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Top 10 names for babies in Alberta in 2017

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From The Province of Alberta

Noah and Olivia top baby names in 2017

Noah has unseated Liam to claim the top name among baby boys in Alberta, while Olivia claims the top spot on the girls’ list for the fourth year in a row.

In 2017, Alberta welcomed 53,539 babies into the world – 27,599 boys, and 25,835 girls. Emma, Charlotte, Ava and Sophia remain popular choices for girls’ names, while Liam, Benjamin, Logan and Lucas round out the top five names for boys.

“Congratulations to all the parents who welcomed children in 2017. What I hear from Albertans is that as these children grow up, it’s so important that they have our constant support. From affordable child care and enhanced child and family benefits to school nutrition programs and lower school fees, we are making practical changes to help families and children thrive.”

Brian Malkinson, Minister of Service Alberta

In 2017, Service Alberta recorded 13,899 different baby names, with many reflecting names of characters found in popular movies and television shows, such as Tyrion, Daenerys, Kylo, Leia, Thor, Katniss and Eleven.

Some names appeared to reference mythology and literature, including Zeus, Persephone, Tolkien, Odyssey and Beowulf, while others seemed to be inspired by traits or feelings such as Charisma, Fancy, Liberty and Happiness.

Albertans can look up more than 95,000 names dating back to 1980 through the Alberta Baby Names App, available to download for free on iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Baby names statistics are recorded by the Vital Statistics branch of Service Alberta, and are based on the registration and notice of birth information. A complete list of names is available on the Open Government Portal.

  • Some notable changes in 2017 include:
    • With its top placement, Noah ends the four-year streak of Olivia as the top overall baby name in the province.
      It also ends the seven-year streak of Liam as the top boys’ name.
    • There are 12 names on the girls’ Top 10 list, as there were two sets of ties noted. Ava and Sophia tied for fourth place, while Aria and Chloe tied for ninth place.
    • 2017 topped 2016 for number of original names registered (13,899 compared to 13,782 last year).
  • 2015 continues to be the record-holding year in Alberta for number of babies born (56,744) and number of original baby names registered (13,965).

Alberta’s top baby boy names

(In brackets is the number of children with each name)

Place Boy Names (2017) Boy Names (2016 Boy Names (2015)
1 Noah (250) Liam (277) Liam (301)
2 Liam (244) Benjamin (252) Noah (256)
3 Benjamin (229) Lucas (247) Ethan (233)
4 Logan (226) Oliver (230) Benjamin (221)
5 Lucas (216) Noah (228) Lucas (218)
6 William (213) William (213) William (217)
7 Ethan (192) Ethan (205) Oliver (209)
8 Oliver (190) Jack (197) Mason (203)
9 Jack (189) Lincoln (192) Logan (196)
10 Jacob (178) Owen (189) Alexander (193)

Alberta’s top baby girl names

(In brackets is the number of children with each name)

Place Girl Names (2017) Girl Names (2016) Girl Names (2015)
1 Olivia (236) Olivia (292) Olivia (293)
2 Emma (215) Emma (249) Emma (275)
3 Charlotte (187) Sophia (215) Emily (252)
4 Ava (184)

Sophia (184)

Ava (207) Sophia (205)
5 Emily (159) Emily (187) Ava (201)
6 Abigail (154) Charlotte (180) Chloe (179)
7 Amelia (149) Amelia (172) Ella (167); Abigail (167)
8 Isabella (141) Abigail (171) Avery (155)
9 Aria (129)

Chloe (129)

Chloe (166) Amelia (142)
10 Lily (127) Aria (137) Charlotte (141)Top

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Alberta

Big win for Alberta and Canada: Statement from Premier Smith

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Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:

“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.

“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.

“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.

“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.

“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.

“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”

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Alberta

Energy sector will fuel Alberta economy and Canada’s exports for many years to come

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From the Fraser Institute

By Jock Finlayson

By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouse—within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canada’s oil and three-fifths of the country’s natural gas. Most of Canada’s oil reserves are in Alberta, along with a majority of natural gas reserves. Alberta is the beating heart of the Canadian energy economy. And energy, in turn, accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s international exports.

Consider some key facts about the province’s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) 2023 annual report. Oil and natural gas production continued to rise (on a volume basis) in 2023, on the heels of steady increases over the preceding half decade. However, the dollar value of Alberta’s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the province’s energy sector reached $30 billion in 2023, making it the leading driver of private-sector investment. And completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has opened new offshore export avenues for Canada’s oil industry and should boost Alberta’s energy production and exports going forward.

In a world striving to address climate change, Alberta’s hydrocarbon-heavy energy sector faces challenges. At some point, the world may start to consume less oil and, later, less natural gas (in absolute terms). But such “peak” consumption hasn’t arrived yet, nor does it appear imminent. While the demand for certain refined petroleum products is trending down in some advanced economies, particularly in Europe, we should take a broader global perspective when assessing energy demand and supply trends.

Looking at the worldwide picture, Goldman Sachs’ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that “oil usage will increase through 2034” thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principal feedstock. Global demand for natural gas (including LNG) will also continue to increase, particularly since natural gas is the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel and more of it is being traded in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for Alberta’s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy and climate policies adopted by the last government. According to the AER’s “base case” forecast, overall energy output will expand over the next 10 years. Oilsands output is projected to grow modestly; natural gas production will also rise, in part due to greater demand for Alberta’s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.

The AER’s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the province’s energy sector. The agency sees annual investment rising from almost $30 billion to $40 billion by 2033. Most of this takes place in the oil and gas industry, but “emerging” energy resources and projects aimed at climate mitigation are expected to represent a bigger slice of energy-related capital spending going forward.

Like many other oil and gas producing jurisdictions, Alberta must navigate the bumpy journey to a lower-carbon future. But the world is set to remain dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. This suggests the energy sector will continue to underpin not only the Alberta economy but also Canada’s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.

Jock Finlayson

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
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