Who needs Olivia and Oliver! The most popular European baby names worldwide are Maria for girls and José for boys – with both most prevalent in Brazil
- Most popular European girls name is Maria with 61,147,219 babies worldwide
- José is the most common European baby boy name with nearly 30 million
- OnBuy revealed 71% of parents-to-be planning to call child a traditional name
- 29% of future parents wouldn’t give baby traditional name because ‘unoriginal’
Global interest in traditional baby names has seemingly grown last year, with a 75% increase in Google trends search average over the past 12 months.
With this in mind, and a baby boom expected in 2021, OnBuy.com wanted to find out what the next generation is going to be called across Europe.
Having trawled through thousands of traditional European baby names for boys and girls and surveying 4,978 parents and parents-to-be, they have revealed the top choices for parents.
The most popular European girls name in the world is Maria – and with 61,147,219 babies sharing this moniker, it ranks as the 2nd most common worldwide, while José is the most popular traditional European boys name.
It comes after news that Oliver and Olivia are still the most popular baby names for boys and girls in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
OnBuy.com wanted to find out what the next generation is going to be called across Europe. Pictured, stock image
Maria is a traditional Italian baby name and is most prevalent in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries such as Brazil.
Ana stands as the second most popular European girls name in the world, with approximately 12,093,858 baby girls having this name.
Ana, ranking as the 17th most common name worldwide, is a traditional Spanish name most prevalent in Portugal.
In third place is Rosa, which holds the meaning ‘to live where wild roses grow.’ This traditional French name is shared by 6,335,017 baby girls worldwide.
| Rank | European Girls Name | How Common Worldwide | Approx. Babies That Have This Name | Country Most Prevalent In | Country of Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maria | 2nd | 61,147,219 | Brazil | Italy |
| 2 | Ana | 17th | 12,093,858 | Portugal | Spain |
| 3 | Rosa | 48th | 6,335,017 | Mexico | France |
| 4 | Elizabeth | 55th | 6,028,430 | United States | Greece |
| 5 | Patricia | 59th | 5,610,931 | United States | Scotland |
| 6 | Anita | 63rd | 5,479,091 | India | Spain |
| 7 | Andrea | 86th | 4,098,568 | Italy | Greece |
| 8 | Marina | 87th | 4,096,941 | Russia | Italy |
| 9 | Carmen | 91st | 4,018,566 | Venezuela | Spain |
| 10 | Angela | 95th | 3,977,011 | United States | France |
Rosa stands as the 48th most common name worldwide and is most prevalent in Mexico.
The most popular traditional European boys name is José, which means ‘who pardons’.
José is the 6th most common moniker worldwide, with approximately 29,940,365 boys sharing this name.
This traditional baby name originates in Spain and is most prevalent in Brazil.
| Rank | European Boys Name | How Common Worldwide | Approx. Babies That Have This Name | Country Most Prevalent In | Country of Origin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | José | 6th | 29,940,365 | Brazil | Spain | ||
| 2 | John | 15th | 14,323,843 | United States | England | ||
| 3. | Juan | 20th | 11,371,254 | Mexico | Spain | ||
| 4. | Jean | 22nd | 11,030,253 | DR Congo | France | ||
| 5. | Robert | 25th | 10,171,137 | United States | Germany | ||
| 6. | Luis | 27th | 9,754,350 | Columbia | Spain | ||
| 7. | Carlos | 28th | 9,615,591 | Brazil | Spain | ||
| 8. | James | 29th | 8,807,662 | United States | France | ||
| 9. | Antonio | 30th | 8,807,662 | Brazil | Italy | ||
| 10. | Richard | 41st | 7,056,090 | United States | Germany |
John comes in second place with approximately 14,323,843 baby boys having this name, making it the 15th most common in the world.
This traditional English name derives from the Hebrew name Yohanan meaning ‘gracious’ and is most prevalent in the United States.
In third place is Juan, a traditional Spanish boy’s name most prevalent in Mexico.
With approximately 11,371,254 baby boys called Juan, this name stands as the 20th most common worldwide.