Be the first to comment!Luke remains most popular name for boys and Elena for girls
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A total of 3,999 live births were registered in 2010, a decrease of 3.5 per cent over 2009, of whom 51.3 per cent were boys.
Luke retained its top spot as1st Gozitan on national executive of Malta Bands Association the most popular boys’ name in 2010, while Elena rose to become the number one girls’ name.
Poular names for baby boys
Luke re-affirmed its high popularity as during previous years, increasing by nearly 34 per cent. This name has also retained its top post from 2009, accounting for six per cent of all baby boys’ names. Matthew and Jake both registered increases of 0.5 and 0.6 percentage points respectively over 2009 and also retained their respective second and third rank.
No new entries appeared in the top 20 boys’ names in 2010. However, names like Kaiden, Isaac, Nathan, Kyle, Joseph and Andrew saw an increase in popularity in comparison with 2009. On the other hand, names that fell in popularity were Aiden, Jaden, Nicholas, Liam and Benjamin. Gabriel, Denzel, Sven and Julian, which placed among the 20 most popular names in 2009, did not reappear in 2010.
Popular names for baby girls
Maria (2.9 per cent of all baby girls’ names) dropped by two places in the ranking, placing third for the first time in seven years, making space for Elena (4.3 per cent of all baby girls’ names), which placed first during the year under review. This change in ranking was caused by a 32 per cent decrease in the popularity of Maria, and an increase of 6.3 per cent with regard to Elena. Eliza also made a significant increase of 23.1 per cent when compared to 2009 and rose to second position in 2010.
A new appearance in the top 20 girls’ names in 2010 was Aaliyah, advancing by 15 places to eighth position. After an absence from the 2009 chart, Chloe and Francesca re-appeared in 2010. On the other hand, Mireille, Amber, Kayleigh and Laura, which placed among the top 20 girls’ list in 2009, did not re-appear in last year’s ranking.
Some interesting trends
The practice of naming babies after international celebrities is still in evidence, with a prevalence of names such as Miley, Shania, Rihanna, Denzel and Emerson. It is also clear that biblical names like Luke, Matthew, John, Isaac, Zachary, Eliza, Maria, Sarah and Hannah, are still highly favoured by many Maltese parents.
