London: Muhammad has once again emerged as the most popular boys’ name in England and Wales for 2024, topping the chart for the second consecutive year. The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which released the data based on birth registrations, reported that 5,721 baby boys were named Muhammad.
The name retained the number one spot in five of England’s nine regions and ranked 57th in Wales. Variants of the name were also popular — Mohammed ranked 21st with 1,760 instances, while Mohammad stood at 53rd with 986 babies given the name.
Noah and Oliver followed Muhammad in second and third place, respectively — unchanged from 2023.
Among girls, Olivia remained the most popular name, with 2,761 babies registered with it. It secured the top position in all seven English regions and in Wales. Amelia and Lily ranked second and third, respectively, with Lily replacing Isla, which had held third place in 2023.
Newcomers to the top 100 girls’ names included Eloise, Nora, Myla, Rosa, Athena, Sarah, and Zoe. On the boys’ side, Austin, Nathan, Vinnie, and Yahya made their debut in the top 100, with Yahya appearing on the list for the first time.
The data also highlighted a declining trend in the popularity of royal names. George slipped to sixth place among boys, while William dropped to 27th.
The ONS list continues to reflect cultural and demographic shifts across the UK, with a growing diversity of names making it to the top ranks.
