The most popular first names in 2026

Popularity lists are best read at a distance. They show what parents chose last year — not what suits your child. They are useful for two opposite reasons: if you want a familiar name, this is the safe ground; if you want the opposite, you now know exactly what to avoid.

What stands out at the top is how short the names have become. Two-syllable forms ending in an open vowel have dominated for about fifteen years — they work internationally and need no nickname.

A second trend: names from the great-grandparent generation are back. Frieda, Ida, Emil, Karl and Oskar were practically extinct thirty years ago and now rank high — the hundred-year cycle.

The 50 most popular girls' names

  1. Emilia — The eager and industrious one (Latin)
  2. Sophia — Wisdom (Greek)
  3. Emma — The whole, the universal one (Germanic)
  4. Hannah — Grace, favour (Hebrew)
  5. Mia — Mine, short form of Maria (Italian)
  6. Lina — The tender one (Arabic)
  7. Mila — The gracious, dear one (Slavic)
  8. Alisa — The noble one (Russian)
  9. Ella — The bright one (Germanic)
  10. Yana — God is gracious (Russian)
  11. Klara — The clear, bright one (Latin)
  12. Lea — Weary one / wild cow (Hebrew)
  13. Leni — Short form of Helene: the shining one (Germanic)
  14. Marie — Beloved of God (Hebrew)
  15. Caitlín — Pure one (Irish)
  16. Milica — The dear, gracious one (Slavic)
  17. Frieda — Peaceful ruler (Old High German)
  18. Ljiljana — The lily (Slavic)
  19. Charlotte — The free woman (French)
  20. Ida — The industrious one (Germanic)
  21. Sofia — Wisdom (Italian)
  22. Aishwarya — Prosperity, wealth (Sanskrit)
  23. Gordana — The proud one (Slavic)
  24. Mary — The wished-for child, the beloved (English)
  25. Luisa — Famous warrior (Old High German)
  26. Slavica — The Slavic, glorious woman (Slavic)
  27. Matilda — Mighty in battle (Germanic)
  28. Johanna — God is gracious (Hebrew)
  29. Amelie — The industrious one (Germanic)
  30. Lotta — Short form of Charlotte (Germanic)
  31. Nele — Victory bringer (Greek)
  32. Mathilda — Strong in battle (Germanic)
  33. Paula — The small one (Latin)
  34. Anna — Grace (Hebrew)
  35. Lia — Short form of Leah (Hebrew)
  36. Emily — The striving one (Latin)
  37. Elena — The shining light (Greek)
  38. Maja — Goddess of spring (Latin)
  39. Sophie — Wise (Greek)
  40. Isabella — God is my oath (Hebrew)
  41. Maria — Wished-for child / bitter (Italian)
  42. Lena — The shining one (Greek)
  43. Greta — The pearl (Greek)
  44. Helena — Torch, shining light (Greek)
  45. Alma — Nourishing, kind (Latin)
  46. Nora — The honourable one (Latin)
  47. Moira — Star of the sea (Irish)
  48. Gayatri — Sacred hymn, song (Sanskrit)
  49. Julia — From the house of Julius (Latin)
  50. Theresa — The harvester (Greek)

The 50 most popular boys' names

  1. Noah — Rest, comfort (Hebrew)
  2. Dmitri — Devoted to Demeter (Russian)
  3. Matteo — Gift of God (Hebrew)
  4. Daniil — God is my judge (Russian)
  5. Leon — Lion (Greek)
  6. Ilya — My God is the Lord (Russian)
  7. Finn — Fair, white (Irish)
  8. Matvei — Gift of God (Russian)
  9. Paul — The small one (Latin)
  10. Elias — My God is the Lord (Hebrew)
  11. Emil — The eager one (Latin)
  12. Luca — From Lucania; light (Latin)
  13. Ben — Son (Hebrew)
  14. Wojciech — Solace in war/battle (Slavic)
  15. Louis — Famous warrior (Old High German)
  16. Boleslav — Great glory (Slavic)
  17. Henry — Ruler of the home (Old High German)
  18. Vaclav — Greater glory (Slavic)
  19. Theo — Gift of God (Greek)
  20. Anton — The priceless one (Latin)
  21. Felix — The happy, lucky one (Latin)
  22. Radovan — The joyful one (Slavic)
  23. Jonas — The dove (Hebrew)
  24. Liam — Resolute protector (Irish)
  25. Oskar — Spear of the gods (Germanic)
  26. Maximilian — The greatest (Latin)
  27. Cathan — Little battler (Irish)
  28. Jakob — Supplanter (Hebrew)
  29. Milan — The dear one (Slavic)
  30. Karl — The free man (Germanic)
  31. Levi — Attached, joined (Hebrew)
  32. Alessandro — Defender of men (Italian)
  33. Mats — Gift of God (Hebrew)
  34. Julian — The youthful one (Latin)
  35. Aaron — Mountain of strength (Hebrew)
  36. Séamus — Supplanter (Irish)
  37. David — The beloved (Hebrew)
  38. Samuel — Heard by God (Hebrew)
  39. Moritz — The Moor, dark-skinned (Latin)
  40. Cellach — Strife, contention (Irish)
  41. Nico — Victory of the people (Greek)
  42. Valentin — Healthy, strong (Latin)
  43. Ichiro — First son (Japanese)
  44. Fritz — Peaceful ruler (Old High German)
  45. Vincent — The conquering one (Latin)
  46. Johannes — God is gracious (Hebrew)
  47. Pádraig — Noble, patrician (Irish)
  48. Benedikt — The blessed one (Latin)
  49. Konstantin — The constant one (Latin)
  50. Leopold — Bold ruler of the people (Old High German)

Where do these figures come from?

The ranking is based on published evaluations from German registry offices. It varies considerably by region — treat the positions as an order of magnitude, not an exact ranking.

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