Baby Names & Parental Income: The Canadian Data

Methodology & Sources

Name Data

Top names by gender from Statistics Canada birth registration data, 2023.

Income Scores (1–100)

Evidence-based ordinal scores derived from:

• Statistics Canada Survey of Consumer Finances — income distribution by demographic group.
• Vanier Institute of the Family — Canadian naming trend research and socioeconomic context.
• Comparable methodology to our US study (Census ACS weighting) applied to Canadian demographic income data.

Limitations

• Scores are ordinal estimates; Quebec French-language birth patterns are not separately modelled.
• Immigration-driven demographic shifts mean name–income associations change faster in Canada than in comparable countries.

Data enquiries: press@media.primespotpr.com

Name Database

Name origin, meaning, and cross-country frequency data sourced from babynames.help — the largest open baby-name database covering 190,000+ names across 40 countries (April 2026).

Story Angles for Journalists

This dataset is free to use with attribution to babynames.help. Press enquiries: press@media.primespotpr.com

Does Canada's Multicultural Identity Show Up in Names?

Canada prides itself on multiculturalism — but do the income patterns for diverse-origin names look different here than in the US or UK? This data offers a starting point for that comparison.

The Vancouver vs. Toronto Name Gap

National Statistics Canada data masks enormous regional variation. Names trending in Vancouver's tech-wealthy communities differ from those in Toronto's diverse east end. A city-by-city breakdown would reveal whether income-name correlation is a national story or a local one.

Immigration and the Naming Premium

First-generation Canadian families often maintain naming traditions from origin countries. How do those names correlate with economic outcomes — and does that correlation shift by generation?

Quebec: A Naming Culture Apart

French-Canadian naming patterns diverge sharply from English Canada. Are the income-name correlations weaker or stronger in Quebec, where cultural identity plays a stronger role in name choice?

The Housing Market Name

In cities where a detached home costs $1.5M+, what names are new homeowners giving their children? The intersection of Canada's housing crisis and naming culture is unexplored territory.