In short: Europe has no single "number one" boy name, but a few names now top the charts in several countries at once. In 2025, Noah was the most popular boy name in Germany and Austria and came second in France and in England & Wales, while Luka led in Croatia and came second in Slovenia. For 2027 we expect short names that work in many languages, such as Noah, Leo, Luka, Matteo and Theo, to stay at the top.
By Eva Birsa, mum and co-founder of Evitas · Updated: 27 September 2026
Most popular baby boy names in Europe: top 3 by country
Each country publishes its own official statistics, at different times, so the latest available year is not the same everywhere. Where the official source publishes the number of babies, it is shown in brackets.
| Country | Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slovenia | 2025 | Mark (198) | Luka (194) | Filip (175) | SURS |
| Croatia | 2025 | Luka | Jakov | Toma | Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation |
| Italy | 2024 | Leonardo | Edoardo | Tommaso | ISTAT |
| Germany | 2025 | Noah | Matteo (incl. Mateo, Matheo, Mattheo) | Theo | GfdS (first names) |
| Austria | 2025 | Noah (674) | Paul (625) | Maximilian (607) | Statistik Austria |
| Czechia | 2025 | Jakub | Matyáš | Jan | Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) |
| Poland | 2nd half of 2025 | Nikodem (5,772) | Antoni (5,253) | Leon (5,079) | Ministry of Digital Affairs (PESEL register) |
| Romania | 2025 | Matei (627) | David (492) | Andrei (436) | Population register data |
| France | 2025 | Gabriel | Noah | Léo | INSEE |
| Spain | 2024 | Mateo (3,289) | Hugo (2,734) | Martín (2,693) | INE |
| England & Wales | 2025 | Muhammad | Noah | Leo | ONS |
In Czechia, Jakub kept first place for the 15th year in a row, but only just ahead of Matyáš. In France, Noah jumped from 5th to 2nd place in a single year.
Pan-European boy names: popular in several countries at once
These names (or their local spellings) appear in the top 10 of several of the official lists above:
- Noah – 1st in Germany and Austria, 2nd in France and in England & Wales. A Hebrew name, often interpreted as "rest" or "comfort".
- Luka / Luca – 1st in Croatia, 2nd in Slovenia, 4th in England & Wales, 5th in Romania and in the German top 10. From the Latin Lucas, often linked with "light".
- Leo / Léo / Leon – Leo is 3rd in France and in England & Wales, 4th in Germany and 7th in Austria; Leon is 3rd in Poland. From the Latin and Greek word for "lion".
- Matteo / Mateo / Matei – 1st in Spain (Mateo) and Romania (Matei), 2nd in Germany. A form of Matthew, often interpreted as "gift of God".
- Jakob / Jakov / Jakub – 1st in Czechia, 2nd in Croatia, 4th in Slovenia, 5th in Austria and 9th in Poland. A classic biblical name with a local form in almost every language.
- Elias – 4th in Austria and 7th in Germany. The Greek form of the Hebrew Elijah.
- David – 2nd in Romania and 4th in Croatia; spelled the same across most of Europe.
- Oliver – 5th in Slovenia and 6th in England & Wales, often linked with the olive tree, a symbol of peace.
Names on the rise: our forecast for 2027
This is a forecast, not official data. Based on how the rankings have moved recently, we expect these names to be especially popular with parents in 2027:
- Noah – already number one in the German-speaking countries and climbing fast in France.
- Theo – 3rd in Germany, where the GfdS highlights it as one of the biggest climbers; Theodore is in the top 10 in England & Wales.
- Leo – in the top 10 in four of the countries above, short and easy to pronounce everywhere.
- Oliver – rose from 7th to 5th place in Slovenia in one year.
- Matyáš – only just behind Jakub in Czechia and a strong candidate for first place.
How to choose a name that works in several languages
More and more families speak two or more languages at home, or plan to live abroad. Some tips:
- Choose names with simple sounds. Names like Leo, Noah, Luka or David are pronounced almost the same in most European languages.
- Watch out for special letters. Letters such as č, š, ł, ö or é can get lost on forms and in email addresses abroad.
- Check the meaning in every language your family uses, so the name does not sound odd or funny in one of them.
- Consider a name with local variants (Jakob, Jakov, Jakub, Jacob): each grandparent can use their own form.
- Say it out loud with the surname in both languages.
How to choose a baby boy name: 5 questions
- How does it sound with the surname? Say the full name out loud and check the initials.
- How common is it? If you don't want several children with the same name in one class, check your country's official ranking.
- What does it mean? For many parents, the meaning is an important part of the story.
- Is it easy to spell and pronounce at home and abroad?
- Will it suit a grown man too?
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular baby boy name in Europe?
There is no official Europe-wide ranking. Among the countries we compared, Noah topped the 2025 lists in Germany and Austria and came second in France and in England & Wales, while Luka was first in Croatia and second in Slovenia.
Why are the data years different for each country?
Each national statistics office or register publishes its own list, at different times of the year. For Italy and Spain the latest published data are for 2024, and Poland publishes its rankings for each half of the year.
How long do parents have to register a baby's name?
It depends on the country. In Slovenia, parents must register the name within 30 days of birth; in England & Wales, the birth must be registered within 42 days; in France, the birth must be declared within 5 days; and in Germany, it must be reported to the register office (Standesamt) within one week.
Which boy names work well for bilingual families?
Short names found in many countries' rankings, such as Leo, Noah, Luka, David or Elias, are pronounced similarly across Europe and are easy to spell.
Before your baby arrives
Once you have chosen the name, you can make it last on personalised name gifts. Also read our guides to the most popular baby girl names in Europe 2027 and gender-neutral baby names.
Sources
- SURS (Statistical Office of Slovenia), SiStat – Names of newborn boys
- tportal.hr – Official list of the most popular children's names in Croatia 2025
- Sky TG24 – Most chosen baby names in Italy in 2024 (ISTAT data)
- GfdS – The most popular first names 2025 (Germany)
- Statistik Austria – Emma and Noah were the most popular baby names in 2025
- Czech Statistical Office – Most popular children's names 2025
- Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs – Most popular names, second half of 2025
- Știrile ProTV – Top baby names in Romania 2025 (population register data)
- Yahoo Actualités – Top 10 first names in France 2025 (INSEE data)
- INE – Most frequent names of newborns in Spain 2024
- ONS – Live births and baby names, England and Wales
- Isle of Wight Radio – Olivia and Muhammad remain the favourite baby names in 2025 (ONS data)
- GOV.UK – Register a birth
- Service-Public.fr – Déclaration de naissance
- German Civil Status Act (PStG), § 18 – Registration of births
