If Gabriel, Louis and other Maël retain their place in the hearts of new parents, other first names will establish themselves as the most trendy of the decade: some have experienced an increase of almost 2,200% over the last five years.
We know the timeless classics like Gabriel, Raphaël, Noah, Louis or Léo, which still remain the 5 most trendy first names in 2026 for boys. But while they are still so popular with new parents, these first names are not the ones that have seen the strongest growth in recent years. And if the craze for these unbeatable names – just like for the traditional Adam, Jules, Arthur, Léon or even Maël which close the Top 10 – is not about to run out of steam, it would seem that the attraction of novelty is pushing a whole new generation of first names to the forefront.
Far from the classics which remain more powerful in terms of volumes, these new first names are those which have skyrocketed the most in five years. After the Top 20 girls’ names, we have established a Top 20 boys’ names according to their percentage of change between 2019 and 2024, based on all those who have exceeded the symbolic milestone of 100 births in 2024 according to INSEE figures. And the least we can say is that some have experienced a meteoric rise: the three first names on the podium recorded stratospheric increases, ranging from 1,789% to nearly 2,186% in just five years.
At the top of the ranking, it is the first name Leyann which breaks all records with an explosion of +2,186% in its attributions: only 7 little boys had been named thus in 2019 throughout France, compared to 160 in 2024. The first name Sanad climbs onto the second step with a spectacular increase of +1,971%, going from 7 to 145 births, followed by the mythological power of Ares which completes this leading trio with a jump of +1,789%, going from 9 to 170 births. Just behind, the very modern Lyzio experienced growth of +969%, with 310 births in 2024.
These impressive increases demonstrate tomorrow’s trends among future parents. We notice in particular a surge of “Z” sounds, as impactful orally as they are graphic in writing. Zayan experienced a breakthrough of +251%, as did Lizio (+246%) or even Zeyd (+163%) and Zayd (+135%). A sign that this trend is taking hold on a large scale, the first name Zayn soars by +249% and now far exceeds the milestone of 1,000 annual births (1,045 in 2024, compared to only 299 five years earlier).
On the other hand, short, melodious sounds of Mediterranean inspiration continue to be a hit. In this line we find Isao (+233%), Pio (+163%) or Maho (+129%). But the most striking reflection is the success of Elio: with an increase of +147%, it is already establishing itself as a future national giant with its 2,265 births in 2024, closely imitated by its cousins Hélio (+128%) and Hélios (+98%). Finally, new parents are also looking for short and international forms, like Jude (+218%), Loën (+181%) or even Adriel (+125%) and Keylan (+122%).
The observation is clear: in the space of five years, previously marginal choices have conquered French maternity wards. For future parents lacking inspiration, this list proves to be a double-edged indicator. If you are looking for a trendy first name without drawing on the national Top 10, this pool of outsiders is ideal. But conversely, if your goal is absolute originality, be wary. These first names are advancing by leaps and bounds and could well invade playgrounds faster than we think. INSEE must also publish its complete assessment of the first names assigned in July, which will offer a broader vision of the place of these first names in the hearts of young parents in 2025.
