Muhammad displaces Noah as England’s most popular baby boy name
Muhammad has become the most popular name for baby boys in England and Wales in 2023, with over 4,600 newborns registered with the name, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
It marks a significant shift as the name overtook Noah, the previous favorite, which had held the top spot in recent years.
Despite this milestone, there were regional variations, with Muhammad not appearing in the top 10 for three regions of England.
The ONS treats each spelling of the name as a separate entry, with variations such as Mohammed and Mohammad also ranking in the top 100. Different spellings of Muhammad have consistently demonstrated strong popularity in past years.
For baby girls, Olivia remained the most popular name, followed by Amelia and Isla, a consistent trend since 2022. Parents increasingly opted for hyphenated names for girls, with more than 19,140 registrations in 2023, compared to approximately 12,330 the previous year.
Names influenced by pop culture also gained traction. The ONS highlighted names inspired by artists like Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, and Elton John, as well as characters such as Wednesday from the Netflix series of the same name.
Days of the week like Sunday and Wednesday saw an uptick in popularity, with the latter likely linked to the show’s late-2022 release. Seasonal names remained a source of inspiration, with Autumn ranking 96th and Summer climbing to 86th, though the latter has fallen significantly compared to a decade ago.
New entries to the top 100 names for girls included Lilah, Raya, and Hazel, while Jax, Enzo, and Bodhi were among the new additions for boys.
Royal names experienced a decline, continuing an ongoing trend. Names such as George, Archie, Harry, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Charles saw fewer registrations in 2023.
The ONS noted that cultural trends, including music and film, continue to shape baby name choices. However, the release date for 2024’s most popular names has not yet been confirmed.
