The B.C. government has released data to search and compare 100 years of baby names.
As part of the annual release of the most popular baby names from 2020, the Vital Statistics Agency has compiled spreadsheets of every given name that was chosen five or more times.
For example, 11 people were given the name Bruce in 1920, reaching a peak in 1960 with 227 babies registered but only 10 given the name in 2019.
This year, the top names chosen remain similar to other recent years, with Olivia once again taking the lead for the most popular name for babies born in 2020.
Olivia is followed by Liam, Oliver, Noah, Lucas, Emma, Theodore, Benjamin, Ethan and Charlotte, according to the agency’s preliminary figures from Jan. 1 to Dec. 17, 2020.
In 2019, Olivia was the top choice for babies born in B.C., followed by Oliver, Liam, Lucas, Ethan, Noah, William, Benjamin, Charlotte and Theodore. For eight of the past nine years, Oliva has been among the favourite names for babies born in British Columbia, according to the Vital Statistics Agency.
In 2019, 43,703 babies were born in B.C. compared to 39,322 babies born in 2020 (up to Dec. 17).
You can also compare how popular names have been in the province over the last five, 10, 20, 50 and 100 years.