Germany Divided

People & origins

Baby names East and West

Most popular first names given in 2025

In the East the most popular names in 2025 were Emilia and Mat(h)eo, in the West Sophia and Noah. Old-fashioned names are back in the East: Mathilda, Frieda, Oskar, Karl are top 10 there but far lower in the West. Only one name splits the country completely: Karl ranks 9th in the East and 39th in the West.

IdaNoahEmmaMohammedEmmaNoahSophiaMohammedSophiaNoahSophiaNoahSophiaNoahSophiaNoahSophiaFelixEmiliaLeoSophiaMohammedEmiliaTheoMathildaMatheoFriedaMatheoEmiliaMatheoEmmaMatheo
Top girl's name above, top boy's name below. Matheo stands for GfdS's merged group Mat(h)eo/Matt(h)eo.

Girls, top 10

  1. East
  2. 1 Emilia W 3
  3. 2 Emma W 2
  4. 3 Mathilda/Matilda W 14
  5. 4 Frieda/Frida W 15
  6. 5 Hanna/Hannah W 9
  7. 6 Ella W 6
  8. 7 Mia W 5
  9. 8 Sophia/Sofia W 1
  10. 9 Klara/Clara W 7
  11. 10 Ida W 11
  1. West
  2. 1 Sophia/Sofia E 8
  3. 2 Emma E 2
  4. 3 Emilia E 1
  5. 4 Lina E 15
  6. 5 Mia E 7
  7. 6 Ella E 6
  8. 7 Klara/Clara E 9
  9. 8 Mila E 13
  10. 9 Hanna/Hannah E 5
  11. 10 Lia/Liah E 11

Boys, top 10

  1. East
  2. 1 Mat(h)eo/Matt(h)eo W 2
  3. 2 Noah W 1
  4. 3 Emil W 9
  5. 4 Theo W 5
  6. 5 Oskar/Oscar W 20
  7. 6 Liam W 12
  8. 7 Henry/Henri W 11
  9. 8 Mohammed W 14
  10. 9 Karl/Carl W 39
  11. 10 Leon W 7
  1. West
  2. 1 Noah E 2
  3. 2 Mat(h)eo/Matt(h)eo E 1
  4. 3 Leo E 11
  5. 4 Paul E 19
  6. 5 Theo E 4
  7. 6 Elias E 15
  8. 7 Leon E 10
  9. 8 Luca/Luka E 12
  10. 9 Emil E 5
  11. 10 Felix E 22

Bold: at least 10 places lower in the other half. Small numbers: rank in the other half.

About the data

  • 749 registry offices, 831,298 name entries; GfdS says this covers almost 91% of all first names given in 2025.
  • Association statistics compiled from registry-office returns (not official statistics; Germany publishes none).
  • East and West as defined by GfdS: the new and the old federal states. GfdS does not say where it counts Berlin.
  • East/West top 10 parsed from the GfdS page; state #1 names transcribed from a GfdS map image.
  • "Matheo" on the state map stands for GfdS's merged group Mat(h)eo/Matt(h)eo.
  • In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Noah and Oskar share 3rd place among boys; this does not affect the #1 names.