Directorate-general Statistics and Economic information
Directorate-general Statistics and Economic information
07/04/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/04/2024 02:09
Marc and Maria are the most common first names in Belgium
The year 2023 marked the advent of the first name Marc as the new national leader, dethroning Jean. Once again this year, Marc remains number one, with 61,231 men bearing this name on 1 January 2024. Jean remains very close to first place with 59,366 people.
As in previous years, most of the names in the top 10 are still in constant decline. Seven of the most common first names experience a decrease in frequency, while the last three in the top 10 register an increase: Mohamed in 8th place with 37,002 occurrences (+784), David in 9th place with 36,253 occurrences (+124), and Thomas in 10th place with 34,946 occurrences (+23). However, the names in the top 10 remain the same as last year.
For women, Maria remains first: 104,494 women bear this first name, compared to 108,358 in 2023 (-3,864). The top 10 remains unchanged from last year, with the exception of Nathalie, which is the only first name to increase, taking over the third place from Martine.
Men, Belgium, all ages:
| Belgium | # | Evolution 2024/2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc | 61,231 | -792 |
| 2 | Jean | 59,366 | -2,090 |
| 3 | Patrick | 49,546 | -465 |
| 4 | Luc | 46,798 | -604 |
| 5 | Michel | 43,352 | -1,082 |
| 6 | Philippe | 40,309 | -513 |
| 7 | Jan | 38,766 | -575 |
| 8 | Mohamed | 37,002 | +784 |
| 9 | David | 36,253 | +124 |
| 10 | Thomas | 34,946 | +23 |
Women, Belgium, all ages:
| Belgium | # | Evolution 2024/2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maria | 104,494 | -3,864 |
| 2 | Marie | 86,356 | -2,163 |
| 3 | Nathalie | 39,786 | +102 |
| 4 | Martine | 39,543 | -354 |
| 5 | Monique | 36,651 | -940 |
| 6 | Anne | 36,232 | -449 |
| 7 | Rita | 33,337 | -366 |
| 8 | Nicole | 31,140 | -542 |
| 9 | Christine | 30,983 | -237 |
| 10 | Anna | 30,493 | -246 |