There were 45,399 babies born in B.C. in 2016: 22,188 girls and 23,210 boys.
It appears that 2017 was all about the Benjamins.
Preliminary numbers released Dec. 29 by the province’s Vital Statistics Agency indicate that Benjamin is the top baby name for boys born in B.C. this year.
But not so fast, Benjamin — Liam, Logan and Lucas are just as popular, with each name just a few places behind Benjamin in the current rankings.
This week’s numbers reflect stats collected from Jan. 1 to Dec. 15, and final results won’t be known until later in 2018. In 2016, Lucas was the number one boys’ name in B.C., followed by Benjamin, Ethan, Oliver and Liam.
If Benjamin can keep its lead, 2017 will be the first year it is the top boys’ name. In a related plot twist, Ethan and Oliver might not make it into the top five this year. There’s a good chance they’ll be leap-frogged by Logan and James.
Oh, the drama!
Things are lot more consistent on the girls’ side of the name game, as it appears Olivia will cruise to a second straight year at the top.
Emma trails by a considerable margin for second place, and the pair of names have consistently been in the top two for the past six years. Other frontrunners in 2017 include Sophia, Charlotte and Ava.
Olivia was the number one girls’ name in 2016, followed by Emma, Charlotte, Ava and Sophia.
There were 45,399 babies born in B.C. in 2016: 22,188 girls and 23,210 boys.
Only names whose frequency occurs five or more times are listed.
jkurucz@vancourier.com
@JohnKurucz
