Familiar names topped the lists of most popular baby names in Saskatchewan in 2018.
In a media release issued Tuesday, eHealth Saskatchewan listed the top 20 baby names in the province last year. Liam was the No. 1 name for baby boys for the ninth straight year, while Olivia topped the list for baby girls for the second year in a row.
There were 84 boys named Liam and 69 girls named Olivia born in Saskatchewan in 2018.
The second-most popular boys name was Oliver, at 61. The rest of the top 20 comprised Benjamin (59), Noah (58), Jacob (55), Lincoln (54), Jack (50), Logan (50), James (47), Hudson (46), Levi (46), William (45), Lucas (44), Ethan (42), Mason (42), Ryker (42), Elijah (40), Grayson (40), Alexander (39) and Emmett (39).
Ryker, Elijah and Emmett appeared in the top 20 for the first time since eHealth started reporting the list in 2008. Two girls names — Ellie and Ivy — also made their debuts in the top 20 in 2018.
The second name on the girls list was Emma, at 62. That was followed on the list by Harper (55), Ava (48), Sophia (47), Ella (45), Charlotte (43), Emily (40), Lily (40), Scarlett (40), Hannah (38), Abigail (37), Elizabeth (35), Ellie (35), Paisley (34), Avery (33), Grace (33), Hazel (31), Amelia (30) and Ivy (29).
According to eHealth, there were 15,364 live births in Saskatchewan in 2018, a decrease of 245 from the previous year.