Is your baby’s name on the list? Noah and Grace lead NI’s 2025 rankings

Noah and Grace have been confirmed as the most popular baby names given to children registered in Northern Ireland in 2025, with fresh figures showing long-standing favourites holding firm while a wave of new and unusual names continues to emerge.

The latest Baby Names 2025 statistics, published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), reveal that Grace has retained the number one spot for girls, while Noah has climbed back to the top of the boys’ list.

The figures offer a snapshot of naming trends across Northern Ireland, highlighting both enduring classics and the growing diversity of names being chosen by parents.

Grace extends remarkable run at the top

For girls, Grace remained the most popular first name, with 127 babies registered under the name in 2025.

Its continued dominance marks another milestone in what has become one of Northern Ireland’s most consistent naming trends. Grace was also the top girls’ name in 2024 and previously held first place for five consecutive years from 2018 to 2022.

In an even stronger sign of its staying power, Grace has now appeared in the top three girls’ names for 20 consecutive years.

Close behind was Fiadh, with 105 babies, rising from third place in 2024 and maintaining its place in the top three since 2021.

Olivia ranked third with 101 babies, slipping from second place last year but continuing a strong run that has kept it in the top five since 2015.

The rest of the girls’ top 10 for 2025 was:

• Grace – 127

• Fiadh – 105

• Olivia – 101

• Isla – 97

• Lily – 96

• Emily – 94

• Annie – 91

• Aoife – 85

• Meabh – 81

• Freya – 78

There were also notable shifts within the top rankings. Annie re-entered the top 10, having only appeared there once before in 2022, while Meabh entered the top 10 for the first time.

Among the top 100 girls’ names, the sharpest rises in popularity between 2024 and 2025 were recorded for Lainey, Millie, Cassie, and Harper.

At the more distinctive end of the register, some of the less common names chosen for girls included Wynter, Zendaya, and Pixie.

Noah returns to number one for boys

For boys, Noah reclaimed the top position with 170 babies registered under the name in 2025.

The name first reached the top spot jointly in 2018 and previously returned to number one in 2023. It has now featured in the top three boys’ names for nine consecutive years, underlining its continued appeal across Northern Ireland.

Jack came second with 150 babies, extending one of the longest runs among boys’ names.

Jack has remained in the top four every year since 1998, including an impressive 12 consecutive years at number one from 2003 to 2014, before regaining first place again in 2021.

James returned to third place with 135 babies. It has remained in the top three since 2010 and has previously topped the chart from 2015 to 2020, as well as again in 2022 and 2024.

The full boys’ top 10 for 2025 was:

• Noah – 170

• Jack – 150

• James – 135

• Charlie – 123

• Leo – 115

• Oisin – 108

• Theo – 106

• Luca – 104

• Arthur – 101

• Jude – 101

This year also saw Arthur enter the boys’ top 10 for the first time since the series began in 1997, marking a notable shift in naming preferences.

Meanwhile, Leo re-entered the top 10 after previous appearances in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Among the boys’ top 100, the biggest climbers in popularity were Naoise, Conn, Reggie, and Micheal.

Some of the less common names registered included Ace, Bowie, and Phoenix, reflecting the increasingly wide range of naming choices across Northern Ireland.

Greater variety continues among girls’ names

As in previous years, the data shows a broader variety of girls’ names than boys’ names.

A total of 2,225 different girls’ names were registered in 2025, compared with 1,875 boys’ names.

The figures also reveal that birth registrations in 2025 included 966 baby names that had never been used before, a striking sign of how naming trends continue to evolve.

That mix of established favourites and brand-new choices points to a continued shift towards individuality, while names such as Grace, Noah, Jack and James remain deeply rooted in Northern Ireland’s naming landscape.

Most popular names by local council district

• Mid and East Antrim

• Antrim and Newtownabbey

• Causeway Coast and Glens

• Mid Ulster

How the figures were compiled

NISRA said the statistics are based on annual birth registration data and include all live births registered in Northern Ireland during 2025, including births to both resident and non-resident mothers.

The agency noted that the year of registration does not always match the year of birth. For example, some babies born in late December 2025 may not have been registered until early January 2026, while births occurring near the end of 2024 but registered in 2025 are included in this year’s analysis.

NISRA also confirmed that different spellings are treated as separate names, meaning variants such as Amelia and Amelija are counted individually.

Similarly, names containing accents are analysed without those accents, so Séan is recorded as Sean for statistical purposes.

The agency has also made the full data available through its interactive baby names dashboard, allowing users to search names by rank, number of babies, meaning, and origin.

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At a glance

• Noah was the most popular boys’ name in Northern Ireland in 2025

• Grace remained the most popular girls’ name

• 170 boys were named Noah

• 127 girls were named Grace

• Grace has been in the girls’ top three for 20 consecutive years

• Noah has been in the boys’ top three for nine consecutive years

• 966 names were registered for the first time in 2025

• 2,225 girls’ names and 1,875 boys’ names were recorded

• Arthur entered the boys’ top 10 for the first time

• Meabh entered the girls’ top 10 for the first time