The most popular baby names in Switzerland for 2020 revealed
By Jan de Boer
The Federal Statistical Office has released its latest figures on the most popular baby names in Switzerland. The survey found that 85.914 children were born in Switzerland in 2020.
The most popular boys' names in Switzerland
Noah, derived from the Hebrew "Noach" meaning "rest," was the most popular name to use in 2020 for boys, with 507 taking the biblical name. In a far off second, 372 children were given the name Liam, a common Irish name meaning "protector." Matteo rounded out the top three. Meaning "gift of god" in Hebrew, 359 babies took the name in 2020.
Traditional names remained strong in the list, with names such as Benjamin, Aaron and Tim gaining popularity on birth certificates across the country, while Dario and Rafael saw the largest decline. The most common names among the older generations also saw a decline in popularity, with Uli and Ulrich having no registrations this year, as well as Alex and Alexander only receiving 237 between them.
The most popular girls' names in Switzerland
Mia reclaims its top spot for the second year running with 461 registrations of that name. A shortened version of Maria, the name has been most popular in 2016, 2019 and 2020. Emma, meaning "whole" or "universal" in Hebrew, was second with 407 after dominating the rankings in 2011, 2012, 2017 and 2018. Mila rounded out the top three with 350.
The year saw the continuing decline of Sarah, Laura and Lea, who have seen a drop in popularity after being the three most popular girls' names in the year 2000. The names with the fewest picks were Matilde with 73, and Helena with 72.
Favourite baby names in each Swiss region
The study also notes the large variation in name choice depending on which region you were born in. Alongside the most favourite baby names nationally, here are the most popular by region. To see how your name did, you can check out the official government website.
Favourite Baby names in German-speaking Switzerland
The favourite boys' names in German-speaking Switzerland are:
- Noah
- Leon
- Matteo
The favourite girls' names are:
- Mia
- Emilia
- Lina
Favourite baby names in French-speaking Switzerland
The top three favourite boys' names for French speakers in Switzerland are:
- Gabriel
- Liam
- Noah
The favourite girls' names are:
- Emma
- Mia
- Mila
Favourite baby names in Italian speaking Switzerland
The top three favourite boys' names for Italian speakers in Switzerland are:
- Leonardo
- Alessandro
- Liam / Enea
The favourite girls' names are:
- Sofia
- Aurora / Alice
- Emma
Full list of baby names in Switzerland
For more information about the top baby names in all regions of Switzerland, check out the article on Swiss names.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more