Name Day Celebrants: Līga and Jānis Becoming Less Common
Data from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs shows that on June 23, 9,525 Līgas celebrate their name day, and on June 24, 43,171 Jānis will. Both names are in decline.
According to data from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), at the beginning of this year, Latvia had one resident named Līgo, one named Līgons, and two named Līgotņi.
Today, June 23, 9,525 Līgas celebrate their name day, a decrease of 54 from the start of the year (9,579). Tomorrow, June 24, 43,171 Jānis will celebrate, which is 922 fewer than last year.
PMLP data reveals a consistent decline in the popularity of both names over the past two decades. In 2025, there were 44,093 Jānis and 9,579 Līgas in Latvia; in 2024 – 44,994 Jānis and 10,314 Līgas; in 2022 – 47,185 Jānis and 9,820 Līgas; in 2021 – 48,311 Jānis and 9,871 Līgas. The decrease is even more pronounced compared to 2018 (51,549 Jānis and 10,012 Līgas), 2013 (57,235 Jānis and 10,501 Līgas), 2009 (61,758 Jānis and 10,806 Līgas), and 2004 (67,244 Jānis and 10,672 Līgas).
