Noah has been a fixture at the top of the Dutch boys’ list since 2019. In 2025, 883 boys received the name—enough for a seventh consecutive year at number one, though 39 fewer than in 2024.
Behind Noah, Liam moved from fourth to second, with 723 boys given the name. Luca slipped from second to third. The three are familiar beyond the Netherlands too, but look a little further down and you’ll find Sem and Mees, two short names with a distinctly Dutch feel.
As of November 2026, the latest full-year list comes from the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), the Dutch social insurance bank. It ranks names given to boys in the Netherlands, whether or not the names themselves have Dutch origins.
The Dutch top ten for boys
Here are the SVB’s 2025 rankings and the number of boys given each name. The SVB counts different spellings separately.
| Rank | Name | Boys named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | 883 |
| 2 | Liam | 723 |
| 3 | Luca | 702 |
| 4 | Sem | 674 |
| 5 | Mees | 664 |
| 6 | James | 652 |
| 7 | Lucas | 625 |
| 8 | Sam | 605 |
| 9 | Finn | 595 |
| 10 | Levi | 588 |
James climbed from ninth to sixth, and Finn entered the top ten at number nine. Luca and Lucas both made the list, at third and seventh respectively.
A different favorite in each province
Noah may have led nationally, but it wasn’t first everywhere. Sem topped the boys’ lists in Groningen and Drenthe; Luca led in Utrecht, and James in North Holland. In Friesland, the favorite was Hidde—a name that didn’t appear in the national top ten. The SVB’s announcement has the provincial leaders.
For its annual list, the SVB uses child-benefit records. To protect privacy, it publishes a name only if it was given at least ten times.
Noah, Liam and Luca
Noah is a Hebrew name associated with rest or comfort. It’s a biblical name with a long history, but in the Netherlands it’s also been the name to beat for seven years.
Liam began as an Irish short form of William, a name associated with protection and resolve. Its rise to second place came with 63 more boys given the name than in 2024.
Luca is used in several languages and is related to the Latin name Lucas. It’s often associated with light, though its deeper origin is debated. It topped the boys’ list in Utrecht in 2025.
Watch our short video about the three names:
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See also: Popular Girl Names in the Netherlands: 2026 Guide.
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