Once again this year, Maria and Marc are the most popular first names in Belgium. This is what emerged from the new figures of Statbel, the Belgian statistical office.

Iconic timeless first names

At the top of the male ranking, Marc, Jean and Patrick remain the most common first names in the population. With 60,354, 57,393 and 49,070 bearers respectively, these first names embody a generation born mainly in the 1950s to 1970s.

Men, Belgium, all ages

On the female side, Maria largely dominates with 100,634 women bearing this name, followed by Marie (84,181), Nathalie (39,620), Martine (39,206) and Anne (35,724).

Women, Belgium, all ages

Popularity varies with age

Looking at age groups, we see that a shift is taking place. Among those under 18, popular first names differ radically from those of previous generations. For young boys, Noah, Louis, Arthur and Lucas dominate the ranking. For girls, Emma, Louise, Olivia and Lina are in the lead.

In comparison, among those aged 65 and over, the most popular first names remain very traditional: Jean, Marc, Michel for men; Maria, Marie, Monique for women.

Unusual first names

Some citizens have unusual first names, sometimes inspired by public figures. For example, in Belgium there are 19 Beyoncés, 196 Rihannas, 570 Elvises, 26 Neymars, 7 Socrates and 6 Stars.