‘Muhammad’ has become the most popular baby name for boys in England and Wales for the first time, new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.

The name has been among the top 10 names for baby boys since 2016, but has now overtaken the previous favorite, Noah. Oliver was third in the 2023 rankings for England and Wales.

For baby girls Olivia remained the most popular name for the eighth year in a row, with Amelia and Isla the second and third most popular.

Each year, the ONS analyses the latest baby name data, revealing the most popular – and unpopular – names in England and Wales. The rankings were created using the exact spellings of names given at birth registration, meaning similar names with different spellings were counted separately.

Three variant spellings of the Arabic name Muhammad made the list of the top 100 baby boys’ names in England and Wales in previous years, but this is the first year that just one spelling of the name has managed to top the list.

In 2023 there were 4,661 Muhammads born across England and Wales, up from 4,177 in 2022, while Mohammed came in 28th with 1,601 and Mohammad came 68th with 835.

The data shows that Muhammad was the most popular boys’ name in four out of nine regions in England and 63rd most popular in Wales. Meanwhile, Olivia was the most popular girls’ name in five out of nine regions in England and the most popular in Wales. It has been in the top three for girls’ names every year since 2006.

Information on baby names is collected separately by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. It reported in April that “Noah took the top spot for boys in 2023, after being in the top 3 since 2019. While Isla took the top spot for the girls, after Grace had previously held it for 5 years.”

National Records of Scotland reported earlier this year that in 2023 Luca became the most-chosen name for boys for the first time since records began in 1974, overtaking the 2022 leader, Noah. For baby girls, “Isla returned to first place again for the first time since 2021, overtaking Olivia, which has been the most popular name for girls in recent years.”

Speaking of England and Wales, the ONS’s Greg Ceely said, pop culture continued to influence name choices, with an increase in music artists’ names such as Billie, Lana, Miley and Rihanna for girls and Kendrick and Elton for boys. The summer blockbuster film Barbie, starring Margot Robbie, was also influential, with 215 more baby girls named Margot than in 2022, meaning the name ranked 44th out of the 100 most popular baby girl names.

But while pop culture seems to influence parents, the royal family seem to be having the opposite effect, with royal names falling in popularity in 2023. George ranked fourth with 3,494 babies being given the name – the first time George has fallen below 4,000 in nearly ten years. William came in 29th and Louis 45th for boys, and Charlotte ranked 23rd for girls.

The time of year also had an impact for baby girls, with Autumn and Summer increasing in popularity, particularly during their respective seasons; both names were in the top 100. In December the names Holly, Robyn and Joseph were more popular.

Other new entries into the top 100 in England and Wales included Hazel, Lilah, Nevaeh and Raya for girls, and Jax, Enzo and Bodhi for boys.

Source: The Guardian