‘Lethabo’ is South Africa’s favourite boy name for 2024
For the eighth consecutive year, ‘Dlamini’ retained its place as the most common baby surname in South Africa.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) recently released its recorded live births data for 2024, confirming a standout favourite name for parents welcoming sons into the world.
According to Stats SA, Lethabo is the most popular first name chosen for baby boys across South Africa.
The data, derived from the 863,858 births registered in South Africa during the 2024 period, shows that names reflecting positive hopes and beliefs continue to dominate parental choice, inspired by connotations of love and acceptance.
Top 10 Most Popular Boy Names for Male Babies in 2024
Here are the top 10 most popular forenames selected by mothers for boys born and registered in 2024, according to Stats SA:
| Rank | First Name | Number Registered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lethabo | 2 791 |
| 2 | Lubanzi | 1 907 |
| 3 | Nkazimulo | 1 808 |
| 4 | Nkanyezi | 1 691 |
| 5 | Langelihle | 1 555 |
| 6 | Lesedi | 1 519 |
| 7 | Lethokuhle | 1 508 |
| 8 | Siphosethu | 1 484 |
| 9 | Junior | 1 467 |
| 10 | Leano | 1 441 |
The name Lethabo, meaning “joy” or “happiness”, follow a unique trend: along with Nkanyezi and Lesedi, it was was popular enough to feature in the top 10 list for both sexes in 2024.
Most Popular Middle Names Chosen for Boys
When parents looked beyond the first name, the choices for male middle names were also carefully considered. The most popular choices for males were Junior, Blessing and Gift.
Here are the top 10 second forenames chosen for male babies in 2024:
| Rank | Second Name | Number Registered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Junior | 7 220 |
| 2 | Blessing | 3 785 |
| 3 | Gift | 2 584 |
| 4 | Prince | 1 819 |
| 5 | Jayden | 1 503 |
| 6 | Nkanyezi | 1 348 |
| 7 | Lubanzi | 1 298 |
| 8 | Lethabo | 1 225 |
| 9 | Nkazimulo | 1 177 |
| 10 | Siphosethu | 1 113 |
The report also noted that for the eighth consecutive year, Dlamini retained its place as the most common baby surname.