| 33 | Ryan | 676 | 33 | Layla | 554 |
| 34 | Sebastian | 641 | 34 | Abigail | 551 |
| 35 | George | 597 | 35 | Mila | 509 |
| 36 | Finn | 568 | 36 | Audrey | 504 |
| 37 | Riley | 542 | 37 | Violet | 463 |
| 38 | Logan | 505 | 38 | Ellie | 398 |
| 39 | Jayden | 491 | 39 | Savannah | 396 |
| 40 | Jackson | 477 | 40 | Elizabeth | 363 |
| 41 | Daniel | 460 | 41 | Alice | 317 |
| 42 | Harvey | 449 | 42 | Maddison | 313 |
| 43 | Patrick | 434 | 43 | Piper | 310 |
| 44 | Aiden | 407 | 44 | Imogen | 300 |
| 45 | Lincoln | 371 | 45 | Maya | 282 |
| 46 | Theodore | 359 | 46 | Sofia | 280 |
| 47 | Flynn | 354 | 47 | Stella | 258 |
| 48 | Tyler | 352 | 48 | Jasmine | 244 |
| 49 | Nate | 318 | 49 | Annabelle | 179 |
| 50 | Hugo | 302 | 50 | Mackenzie | 170 |
