When it comes to baby names, Swiss favour tradition over novelty
Parents can spend hours poring over baby name books and looking for ideas online, convinced that their choice will have bearing on the life and character of the child.
Keystone
Switzerland may hold the crown for most innovative nation but when it comes to baby names the country reflects its penchant for stability.
Noah has been topping the charts for male baby names since 2014 in the Alpine nation, putting the country closer to Anglo-Saxon trends than European ones when it comes to boys. The name is also a high ranker in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Noah, however, did not make top ten in France, Italy, Germany or Austria.
Next in line are Luca, Leon, Gabriel, David, Elias, Samuel, Matteo and Ben. While Biblical names are in evidence, you can’t name your child Judas or Cain in rules-rich Switzerland. Swiss authorities must approve all baby names and generally blocks names considered potentially harmful to the child’s well-being or offensive to a third party. Brand and places names are also out.
When it comes to girls, Emma has overtaken Mia and returned to first place. This choice brings Switzerland closer to its neighbours. Swiss Emmas have a high chance of bumping into a namemate in Germany or France, where Emma was the most recurring name in 2017, and even in Austria and Italy, where it was top ten.
Jetsetting Emmas are also likely to cross paths in Canada and the US but not Australia.
Third in line in Switzerland, after Mia, came Sofia, followed by Lina and Lena. The biggest comeback was staged by Lea who somersaulted from 18th to 6th place. Lara, Emilia, Nina and Ana round out the top ten. Overall, there have been no major shake ups in the top ten charts for baby girl and boy names in Switzerland. A shift towards shorter names, evident since 2008, has held.
The Federal Statistics Office on Monday published its annual list with the top 20 names for boys and girls in 2017. It also analyses naming trends by language region.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Several hundred people join anti-WEF protests in Switzerland
This content was published on
Several hundred opponents of the World Economic Forum gathered in Graubünden and in the capital Bern on Saturday to take aim in particular at the WEF's high-profile guests.
Swiss skiers nab top spots in iconic Lauberhorn race
This content was published on
Swiss skier Marco Odermatt has won the Lauberhorn downhill ski race in Wengen, Switzerland, for the third time, just ahead of compatriot Franjo von Allmen.
Switzerland’s neighbours are ‘not role models’ in fiscal policy, says finance minister
This content was published on
Swiss finance minister Karin Keller-Sutter defended the country's compliance with the debt brake at a meeting of her party, the Radical-Liberals, on Saturday.
Pope Francis praises Swiss Guards’ patience with pilgrims
This content was published on
During a private audience on Saturday, Pope Francis praised the Swiss Guards for their "great patience" with pilgrims who visit the Vatican.
Swiss designer Kevin Germanier to design outfits for Eurovision presenters
This content was published on
Designer Kevin Germanier will dress the team of presenters at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, which takes place in May in Basel.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter makes official visit to Austria
This content was published on
Karin Keller-Sutter, who took over the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has made her first official visit abroad as president to Austria.
This content was published on
The boss of Swiss Post, Roberto Cirillo, is stepping down at the end of March after six years in the job, the company announced on Friday.
This content was published on
The name and logo of the former Credit Suisse headquarters at Paradeplatz 8 in Zurich's financial centre were officially replaced by those of UBS on Friday.
Outgoing Swiss federal police chief warns of insufficient resources
This content was published on
The outgoing director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), Nicoletta della Valle, has warned that officers, prosecutors and investigators in Switzerland have insufficient resources to do their work.
Swiss university inaugurates Europe’s most powerful centrifuge
This content was published on
The federal technology institute ETH Zurich has inaugurated Europe's most powerful geotechnical centrifuge. Researchers use the instrument to simulate the effects of natural hazards.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Is adoption in Switzerland on its way out?
This content was published on
The boom days of adopting children from abroad are over – nowadays hardly anyone is adopting in Switzerland. There are several reasons.
This content was published on
For newborns in Switzerland, the names Mia and Noah are soaring in popularity. They’ll grow up with a lot of kids named Emma and Liam.
This content was published on
All three names have a connection with Sri Lanka, home of one of the calf’s grandmothers. Ruwani means “like a precious stone, highly valuable”. In a separate poll, almost two-thirds of swissinfo.ch readers went for Rishu. What do you think? Let us know.
This content was published on
Noah and Mia were the most popular names across Switzerland last year, according to the “First name hit parade 2015”, published by the Federal Statistical Office on Tuesday. Of the 44,650 Swiss boys who came into the world, 443 were called Noah, which has been the most common name since 2011, apart from in 2012…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.