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By Victor Kaisar

New Baby Betting Odds

BCLC taking bets on top baby names of 2025

Jan 5, 2025 | 1:41 PM

KAMLOOPS — You’ve got a little less than four weeks to get your bets in on what you think B.C.’s most popular baby name in 2025 will be.

BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC) spokesperson Matt Lee says the betting favourites right now are Olivia at 3-to-1 odds followed by Noah and Oliver at 4-to-1 each.

“Olivia has been a perennial girl name in the province, but she’s got some challengers, I guess, with Emma, Sophia, and Charlotte right behind,” Lee said. “It seems like some of those classic names are rising the ranks in British Columbia.

“And then for the boys Noah and Oliver have been sort of head to head over the last several years but you’re seeing a lot of Liams, Theodores and even Jacks and Lucas over the years.”

According to BC Vital Statistics, the most popular baby name in 2024 was Oliver with 216 new babies bearing that name. Olivia (172) and Liam (166) were second and third, with Noah (163) and Theodore (151) rounding out the top-five.

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Emerson, the first baby born in B.C. in 2025, defied the betting odds when he was born at Royal Inland Hospital on Jan. 1. The Kamloops hospital had the 11th best odds (26-to-1) that it would welcome B.C.’s first baby of the year.

Some of the longer odds around baby names being offered by BCLC are Henry and Owen (15-to-1), and Benjamin (20-to-1) among boys names, while Chloe, Hazel, and Mila (14-to-1) and Lily (18-to-1) round out the girls names.

Alternatively, people can bet on any other name at 8-to-1 odds, which would payout $80 for every $10 bet.

Lee says while BCLC will stop taking bets after 8 a.m. on Jan. 31, don’t expect instant gratification.

“This is something that will be held for the full calendar year of 2025,” Lee said. “Once we have the information from BC Vital Statistics about what will be the most popular name, we will be settling those bets.”

“If you’re betting most popular name for 2025, you might get a little late Christmas present at the end of 2025 if you end up betting on the most popular name.”

You can view the latest odds and make your bets here.