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80 of The Most Common Names in the World

When thinking about what the most popular names it's important to not only consider where in the world you live but also it's important to think about what was popular for that generation. We've done the research and are featuring 80 of the most common names in the world as a source of inspiration for parents considering baby names, regardless of where they live.
Updated: January 8, 2023

When thinking about baby names, many parents are interested in understanding what the most common names in the world are so they can either avoid them or choose from that list depending on preference. You can find the most common names in the world over the last 100 years in the records of the Social Security Administration, although that doesn’t help to understand which top names have been the most consistently popular. The popularity of names also depends on what part of the world you live in. For example, monikers can vary greatly in the United States from what is popular in New Zealand or Northern Ireland.

More: Why Emma Has Been The Top Baby Girl Name for Five Years in a Row

How you think about a popular girl’s name or boy’s name also includes the perspective of your age and what has been popular in your generation. For example, a baby girl might have been commonly named Jennifer or Michelle if you grew up in the U.S. in the 1980s, but if you grew up in Spain during that time, Cristina or Maria would have been much more popular. National statistics for names certainly change fairly drastically throughout the decades and when considering location.

Below are 80 of the current most common names in the world and where they are popular around the world. It is beautiful to see the similarities and differences, and all of the names offer a great source of inspiration for parents considering baby names, regardless of where they live.

Boys’ Names that Start with A to I

  1. Ahmed: Middle East
  2. Alessandro: Italy
  3. Alexander: Iceland and Russia
  4. Ali: Middle East
  5. Ambrose: Rising in popularity!
  6. Amias: Rising in popularity!
  7. Archie: United States
  8. Benjamin: Canada
  9. Daniel: Northern Ireland
  10. Do Yoon: Korea
  11. Elijah: A traditionally popular name with Jewish families in the United States
  12. Ermias: Rising in popularity!
  13. Francesco: Italy
  14. Gabriel: France
  15. Hiroshi: Japan
  16. Hugo: Spain
  17. Ivan: Russia

Boys’ Names that Start with J to Z

  1. Jack: Northern Ireland and New Zealand
  2. Jackson: United States, England, and Wales
  3. Jakob: Norway
  4. James: Northern Ireland
  5. Jayden: United States
  6. Jose: Brazil and Mexico
  7. Jules: France
  8. Junior: South Africa
  9. Kyro: Rising in popularity!
  10. Leonardo: Italy
  11. Liam: United States
  12. Lucas: United States, Sweden, and the Netherlands
  13. Mason: United States
  14. Mateo: United States for Spanish speaking families
  15. Muhammad or Mohammed or Mohammad: The Mohammed spelling is one of the most popular names in India and in the Middle East.
  16. Noah: United States and New Zealand and Denmark
  17. Nozomi: Japan
  18. Oliver: Australia and New Zealand
  19. Raphael: France
  20. Santiago: South America
  21. Sekani: Rising in popularity!
  22. Wei: China
  23. William: United States and Sweden

Girls’ Names that Start with A to I

  1. Alice: Sweden
  2. Amahle: South Africa
  3. Amelia: The Emilia spelling is one of the most popular names in Iceland.
  4. Amoura: Rising in popularity!
  5. Aurora: Italy
  6. Ava: United States
  7. Ayesha: Middle East
  8. Charlotte: Australia and New Zealand
  9. Daria: Russia
  10. Emani: Rising in popularity!
  11. Emily: Northern Ireland
  12. Emika: Japan
  13. Emma: United States and France
  14. Fatemeh: Middle East
  15. Giulia: Italy
  16. Grace: Northern Ireland
  17. Ha Yoon: Korea
  18. Harper: New Zealand
  19. Isabella: United States
  20. Isla: New Zealand

Girls’ Names that Start with J to Z

  1. Jade: France
  2. Kokoro: Japan
  3. Layla: Middle East
  4. Li: China
  5. Louise: France
  6. Lucia: Spain
  7. Maria: Brazil and Mexico
  8. Mariam: Middle East
  9. Mia: United States
  10. Navy: Rising in popularity!
  11. Olivia: Northern Ireland and United States and Canada
  12. Precious: South Africa
  13. Princess: South Africa
  14. Saanvi: India
  15. Sofie: Norway
  16. Sophia or Sofia: The Sofia spelling is one of the most popular names in both Italy, Russia, and Denmark.
  17. Tamar: Middle East
  18. Theodora: Rising in popularity!
  19. Yaritza: Rising in popularity!
  20. Zahra: Middle East

For more baby name inspiration check out these popular baby name lists:

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