iN NUMBERS: B.C. baby names over the last century

Some names are considered more modern than others. Have you ever met a grandfather named Zach? Or a baby named Mortimer?

The government has extensive records on everyone, and the plus side of that is we get to see which baby names were popular in B.C. for the past 100 years or so. 

Here are the numbers:

• 234: Babies were named Oliver in 2024, the most popular boy name in B.C.
• 195: Babies were named Olivia in 2024, the most popular girl name in B.C. Is there something going on with olives that we’re missing?
• 7: Out of the last eight years, Olivia was the most popular girl name in B.C.
• 299: Babies were named John in 1924, the most popular boy name that year.
• 207: Babies were named Mary in 1924, the most popular girl name that year. 
• 765: Babies were named Michael in 1970 in B.C.
• 10: Names in 1970 were given to more than 300 babies each. There was way less name diversity back then which is why you probably know a Michael or David.
• 89: Babies named Zorawar in 2024, the most popular name that started with Z.
• 4: Letters, Q, U, X and Z, weren’t at the start of any baby names in 1928.
• 4: To one are the odds BC Lottery Corporation gave gamblers on Oliver and Noah for bets on the most popular baby names of 2025. 
• 80: Dollars would be the payout if you put $10 down on a random baby name in the lottery corporation’s popular baby name bet.