UBC (13 Oct 2026): study finds Canadian first names have become markedly more unique
Published on 2026-10-13. Check the original source for current conditions.
Republished by the University of British Columbia on 13 Oct 2026, Neil Guppy’s analysis of name registries shows a sharp rise in name uniqueness in Canada: in Alberta unique given names rose from 5,445 (1980) to 14,706 (2025) while the top-10 share of names declined substantially.
Presented by UBC on 13 October 2026, the study uses provincial registration data to map long-term naming shifts. In Alberta, births increased from 39,630 (1980) to 52,907 (2025) while recorded given names jumped from 5,445 to 14,706. The top-10 names’ share fell from 22.5% to 6.3% for boys and from 18.5% to 5.2% for girls. The research also documents a rise in gender-ambiguous names (roughly 8–10% by 2025) and the growing presence of names reflecting Canada’s cultural diversity (for example, Muhammad ranks 20th among boys). Findings highlight avenues for social-science teaching and research on identity and multiculturalism.
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