Viktorie Becomes Most Popular Girls’ Name in the Czech Republic for the First Time – Jakub Narrowly Retains Top Spot

The choice of first names in the Czech Republic is becoming increasingly diverse. While Viktorie reached the top spot among girls for the first time, Jakub only narrowly remained in first place among boys.

In the Czech Republic, Viktorie (Victoria) was for the first time the most popular girls’ name for newborns in 2025. After 13 years, Viktorie replaced the previous leader Eliška. Among boys, Jakub once again defended his leading position – although only with a narrow lead over Matyáš. Jakub was therefore the most commonly chosen boys’ name for the 15th consecutive year.

According to the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), a total of 1,193 girls named Viktorie were born in 2025, while 1,125 newborns received the name Eliška. Among boys, Jakub was ahead of Matyáš by just 18 births. Jan and Sofie once again ranked third.

“The popularity of the following seven girls’ and boys’ names also remained unchanged compared to 2024,” said Marek Rojíček, Chairman of the Czech Statistical Office.

By contrast, the popularity of the long-established names Tomáš and Tereza declined. Both fell in the rankings to twelfth and eleventh place respectively. Oliver and Rozálie, meanwhile, entered the top ten. Oliver recorded a particularly strong rise, climbing five places within a single year.

There were also changes within the top 20. The names Jonáš and Valerie entered the rankings, replacing Martina and Stella. The popularity of the names Lara, Sofia, Matteo and Theodor increased particularly strongly over the past three years.

The statistics show that the variety of names in Prague is significantly greater than in the rest of the country

Regional differences also remain clearly visible. Viktorie and Jakub each ranked first in half of the country’s regions and were especially popular in the eastern part of the country. Prague once again stood out as an exception. In the capital, Sofie was the most popular girls’ name, while Adam and Matyáš shared first place among boys.

The statistics also show that the variety of names in Prague is significantly greater than in the rest of the country. The three most common names accounted for only seven per cent of boys and six per cent of girls there.

In the long term, Jan and Jana have remained the most successful first names in the Czech Republic since 1950. According to the ČSÚ, only five names have occupied the top position among boys since the middle of the 20th century, while trends among girls have changed far more frequently.

“Today, there is a clear trend towards greater diversity for both genders. The days when more than ten per cent of a generation shared the same most popular name are definitively over,” said Marek Rojíček.