Jennifer was BC's most popular girls' name every year from 1971 to 1985, peaking at 764 babies in 1984. In 2025, BC registered 7 baby Jennifers.
Jennifer was BC's most popular name for baby girls every year from 1971 to 1985. That 15-year run is the longest at number one for any girls' name in the province's data, which goes back to 1926. In 2025, seven BC baby girls were named Jennifer.
The peak was 1984, when 764 girls got the name.
The rise and fall of Jennifer
- 1971: Jennifer takes the top spot from Lisa, with 415 babies.
- 1984: the peak, 764 babies.
- 1986: Amanda takes over the top spot.
- 2000: 69 baby Jennifers.
- 2010: 21.
- 2025: 7.
The next-longest run at number one is Linda, 11 years in a row starting in 1946 (our count from the same file).
Who is on top now
Olivia was the top girls' name in BC in 2025, with 172 babies, ahead of Charlotte (158) and Sophia (145). Olivia has been number one every year since 2016, a 10-year run so far.
About the data
The BC Vital Statistics Agency lists every given name chosen five or more times in a year, from birth registrations, so rarer names do not appear. Each spelling is its own entry, so Jenifer or Jenny are counted separately from Jennifer. Rankings and streaks here are our counts from the agency's file.
