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Muhammad overtakes Noah as most popular boy’s name for the first time, while the Office for National Statistics says that pop culture is still a big influence on naming trends.
ADVERTISEMENTMuhammad has claimed the top spot for the most popular baby boy’s name in England and Wales in 2023, surpassing Noah. More than 4,600 baby boys were named Muhammad last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The name has been in the top 10 since 2016, but this is the first time it has edged out Noah for the number one position.
That said, there’s some regional variation: Muhammad didn’t make the top 10 in three regions of England. The ONS also notes that different spellings of the name, like Mohammed and Mohammad, are counted separately, and these variations have also appeared in the top 100 names over the years.
When it comes to baby girls, Olivia remains the top choice, followed by Amelia and Isla – no change from 2022. Interestingly, hyphenated names have seen a surge in popularity for girls, jumping to more than 19,000 names in 2023, up from around 12,300 the previous year.
Several new names entered the top 100 for girls, including Lilah, Raya, and Hazel. On the boys’ side, Jax, Enzo, and Bodhi made their way into the top 100 for the first time.
The ONS also noted that pop culture “continues to influence” naming trends. Celebrities like Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, and the Kardashian-Jennerfamily have inspired many new parents. Names like Miley, Rihanna, Kendrick, and Elton saw a bump in popularity, likely linked to major album releases, tours, or performances by these stars.
In addition to pop culture, some parents are looking to days of the week for inspiration, with names like Sunday and Wednesday gaining ground. The popularity of “Wednesday” could be linked to the success of the Netflix series Wednesday, which premiered in late 2022.
Seasonal names are also on the rise. “Autumn” made it into the top 100 at 96th place, while “Summer” jumped 10 spots to 86th, although it’s still 38 places lower than it was in 2013. Some names were also more popular depending on the time of year; in December, Holly, Robyn and Joseph were more popular, whereas names like Summer and Autumn were popular in their respective seasons.
Meanwhile, royal names seem to be losing some of their luster. Names like George, Archie, Harry, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Charles have all seen a decline in popularity over recent years, continuing a trend away fromroyal influences.
The ONS also pointed out that the next release of baby name data will be for 2024, though the exact publishing date is still to be confirmed.
Delve into the full set of data here.
