Names
02. Sep 2024
Elias – the most popular name for boys born in 2023
Eleven boys were named Elias in 2023, making this the most popular boys’ name that year. In a close second came Brandur, with ten. It usually takes more than five instances for a name to top the list of popular baby names. Elias and Brandur were thus highly popular names last year.
Other popular baby boy names born in 2023 were Liam, Nóa, Martin and Jákup. Four of the boys born last year have not yet been given a name.
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Elias has become a regular feature near the top on the list of popular baby boy names in recent years, having topped the list three times. Since 1985, 90 boys have been named Elias. By the end of 2023, 104 men by the name of Elias resided in the Faroe Islands.
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The second-most popular name, Brandur, has also been popular over the past 20 years. Brandur topped the list in 2022. Ten boys were named Brandur in 2023 and five in 2022 and 2020. A total of 124 boys have been named Brandur since 1985.
The names Liam and Nóa have been gaining popularity in recent years, with eight instances each in 2023. Prior to 2005, no boy had been named Nóa, and prior to 2010, no boy had been named Liam.
Many new boys’ names have entered the list since 1985. Some of the most common of these are Silas, Nóa, Jónatan, Liam and Bragi. The name Grettir made its first appearance on the list in 2023.
A total of 312 boys were born in 2023. About 60% of them were given names that were unique for that year.
Read more on the names theme page or try our name search function.
About names
The above list covers first names of persons residing in the Faroe Islands on 1 January. All names are listed in accordance with the national register. Double first names, e.g. Hans Petur or Anna Maria, are listed as a single name.
As it can take up to six months before a child is officially named, the name list is updated after 1 July.
Name statistics are available back to 1985.