In 2003, 4,036 babies were born of whom 92.0 per cent were born in a state hospital. Of these, 2,023 were boys, while 2,013 were girls. Between January and June 2004, 1,775 births were registered. Of these, 919 were male births. The parents of nearly nine per cent of the babies born in Gozo reside in Malta.

The name Nicole, which had topped the popularity rankings for girls' names since 2001, was replaced by Maria/Mariah in 2003 and also in the first six months of 2004. Last year, six per cent of the baby girls born were given these names, while five per cent of newborn boys were named Matthew or its variants.

In 2003, Julia/Giulia made appreciable inroads, while Sarah and Naomi dropped considerably in the rankings. Kimberley seems to be regaining some of its popularity, while a crop of "new" names – among them Elena, Chantelle, Chanise and Kaya – made an appearance among the 20 most popular girls' names. Names such as Naomi, Alessia and Elisa are also among the most popular 20.

In 2003 Jacob/Jake replaced Luke in the second place with 4.5 per cent of newborn boys being given this name. Michael/Miguel has been a popular boys' name since 2002, while Christopher seems to be regaining some lost ground. In the first six months of 2004, a number of "new" boys' names appeared to be gaining popularity – among these, Damian, Jaden, Jordan and Denzel.

Christian first names continue to be highly popular, with 56 per cent of total names between January and June 2004. Children given Arabic names increased by 3.0 per cent in 2003, dropping to 2.1 per cent in the subsequent six months. A wide spectrum of cultural influences in the shape of celebrities – characters in reality shows, pop singers and football players – is increasingly evident in name selection. These include names such as Cluivert, Ruud, Rooney, Anastasia, Shakira, Troy and Russlana.

There seems to be no gender divide regarding names such as Andrea, Lee, Nelly, Jamie and Sasha. In the period under review these were given to both sexes.