The latest report by the Federal Statistical Office has revealed the top baby names in Switzerland for 2021. The government found that while some of the most popular Swiss names have remained somewhat unchanged since last year, there are some interesting new ones to add to the list.

Mia, Emma and Elena the top Swiss baby names for girls in 2021

The biggest changes on this year’s list were in the top three most popular girls' names. While Mia retained the top spot - with 467 birth certificates being filled in that name over the last year - Emilia and Lina were replaced in second and third by Emma (416 registrations) and Elena (322).

Mia, a shortened version of Maria - meaning “of the sea, bitter, beloved or rebellious” in Latin - was also the most popular in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019. The arguably old-fashioned name, Vera, saw the biggest rise in popularity this year, moving from 319th to 188th, while Matilda saw the biggest fall from 94th to 176th.

Top 10 most popular baby names for girls in Switzerland

In all, the top 10 girls' names for newborn babies in Switzerland in 2021 were:

1. Mia (467)
2. Emma (416)
3. Elena (322)
4. Lina (315)
5. Mila (307)
6. Emilia (303)
7. Sofia (298)
8. Olivia (279)
9. Nora (270)
10. Alina (260)

Mia was also the top girls' name in German-speaking Switzerland, with Emma taking the top spot west of the Röstigraben and Sofia being the most popular in Canton Ticino.

Noah, Liam and Matteo take top spots for boys names

In 2021, like last year, the top baby name for boys born in Switzerland was Noah, with 559 babies registered with that name. Noah - from Noach meaning “rest” in Hebrew - was also the most popular name in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017.

Noah was followed by the Gaelic name Liam (391 registrations) and Matteo (385). The name that gained the most popularity in 2021 was Zayn, climbing from 442nd to 200th in the latest list. The name Lionel had the sharpest decline in 2021, falling out of the top 100 and placing only 133rd.

10 most popular baby boys' names in Switzerland

Overall, the top 10 baby boys’ names in Switzerland in 2021 were:

1. Noah (559)
2. Liam (391)
3. Matteo (385)
4. Luca (368)
5. Gabriel (327)
6. Leon (315)
7. Elias (303)
8. Louis (272)
9. Lio (270)
10. Nino (258)

Like last year, Leonardo was the most popular baby name in Canton Ticino, with Noah being the most popular in German-speaking Switzerland and Gabriel beating Noah to the top spot in French-speaking areas.

Find out how popular your name is in Switzerland

In 2021, 89.400 children were born in the alpine nation, with parents choosing from thousands of different names from Switzerland, Europe and further afield. Want to see how popular your favourite baby names are in Switzerland? Then check out the Federal Statistical Office website.