Those who wrote Olivia or Jacob on a birth registration this year were not alone. According to Nova Scotia's Registry of Vital Statistics, Olivia was the most popular name for girls in 2012 while Jacob held the top spot for boys' names.
Rounding out the top five names were Emma, Lily, Sophia and Ava for girls, and Ethan, Benjamin, Lucas and Owen for boys.
"I understand that John hasn't been number one for boys in Nova Scotia since 1970, so I was hoping it would make a comeback this year," said John MacDonell, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "In all seriousness, the provincial government extends congratulations to all families who welcomed babies this year, and wishes our newest Nova Scotians health, happiness and prosperity."
The most popular names have remained fairly consistent over the past few years with only a few new names on the list in 2012. New to the top 20 in 2012 are Leah, Avery, Sadie and Sarah for girls and Jackson, Wyatt and Isaac for boys.
There were 8,060 registered births in Nova Scotia in 2012.
