In short: Europe has no single "number one" girl name, but one name family dominates: Sofia and its local forms (Sophia, Sofía, Zofia) were the most popular girl name in Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland in the latest official data. In 2025, Emma was number one in Austria, Hana in Slovenia for the first time and Viktorie in Czechia for the first time. For 2027 we expect short names that work in many languages, such as Sofia, Emma, Mia and Emilia, to stay at the top.
By Eva Birsa, mum and co-founder of Evitas · Updated: 27 September 2026
Most popular baby girl 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 | Hana (182) | Mia (155) | Ema (154) | SURS |
| Croatia | 2025 | Nika | Mia | Rita | Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation |
| Italy | 2024 | Sofia | Aurora | Ginevra | ISTAT |
| Germany | 2025 | Sophia / Sofia | Emma | Emilia | GfdS (first names) |
| Austria | 2025 | Emma (559) | Emilia (552) | Marie (516) | Statistik Austria |
| Czechia | 2025 | Viktorie (1,193) | Eliška (1,125) | Sofie | Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) |
| Poland | 2nd half of 2025 | Zofia (4,415) | Zuzanna (3,881) | Maja (3,873) | Ministry of Digital Affairs (PESEL register) |
| Romania | 2025 | Eva-Maria (815) | Sofia-Maria (718) | Maria (654) | Population register data |
| France | 2025 | Louise | Jade | Ambre | INSEE |
| Spain | 2024 | Sofía (3,325) | Lucía (2,830) | Martina (2,364) | INE |
| England & Wales | 2025 | Olivia | Lily | Amelia | ONS |
In Czechia, Viktorie ended Eliška's 13-year run at the top. In Romania, double names with Maria dominate: Eva-Maria and Sofia-Maria are counted as separate names from Maria.
Pan-European girl 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:
- Sofia / Sophia / Sofía / Zofia / Sofie – 1st in Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland, 2nd in Romania (Sofia-Maria), 3rd in Czechia, 4th in Slovenia (Sofija) and 5th in Austria. From Greek, meaning "wisdom".
- Emma / Ema – 1st in Austria, 2nd in Germany, 3rd in Slovenia and 7th in France. A Germanic name, often interpreted as "whole" or "universal".
- Mia – 2nd in Slovenia and Croatia, 4th in Germany and Austria. Often explained as a short form of Maria.
- Emilia – 2nd in Austria, 3rd in Germany and 10th in Poland. From the Latin family name Aemilius.
- Hana / Hanna / Hannah – 1st in Slovenia, 5th in Poland and in the German top 10. Of Hebrew origin, often interpreted as "grace".
- Maria / Marie – 3rd in Austria (Marie) and in Romania (Maria), plus part of many Romanian double names.
- Olivia / Oliwia – 1st in England & Wales and 7th in Poland, often linked with the olive tree.
- Lucía / Lucija – 2nd in Spain and 4th in Croatia. From the Latin lux, "light".
- Laura – 4th in Poland and 9th in Austria, often linked with the laurel tree.
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:
- Sofia (in all its forms) – already number one in four countries and rising in Slovenia, where Sofija climbed from 8th to 4th place in one year.
- Hana – reached first place in Slovenia for the first time in 2025.
- Viktorie – the new number one in Czechia.
- Emilia – just 7 babies behind Emma in Austria and in the top 3 in Germany.
- Lily – 2nd in England & Wales, short and easy to pronounce in most languages.
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 Mia, Emma, Sofia or Laura 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 (Sofia, Sofija, Zofia, Sophie): each grandparent can use their own form.
- Say it out loud with the surname in both languages.
How to choose a baby girl 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 girls 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 woman too?
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular baby girl name in Europe?
There is no official Europe-wide ranking. Among the countries we compared, Sofia and its local forms were number one in Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland, and in the top 5 in Czechia, Slovenia and Austria.
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 girl names work well for bilingual families?
Short names found in many countries' rankings, such as Mia, Emma, Sofia, Laura or Hana, 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 boy names in Europe 2027 and gender-neutral baby names.
Sources
- SURS (Statistical Office of Slovenia), SiStat – Names of newborn girls
- 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
