Irish Babies’ Names 2013 and 1963

The CSO today released the Vital Statistics, Irish Babies’ Names 2013 report. Included in this report is an analysis of the names from fifty years earlier, in 1963.

Some of the key points for 2013 highlighted in the report are as follows:

• Jack and Emily were the most popular babies’ names registered in 2013. Jack retains the top position it has held since 2007. Emily also retains the top position it has held since 2011 having been eighth most popular in 2007 and fifth in 2008.

• Of the 35,272 boys born in 2013, 764 (2.2%) were named Jack, 18 more than the number of boys named James, the second most popular name. Of the 33,658 girls there were 625 (1.9%) named Emily, which was 126 more than the number of girls named Emma, the second most popular girls’ name.

• The five most popular boys’ names in 2013 (Jack, James, Daniel, Conor and Sean) were also the top five each year since 2007 with only their order changing from year to year.

• Of the five most popular girls’ names in 2013 (Emily, Emma, Sophie, Ella and Amelia) Emily, the most popular girls’ name, has been in the top five in five of the last six years. Emma has been in the top four most popular names since 2007 while Amelia has climbed steadily in popularity each year since 2007 when it was the 48th most popular name to 5th most popular name for baby girls in 2013.

• There were two first time entries to the top 100 for boys: Kai and Kayden. The highest new entry at number 85 was Kai rising from 103rd place in 2012. The name rising most in popularity in the year was Kayden (up 44 places from 135th place in 2012).

• There were four first time entries to the top 100 for girls: Sadie, Sienna, Fiadh and Poppy. The highest new entry at 77th place was Sadie rising from 139th place in 2012. The name rising in popularity most was Fiadh up 64 places from 146th place in 2012.

• In most areas of the country one of the top five boys’ names took the number one spot. Only six areas favoured names outside the top five; in Kilkenny, Michael was the most popular name while Alex was the most popular in Cork City and Aaron in Waterford City. Cavan parents favoured  Ryan while Charlie along with James and Ryan were the most popular in Monaghan. In Leitrim, Mark shared the most popular boys’ name with Conor.

• For girls, there was a wider range of names outside the top five that were county and city favourites. These included Ava, Caoimhe, Kate, Grace, Hannah, Mia, Rachel and Sarah.

Some of the key points for 1963 highlighted in the report are as follows:

• John and Mary were the most popular babies’ names registered in 1963. There were 3,892 boys whose registered name was John in 1963. The name John was ranked number 27 in popularity in 2013 when 287 baby boys were so named.

• The top five boys’ names in 1963 were John, Patrick, Michael, Paul and James. Of these five names only James was in the top five names registers for boys fifty years later in 2013.

• James and Michael were among the top ten most popular names both in 1963 and 2013. James was the 5th most favoured name for boys in 1963 when 1,575 baby boys were registered but was the second most popular name for baby boys born in 2013. However, despite this rise in popularity, there were actually less than half of the number of boys, (746 as against 1,575 in 1963) called James in 2013.

• The name Jack which has been the most popular name for boys since 2007 did not feature in the entire list of male baby names in 1963.

• For girls, Mary was the name of choice for 3,721 parents for their newborn daughters in 1963 making it the most popular name for girls born that year. The name Mary was still among the top 100 names (ranked 81) for baby girls born in Ireland in 2013 when 79 newborn girls were named Mary.

• The five most popular names in 1963 were Mary, Margaret, Catherine, Ann and Anne. None of these names featured in the top five names registered for baby girls in 2013. Apart from Mary, none of the other four names (i.e. Margaret, Catherine, Ann and Anne) featured in the top 100 names for girls in 2013.

• None of the ten most popular names for girls in 2013 were in the top ten names in 1963. Emily, Emma, Ella or Amelia were not in the top 100 most popular names in 1963.

• In 1963 as in 2013, data shows that girls were given a wider variety of names than boys. However, the range of names for both boys and girls were not as varied fifty years earlier in 1963. There were 1,109 girls’ names registered in 1963 (versus 4,643 in 2013) and 678 boys’ names (as against 3,628 in 2013).

For more information contact Carol Anne Hennessy on 021 453 5307 or Marie Crowley on 021 453 5016.

To view and download the publication, visit the CSO website at:

Irish Babies' Names 2013   

Central Statistics Office                                                                         30 May 2014

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