First names often reflect a country’s cultural and societal trends. Whether classic, modern, or unique – choosing a baby name is always a deeply personal decision. At CharliesNames, we support expecting parents in finding the perfect name by continuously collecting and analyzing data on the most popular names.
In this article, we’ll give you a look behind the scenes at the method behind our top name lists – for anyone who wants to use or understand our statistics: website visitors as well as editors.
How is the data collected?
Since the launch of our baby name app in 2015, we’ve been collecting data 24/7 based on how parents using CharliesNames rate names. These ratings are done by swiping: a thumbs up means “I like it,” a heart marks a “favorite,” and a thumbs down means the name isn’t appealing.
To date, more than 2.3 billion name ratings have been collected worldwide – giving us a solid foundation for identifying name popularity across different countries.
Our data sources and sample size
Our name statistics are based on primary data collected from user ratings within our app. We include data from 13 countries – including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In Germany, 825,744 parents have used our app (as of November 2024). When adjusted for “duplicate parents,” that represents 7.31% of all births over the past ten years.
That means: CharliesNames played a role in the name search for every 14th child born in Germany – a powerful number that makes our data highly representative.
Methodology: How data collection works at CharliesNames
Users rate names anonymously right on their smartphones. These ratings are anonymized and then analyzed – forming the basis of our name charts.
To avoid bias, we only include names that have been rated at least 150 times. This ensures quality and reliability – so newly added names don’t have an outsized impact.
Different spellings of the same name are treated separately. For example, “Emilia” and “Émilia” appear as distinct entries in the rankings. Unisex names are also treated independently so they aren’t incorrectly assigned to boy or girl lists.
Regional and demographic differences
For every country where the app is widely used, we create dedicated name statistics. The country code from each smartphone tells us where a rating comes from – allowing us to detect local trends and patterns.
Since nearly everyone owns a smartphone – regardless of age, income, or other demographics – our user base is incredibly diverse and broad.
Data privacy and ethics
Data privacy is one of our top priorities when it comes to collecting data. All data is fully anonymized and processed in accordance with GDPR. We don’t collect any personal information like names or birthdates of parents. Only the name ratings are used in our analysis – keeping your privacy protected at all times.
What makes our data unique?
One big advantage of our data collection: parents often rate names months before their baby is born. That means we can identify trends early and predict which names are likely to be popular in the upcoming year.
While official statistics are usually based on birth records and released later, our data offers a real-time look into the future of baby naming.
Publication and accessibility
We regularly publish our analyzed data on CharliesNames. There, parents and journalists alike can find the latest name trends.
For editors reporting on baby names, our statistics offer a reliable and inspiring source.
Limitations and potential bias
Even with such a large dataset, there are some limitations: we don’t evaluate birth records – so our results may differ from official statistics. And because most ratings come from app users, some audience groups might be underrepresented.
Still, our data offers a unique perspective on name choice – often long before birth.
Conclusion
With over 2.3 billion name ratings and involvement in 7.31% of all births in Germany, CharliesNames is one of the most reliable sources for baby name trends worldwide.
Our anonymously collected data provides valuable insights into popular names and emerging trends across different countries. Have fun exploring our name statistics!
Contact
Do you have questions about how we collect data or need more info for a story? Feel free to reach out – we appreciate every mention. You’ll find more details on our press page.
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Last updated: 6/8/2025
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