Muhammad has retained its position as the most popular baby boy name in England and Wales for the second consecutive year, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The 2024 rankings show little change at the top, with Noah remaining in second place and Oliver holding third. Muhammad first overtook Noah in 2023 and has continued to dominate in 2024.
In the girls’ category, Olivia kept its long-standing first-place position, followed by Amelia. The only change in the top three came when Lily replaced Isla in third place. Olivia has been in the top three since 2006, while Muhammad has been a consistent entry since 2016.
The ONS noted that the ranking for Muhammad does not include variations in spelling, which are counted separately. Mohammed ranked 21st with 1,760 registrations, while Mohammad placed 53rd with 986. Muhammad itself topped the list with 5,721 baby boys given the name in 2024.
Traditional royal names have seen a decline in popularity, with George ranked sixth, William 27th, Louis 47th, and Charlotte 23rd.
The dataset also highlighted unusual names given five or fewer times. Among boys, rare choices included Cuthbert, Crispin, Awesome, and Beckham. For girls, uncommon picks included Orchid, Poem, Sicily, and Everest.
Hyphenated names have continued to grow in popularity, recording a rise of 6,810 from 2022 to reach 19,140 in 2023.
New names also entered the top 100 lists: Lilah, Raya, and Hazel for girls; Jax, Enzo, and Bodhi for boys. The ONS observed that pop culture continues to shape naming trends, with names inspired by musicians—such as Miley, Rihanna, Kendrick, and Elton—gaining traction.