Though we will still have to wait until August to find out what the most popular baby names are in Switzerland as a whole, new data means we already know what the top choices are in Zurich. Last year saw two new frontrunners, with Emma and Matteo jumping back to the top of the list.
In 2024, 4.345 babies were born to people who live in the city of Zurich, 130 fewer than the previous year. Nevertheless, the birth rate combined with a positive rate of migration meant the population of Switzerland’s largest city grew by 1.582 to a total of 448.664 residents by the end of the year.
Of the new children born in the city, 1.077 different girls’ and 1.129 different boys’ names were chosen. The most popular first letter for female names was A, while L took first for boys, and around half of newborns sported a middle name.
Interestingly, Zurich’s Statistical Office noted that the length of baby names in Zurich has been declining significantly since the 1990s. In 1990, the average first name length was over six characters, compared to just 5,25 characters today.
As it stands, Emma is the most popular name for newborn girls in the city of Zurich, with 23 registrations in 2024. The name, meaning whole or universal, had been top from 2014 to 2018, but had lost out to other names in recent years.
Sofia, the most popular name in 2023, fell to second place with 20 new registrations. Olivia, Ella, and Anna completed the podium in joint third with 18 newborns each. Compared to 2023, Anouk saw the biggest rise in popularity, with nine more newborns being given the name, which means grace.
For boys, 2024 saw Matteo rise to the top of the list, with 23 newborns being given the name, meaning gift of God. Felix and Leonardo completed the podium with 21 and 20 registrations respectively, with Liam, Matteo, Jan and Felix seeing the biggest increases in popularity.
However, while these ever-shorter names may be popular among the current generation of parents, it will take a while for them to overtake the classics. As of the end of 2024, Maria and Daniel remain the most common first names in Zurich.
In all, here are the most popular newborn boys’ names in Zurich:
Here are the most popular girls’ names in the Swiss metropolis:
For more information about the study, check out the official website.