Nøvn
21. aug 2020
Maria & Anna and Jákup & Jógvan still the most popular names overall
Maria and Anna are followed by Annika, Marjun, Beinta and Katrin on the top 6 list of popular Faroese names in 2019 – the exact same order as in 2001.
But compared with the 2001 list, some names are jumping up the 2019 list. There were, for example, only 18 women by the name of Lea in 2001, compared to 81 last year. And 37 were called Eva in 2001, and now there are 112. Other women’s names significantly more common now than in 2001 are Sára, Ronja, Lív, Emma, Silja and Rebekka.
Far out in front on the men’s list are Jákup and Jógvan, just like 18 years ago. They are followed by Rúni, Bárður, Høgni, Martin and Magnus.
As on the women’s list, some new names are making big leaps up the new list. Jónas, for instance, occurred 27 times on the 2001 list, compared to 152 times on the 2019 list. Rókur went from 18 to 93, Benjamin from 44 to 115 and Dávid from 36 to 110. Aron, Brandur, Fríði and Pætur have also made big jumps up the list since 2001.
A notable change is that previously popular double names such as Anna Maria and Jákup Martin have dropped a long way down the list. The most popular double name for women, Anna Maria, is 30th on the 2019 list, while Hans Jacob, the most popular double name for men, is in 76th place.
About names
The above list covers first names of persons residing in the Faroe Islands on 1 January 2020. 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 named, the name list is updated after 1 July.