Hockey player Eric Lindros may have been the inspiration for one Alberta baby's name.Hockey player Eric Lindros may have been the inspiration for one Alberta baby's name. (CBC)

Olivia and Ethan held the top spots on Alberta's most popular baby names list, as the province experienced yet another year of record-breaking births in 2009.

Alberta made way for 51,443 babies last year, an increase of 38 percent from the number of births in 2000.

The list of most popular names in 2009 looks much like the previous year's, with Ethan, Liam and Jacob topping the list for boys and Olivia, Isabella and Ava taking the top spots among baby girls.

Ethan has been the most popular boy's name for nine straight years in Alberta. Olivia tied with Ava as the top name in 2008.

Each year, Alberta's vital statistics branch also takes note of unusual names.

Names with a Hollywood connection included Ledger, Sigourney and Sutherland.

And one baby — Ericlindross — may have been named after a hockey star. Eric Lindros played for the Dallas Stars and the Toronto Maple Leafs before his retirement in 2007.

Parents chose some unusual names last year, including Argyll, Bison, Boss, Chaos, Cherubim, Dice, Helix, Kal-El, Lightning, Morpheous, Mystery, Thunder and Whip for boys.

Unusual names for girls included Albertarose, Amazyn, Comfort, Epic, Fury, Fyre, Halleluya, Infiniti, Mischiefs, Mystique, Peanut, Twinkle, Victory and Whysper.

Names possibly inspired by literature, mythology, astrology or history include Aragorn, Archimedes, Cyrano, Draco, Michelangelo, Neptune and Voltaire for boys. Girls' names included Calliope, Cinderella, Gemini, Hermione, Pandora, Perseus, Phantasia and Virgo.