Top 40 Baby Names in Australia 2019

Parenthood comes with many decisions. From what clothes to buy to what colour to paint the nursery, no one is lying when they say that becoming a parent is life changing in every aspect. Thankfully, there is the epic 9 month long journey to sort out some of these decisions as they present themselves.

Now, these decisions that you make are going to have a life-long impact on your baby’s future. The small things to the big things that you decide cannot be taken lightly…just in case you weren’t already feeling the pressure enough!

One of the biggest decisions you will make as a parent is choosing a name for your child. Between a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ list with you and your partner and practicing calling out different names in the kitchen to see if they fit, name choosing is not easy business.

Yet, every parent prevails and comes through with a name that they love and feel fits the person their baby will grow into. Some names are heard more than others and each generation seems to have a name where teachers call out at least 5 on the classroom roll.

Here are the 40 most popular baby names trending across Australia right now. And let’s be honest, there is something about these names that are so pleasant and gorgeous that it is no wonder they are so popular!

Popular Baby Girl Names

When the gender reveal happens and a little girl is growing inside the womb, many mums have a gushing feeling that they really will get that dream of raising a perfect little princess. Aussie mums seem to find simple, classy, and somewhat old-fashioned names for girls most appealing.

An interesting connection between the popular girl’s names is a strong botanical theme, with plants and florals dominating across the top 100 trending names. Also, 90 percent of the names end in a vowel or ‘y sound and 50 percent start with a vowel, which shows that mums are leaning towards softer sounding names.

Avoiding overseas trends of eccentric and bizarre names of fruits or directions, here are the 20 most popular girls names that popped up on birth certificates around the country in 2018.

1. Charlotte – the feminine derivative of the French name Charles, this name has a long history all across history and literature. It truly is a timeless beauty.

2. Olivia – first introduced by William Shakespeare, this name has gained increasing popularity since 18th century England.

3. Mia – a name with roots in Scandinavia and Germany, this is a more delicate and feminine version of the historically popular Maria.

4. Ava – take your pick from English, Persian, or ancient Germanic roots, Ava has proven to be a popular beauty throughout the globe and throughout time.

5. Amelia – this name rose to power as the German House of Hanover rose to power in England in the 18th century. It is a variant of Amalia or Emilia with roots across many European countries.

6. Isla – a strong name from the Scottish highlands, Isla has emerged as a popular choice for many girls around the world.

7. Sophia/Sofia – meaning ‘wisdom’ in the Greek language, this name certainly appears to be a wise choice for Aussie mums.

8. Chloe – this name means ‘grass shoots’ in ancient Greek and refers to new stems of grass. It has been used throughout English history as well as appearing in the Bible and Greek mythology.

9. Grace – this name is a gorgeous one which has many meaning of peace and virtue.

10. Emily – here is the feminine form of the old English name Aemilius. It became increasingly popular in 18th century England and has definitely stuck around since.

11. Evie – a cute version of the Biblical name Eve, this sweet name suits the sweet faces of little girls around Australia.

12. Sophie – the French counterpart to the English name Sophia, Sophie is a resounding name that is both cute and elegant.

13. Lilly/Lily – this name is a symbol of purity, as is the flower itself. The word has Latin roots, coming from the word lilium.

14. Ella – whether this name came from England, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, or Finland is debatable, but no matter what it is has timeless style.

15. Isabella – medieval royals have had this name from centuries, often spelled Isabel. Queens from ancient England, France, and Portugal have worn it with grace, as are many Australian babies now.

16. Zoe – meaning life in Greek, Zoe was adopted by the Hellenic Jews and two early Christian saints throughout history, before rising up as a common name in 19th century England.

17. Ruby – simply meaning the precious red stone that is well loved in history, literature, and film, Ruby is certainly a special name.

18. Harper – this name traditionally stems from an English surname of someone who makes harps, but it has steadily rose to popularity thanks to the famous author Harper Lee.

19. Evelyn – this name has been either feminine or masculine throughout the 17th century, but now it is mostly reserved for beautiful little girls.

20. Ivy – definitely not poisonous like the plant it is associated with, Ivy has a sweet and special sound to that many Australian mums adore.

Popular Baby Boys Names

Finding it will be a little boy, gearing up to run amok around the playground, choosing a boy’s name is one that needs plenty of detail and energy. Whether it’s going to be a little prince or a little trouble maker, having a boy is sometimes a desire for mums or more a challenge.

There is something traditional and regal about the most popular boy’s names in Australia with a Royal theme popping up quite commonly. A trend that has been on a steady decline is the Biblical names that were overly popular around 20 years ago. It looks like Aussie parents have their ears more attuned to the Monarch than the Holy text in terms of what names sound nice.

With simple taste and an elegant detail, here are the top 20 boys names dominating little blue nappies across the country this year.

21. Oliver – in the Middle Ages, this name traversed in popularity across Western Europe thanks to the epic The Song of Roland’ and it has been doing the same amongst Australian mums today.

22. William – from Germanic roots of Willahelm, it really rose to power in the English speaking world thanks to William the Conqueror, and continues to conquer name popularity.

23. Jack – this name started as a medieval nickname for little boys named John, but it managed to stick around on its own accord.

24. Noah – with obvious Biblical roots and a big boat full of animals associated with it, Noah is solid name that is loved by many.

25. James – with stems in the Bible and the names of two apostles, James is also a very regal name with many kings of England and Scotland bearing the name in the 13th century.

26. Thomas – originally an Aramaic name, the Greeks bought Thomas to the anglicised world and the archbishop of Canterbury Saint Thomas Becket made sure it stuck around in English popularity after he became a martyr.

27. Ethan – originally a Hebrew name, the Protestant revolution brought this to the English speaking world where plenty of people since have loved it enough to keep it around for Australian boys today.

28. Lucas – an old historical name, Lucas has been popularised around the world and has become a classic favourite in Australia.

29. Jackson/Jaxon/Jaxson – however you spell it, the name sounds the same and many people cannot resist the appeal.

30. Lachlan – back in old Scotland, the locals used this as a nickname for their neighbours from Norway in good humour and faith.

31. Mason – this old English name was actually just the surname of anyone who worked as a stonemason until it made it to the forefront of the name.

32. Alexander – the Latin version of the Greek origin Alexandros, this name means to defend or help. It is commonly associated with great power and royalty.

33. Henry – from Heinrich to Henri, this name has remained a classic in Germanic and French roots, as well as the royal English family.

34. Liam – the Irish folk didn’t always call their Williams by their full name and Liam was the shortened, nickname of it, but it deserves credit on its own to be a popular name.

35. Charlie– from the nickname of English kings to the character Charlie Brown, this name has one of the nicest rings to it for little boys born in Australia.

36. Max – the English used Maxwell and the Germans had Maximillian, but today Aussie mums just love the short and sweet name Max.

37. Harrison – this used to be an English surname that meant ‘son of Harry’, but over time it slowly became a popular first name.

38. Leo – meaning lion in Latin and associated with the zodiac star sign leo, many early Christian popes bore this name as well as five Armenian kings.

39. Samuel – the Hebrew roots of this name mean that ‘God has heard’ and in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges.

40. Hunter – an old English surname, Hunter really does sound better at the front. It is a stylish name that has risen in popularity over the years.