The name Muhammad has claimed the top spot for newborn boys in England and Wales yet again. This marks the third consecutive year the name has led the annual rankings.
Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that nearly 6,000 baby boys received the name in 2025. This impressive total places it almost 2,000 births ahead of the second most popular choice.
Top Baby Names Charting in the Rankings
The official data reveals steady trends at the very top of the charts. For instance, Noah retained second place for the third year in a row. Meanwhile, Leo and Luca climbed up the ranks to take third and fourth places, respectively.
The ONS report also highlighted that other variations of the top name remain highly favored. Specifically, Mohammed ranked 20th on the list, while Mohammad secured the 55th position.
Together, these alternative spellings were given to around 2,600 additional baby boys. However, the ONS explicitly tracks each spelling as a separate entry rather than combining the totals.
Trending Girl Names in England and Wales
The report provided clear data on female name trends as well. Among baby girls, Olivia comfortably remained the most popular choice across the region. The top five names for girls included:
-
Olivia (First Place)
-
Lily (Second Place)
-
Amelia (Third Place)
-
Isla (Fourth Place)
-
Florence (Fifth Place)
Historical Growth and Demographic Variations
According to the official ONS records, Muhammad has maintained a steady position in the top 10 boys’ names since 2016. The name first entered the top 100 rankings back in 1997. Since then, it has continued to grow significantly in popularity over the years.
Demographic experts note that the different spellings reflect various ways of transliterating the traditional Arabic name into English. For example, families of Pakistani origin more commonly choose the spelling Muhammad. Conversely, families with Middle Eastern backgrounds frequently prefer the spelling Mohammed.
The ONS does not attribute this continuous trend to any single cultural factor. However, the popularity of the name rises alongside the UK’s growing and diverse Muslim population. Recent estimates show around 4 million Muslims live in the UK, making up roughly 6% of the total population.
