Lethabo and Onalerona SA's most popular boy's and girl's names

South Africans' strong familial and cultural ties are key when deciding the names of newborns.

Almost 1-million births were registered at home affairs offices in 2022, Stats SA says.

Of these, about 911,986 (91.3%) were births that occurred in 2022, with the rest being late registrations for births that occurred in previous years.

The three most popular first names for males were Lethabo, Lubanzi and Melokuhle.

Among females, the most prevalent first names were Onalerona, Melokuhle and Lisakhanya.

While Lethabo remains the most favoured boy’s name, ranking first in 2021 and 2022, Nkazimulo has taken its first steps to crack the top 10 from No 20.

Onalerona zoomed up the ranks from 27 in 2021 to first for a female baby's name in 2022.

Stats SA said: “When naming the newborn, parents often invest time and thought in selecting a name that carries sentimental meaning or pays homage to familial roots. Names may be chosen to honour ancestors, celebrate cultural heritage or express the parents’ hopes and dreams for their child’s future.”

The median age of mothers rose to 28.2 in 2022, marking the highest median age documented since 1999.

Nearly 70% of all births in 2022 were attributed to mothers aged 20-34.

KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of births among mothers aged 17 or younger, followed by the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.

The highest proportion of births occurred during March (9.2%), followed by January (8.9%).

Stats SA said registration of births within the legally mandated 30 days is a critical process, ensuring that every child is officially recognised and accounted for.

Birth registration is integral to establishing a person’s legal identity and facilitates access to essential services such as healthcare and education.

While there may be robust registration systems in place, challenges persist. Only 78% of births that occurred in 2022 were registered within the legal requirement of 30 days after birth.

Though registration within 30 days improved, 35.6% of mothers aged between 10 and 14 registered births a year or more later, Stats SA said.

Birth registrations are higher in the most populated provinces. The highest proportion of births were registered in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, at 23.2% and 22% respectively, followed by Limpopo at 12.4%. The provinces with lower birth registrations in 2022 were the Free State at 4.7% and the Northern Cape at 2.5%.

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