Sophia, Henry top baby names in 2024 in Sask.
CBC
The baby name Henry climbed the charts in Saskatchewan in 2024, and the name Sophia jumped slightly compared to the year before, both landing as the top baby names.
Forty-nine babies in the province were named Henry between the start of the year and Dec. 7, 2024.
For girls, the name Sophia reigned supreme in the most recent data, with 44 baby girls being given that name.
Henry was one of a few surprises when it comes to the most popular boy names in the province, rising from 16th place last year to first place in the most recent data.
Saskatoon's MacKenzie and David Martell named their son Henry when he was born on Jan. 22, 2024.
For them, it was a simple decision made two years before MacKenzie had gotten pregnant — and before it had risen in popularity.
"We knew we wanted a classic name and so we were just kind of running down, brainstorming and Henry popped up and we both really liked it. And we just went with it," MacKenzie said.
MacKenzie wasn't surprised to find Henry had become the top boys name, noting that he already met two other baby Henrys.
The popularity of the name Sophia did come as a surprise to Caiti Feraro in Saskatoon, who gave birth to her daughter Sophia on Aug. 11, 2024.
She and her husband came up with the name because it was common in both her Irish culture, and her husband's Filipino culture.
"We both kind of thought, 'OK, it's not super unique, but it's kind of an older name so it won't be super common.' And so now to find out that it is the most common name of 2024, I'm very surprised. I mean, we're not mad or happy or anything. Just, hopefully she doesn't have like three of them in her class growing up," Feraro said.
Also notable was the rise in popularity of the name Muhammed, which was in 20th place in 2023, and is now in tied for 10th place in the most recent data.
Aqeel Wahab's family is Sri Lankan Muslim — he, his father and his son's first names are Muhammed, after the Muslim prophet Muhammed, but in their culture they go by their middle names.
"Muslims believe that a name is really important, that if you give someone a beautiful name, that you hope that they embody that name in the future. That's the hope. And the name Muhammed means 'the most praised one,'" he said.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: CBC News commissioned this public opinion research to be conducted immediately following the federal election and leading into the second anniversary of the United Conservative Party's provincial election win in May 2023.