Sofia and Alexander Top the Lists of Bulgaria’s Most Popular Baby Names in 2025

In Bulgaria, Sofia and Alexander have emerged as the most popular names for newborn girls and boys in 2025, marking a shift in naming trends. For the first time in nine years, Sofia has overtaken Victoria as the preferred choice for girls. Among boys, Alexander retains the top spot.

National Statistical Institute data shows that the top three names for girls last year were Sofia, Maria, and Victoria, while boys were most commonly named Alexander, Georgi, and Kaloyan. Specifically, 472 girls were named Sofia, 460 Maria, and 445 Victoria. Among boys, 666 were named Alexander, 662 Georgi, and 577 Kaloyan.

Comparing trends over the past decade, in 2015 Victoria led the list for girls, followed by Maria and Nikola, with Alexandra, Raya, and Gabriela also among the top names. By 2025, the ten most common girls’ names are Sofia, Maria, Victoria, Raya, Nikol, Daria, Gabriela, Elena, Alexandra, and Michaela. For boys, the rankings have seen slight shifts, with Georgi and Alexander trading positions. The full top ten for 2025 includes Alexander, Georgi, Kaloyan, Martin, Teodor, Daniel, Nikola, Dimitar, Boris, and Samuil.

Among adults, the most frequent female names at the end of 2025 were Maria, Elena, and Ivanka, while men were most commonly named Georgi, Ivan, and Dimitar.

Name days remain a strong tradition in Bulgaria, with Psvetnitsa celebrated by the largest number of people - 77,496 men and 258,923 women. St. John’s Day follows, with 209,204 men and 117,937 women observing their personal holiday. Christmas ranks third, with 259,841 Bulgarians celebrating their name day.