McCrindle’s 2025 Australian Baby Names report reveals new trend
New data has identified a surprising baby name trend – revealing the “most popular moniker of the last century” has disappeared altogether.
A classic baby name that once topped the charts as the “most popular” is now so unpopular, it’s fallen out of national rankings altogether.
McCrindle’s 2025 Australian Baby Names report has revealed parents are turning their backs on “traditional” names, instead choosing shorter versions, and names featuring fewer syllables.
Michael, a boys name once dubbed one of the “most popular monikers of the past century”, has completely fallen out of fashion, according to the latest data.
Dropping 32 places from position 72 in the top 100, down to position 104, Michael has officially become one of the most unpopular baby names in recent times.
Charles, which came in at number 99 last year, has also become irrelevant after ranking in spot 121.
There were some once popular girls names that have also dropped off the annual list, including Thea, down 93 spots to position 188, and Quinn which fell from spot 91 to 111.
McCrindle said the decline in classic names comes as Australian parents shun long names in favour of shorter variations.
“After surveying different generations of parents and those planning to become parents across the nation, we found there is a preference for unique names over traditional ones,” the report states.
“This trend is being driven by younger generations, who are embracing unique names more than any generation before them.”
With a growing preference for unique names, there’s an increasing trend towards traditional names being modified through spelling changes and shortenings to create new variations.
“Nicknames are continuing to be used as fist names, with names like Leo (short for Leonardo), Billy (William), and Tommy (Thomas) emerging for boys, and there’s an even greater surge towards nicknames for girls such as Frankie (Frances), Elsie (Elisabeth), and Lottie (Charlotte),” Ashley Fell, Social researcher and McCrindle’s director of advisory, said.
What are the most popular names of the past year?
In news that will not shock anyone who follows the annual data, Oliver has been crowned the top baby boy name, for the 12th year in a row.
The other nine names on the list of top ten boys’ names have stayed relatively consistent, with only minimal movement among them.
These include Noah, which has remained in second position, as well as Theodore which has climbed two spots to come in third place and Henry, down one to place fourth.
However, the number one name for girls has swung back and forth between Charlotte and Isla in recent years, with Charlotte now back at number one.
This means Amelia has retained the second spot while Isla has dropped to position three.
Charlotte has been the top rated girls’ name for 10 of the 15 years that span Generation Alpha. This year, Lily and Ava exited the top 10 and have been replaced by Sophie, which is back for the first time since 2015, and Grace, which is back from 2022.
Most popular baby names of Generation Alpha
Now that the entirety of Generation Alpha has been born (2010-2024), we know that Oliver and Charlotte are the top names across the generation, McCrindle said.
There are 30,818 Gen Alphas with the name Oliver and 24,256 Gen Alphas with the name Charlotte.
Other names that have encountered similar growth in popularity across this generation include Arthur, Arlo, Muhammad, Harvey, Hudson, Archer and Austin for boys, and Luna, Maeve, Florence, Aria, Billie, Millie, Elsie, Daisy, Eleanor, Mila, Evelyn, Harper and Ellie for girls.
Introduction of middle name ranking in NSW
NSW marked a baby name first in 2025, releasing the top ten middle names for babies born over the last year.
While the data is only available in one state, McCrindle said that given that NSW accounts for around a third of all births in Australia, the list can be considered a “strong indicator” of middle name trends around the country.
The list, featured names like James, John, William, Michael, Robert, Rose, Grace, Mae, May and Jane shows that when it comes to middle names, parents tend to prefer traditional choices over trendy ones.
Names to watch out for in Gen Beta
With Generation Beta beginning to be born in 2025, McCrindle said it can now look at some of the fastest trending names that will likely take off among this generation.
It estimates that for girls, these include Millie, Maeve, Remi, Eden, Delilah, Eliana, Margot and Lottie.
While for boys, Beau, Theo, Ezra, Miles, Luke, Billy, Louie and Roman are predicted to be on the rise.
The new entrances into the top 100 also provide a glimpse into the naming preferences of new parents.
New names to the top 100 include Grayson, Isaiah and Finley for the boys and Elodie, Amara and Lainey with the girls.
Top 10 Australian baby names for boys
1: Oliver
2: Noah
3: Theodore
4: Henry
5: Luca
6: Leo
7: Hudson
8: Charlie
9: Jack
10: William
Top 10 Australian baby names for girls
1: Charlotte
2: Amelia
3: Isla
4: Olivia
5: Mia
6: Hazel
7: Harper
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8: Matilda
9: Sophie
10: Grace
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