20% of all babies born in France given Muslim first names in 2021

A Muslim woman carries her baby with face shield at a hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, April 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
By Kristýna Čtvrtlíková
2 Min Read

Twenty percent of babies born in France during 2021 were given a Muslim name, according to a new analysis of data released from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.

The French civil registry, a list published since 1900 of all the first names of children born in France, is reviewed by the Fdesouche news outlet every year.

The percentage of Muslim names for 2021 is actually the first decrease seen since 1996, with a loss of 0.30 points compared to 2020. Since 2000, the number of Muslim names given to newborns has grown an average of 0.7 percentage points per year.

[pp id=16366]

As Remix News previously reported, urban areas are seeing the fastest growth in demographic replacement, with non-Europeans rapidly displacing people of European origin. Ethnic statistics are not available in France, so researchers must look into factors like how many people are born with Muslim names to determine demographic trends. French authorities also publish how many people were born abroad along with their children (first- and second-generation immigrants).

The data for 2021 additionally shows that 738,000 babies were born in France, representing an increase from 2020 of 3,000. The slight rise ends a decline observed from 2015 to 2020. It is also worth noting that all children born in 2021 were conceived during coronavirus lockdowns.

Not all areas of the country saw an increase in births. For example, there was a decrease in births in certain regions where the rate of granting Muslim first names is high, especially in Paris and Alsace.

However, there is still a very high level of rare first names, defined as any name given to less than three newborns every year. Statistics indicate that Muslim first names make up an estimated one-third of rare first names, essentially spelling variations of first names or compound first names. If these names are included, then it is estimated that Muslims first names make up 25 percent of all births.

Share This Article