For the first time, Muhammad has become the most popular name for boys in the United Kingdom, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for 2023.
The name Muhammad had been in the top 10 boy’s names since 2016, but it has now overtaken the previous favorite, Noah. Oliver holds the third spot in the rankings.
For girls, Olivia remains the most popular name for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Amelia and Isla in second and third place, respectively.
Each year, the ONS analyzes the latest data on baby names to identify the most and least popular names in the UK. The ranking is based on the exact spellings given when registering a birth, so names with different spellings are counted separately.
Previously, three variations of the Arabic name Muhammad had appeared in the top 100 most popular boys’ names in England and Wales. However, 2023 marks the first year that a single spelling of the name has topped the list. In 2023, 4,661 boys were named Muhammad, up from 4,177 in 2022. In comparison, Mohammed ranked 28th with 1,601 babies, and Muhammad was 68th with 835 births.
The data indicates that Muhammad was the most popular name for boys in four out of nine regions in England and ranked 63rd in Wales. Meanwhile, Olivia was the top girl’s name in five out of nine regions in England and the most popular in Wales. Olivia has been in the top three for girls’ names every year since 2006.
It is also worth noting that the popularity of royal names declined in 2023.
