For years, the names Juan and José were given to many babies born in Catalonia, hence the popular saying "There are Juans, Josés, and donkeys in every house." But in recent decades, this trend has reversed. In the case of Josep, after a boom in the 1950s and 60s, when more than 15,000 babies were given this name, its popularity plummeted from the 2000s onward: from 2010 to 2019, only 602 babies were named Josep, and between 2010 and 2019, only 109.

The peak in the number of children named Antoni occurred during the 1960s. Since then, its popularity has plummeted, with fewer and fewer families choosing this name. In fact, only 28 children born between 2020 and 2023 bear this name. According to Francesc Calafell, a researcher at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), this decline can be seen as part of "the natural cycle of names." "This has always happened; names have their cycles, but while the cycle used to last for centuries, now we're talking about decades," says Calafell. He adds that if a name becomes "associated with grandparents—with the exception of people who specifically choose it—it doesn't usually become trendy." However, the average age of those named Antonis is 50.7 years, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

On November 16, 2003, Leo Messi made his Barça first-team debut at just 16 years old, and in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or. Immediately after, between 2010 and 2019, the name Leo skyrocketed among babies born in Catalonia. Last year, it was the seventh most popular name, although by 2022 it had risen to second. Until 2000, there were only 38 children named Leo in Catalonia, but now there are 5,849, 64% of whom were born between 2010 and 2019. The average age of boys named Leo across the country is 6.7 years, according to data from the INE (National Institute of Statistics and Census). "It's a name clearly linked to the Leo Messi phenomenon; the children's ages indicate this," says Francesc Calafell, a researcher at the CSIC-UPF Institute of Evolutionary Biology. "It's still early, but perhaps we'll also see a surge in Alexias and Aitanas," he adds.

There is names clearly associated with the territory, such as Tura in Olot, Gil in Osona, Vinyet in Sitges, and Mercè in Barcelona. But is Mercè really a popular name in the city—with Eulalia's permission—that is the patron saint? If we look at the statistics, we could say that the Mercè festivities are more popular than the name itself.