These siblings have come to terms with the fact that their first names are pretty popular among Ontario newborns

For siblings Olivia and Noah Marcotte, things can get pretty confusing when you have not just the most popular first names in the room, but also in the entire province - among newborns, that is.

That's right, for the 11th consecutive year, Olivia is the most popular baby name for girls, while Noah is in the top spot for baby boys for the second year in a row.

In the past, I didn't like (my name) because I know a lot of Olivias and when someone would call out my name, three Olivias would turn around and not know who they were talking to," said Olivia, 10. But I do like that it's easy for people to remember, pronounce and spell."

Her brother, Noah, just a few weeks shy of his 13th birthday, came up with a good way to figure out which Noah was which among his four friends with the same name.

We just call each other by our last names," he said. A lot of parents decide to name their children my name, so I think it's a good name."

Over the course of 2020, the year for which the most recent data is available, there were 762 newborns named Olivia in Ontario, according to the ministry of government and consumer Services. Charlotte and Emma held second and third place, respectively, for another year, followed by Amelia in fourth place and Sophia in fifth place.

Noah took the top spot for boys' names in 2020, with 785 babies with that moniker, followed once again in second place by Liam, with Benjamin moving up one spot from last year to third place, followed by Oliver and Jack in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Sebastian Skamski, director of communications for the minister of government and consumer services, noted that these numbers are considered preliminary until the registrar general's annual report for 2020 is finalized.

Gillian Marcotte, mother to Olivia and Noah, said she knew the names were common when she and her husband picked them, but didn't anticipate them becoming this popular.

When we landed on Olivia, my husband and I both agreed on that one ... we just were happy that we agreed on a name so we just went with that," she said. For Noah, it's just a name that's easily pronounced in both languages and that was important to us."

Olivia is derived from the Latin word oliva, meaning olive or olive tree.

Noah, which derives from a Hebrew word meaning rest," is historically associated with the servant of God in the Old Testament who builds an ark to preserve life from the great flood, according to the Collins dictionary.

When told that her name was once again the most popular baby name for girls for the 11th year in a row, former federal NDP MP and Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow recalled how her father, Wai Sun Chow, was inspired to name his daughter after the character of Olivia in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

He would have been really tickled pink to know that almost 65 years ago he had the foresight to pick a name for his daughter that became one of the most popular names," Chow said of her father, who died in January 2018. I wish people that have the name are committed to working for peace because the olive branch is about peace and this world needs a lot more peacemakers."

Top 10 Baby Names for 2020 in Ontario

Girls:

1. Olivia

2. Charlotte

3. Emma

4. Amelia

5. Sophia

6. Ava

7. Isla

8. Chloe

9. Evelyn

10. Mia

Boys:

1. Noah

2. Liam

3. Benjamin

4. Oliver

5. Jack

6. Lucas

7. Theodore

8. William

9. Ethan

10. Leo

Kenyon Wallace is a Toronto-based investigative reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @KenyonWallace or reach him via email: kwallace@thestar.ca