Muhammad has claimed the top spot as the most popular name for baby boys in England and Wales in 2023, with over 4,600 newborns registered under the name, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The name surpassed Noah, which previously dominated the list in recent years.
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Despite this milestone, the popularity of Muhammad showed regional differences, as it did not appear in the top 10 for three regions in England. The ONS also noted that variations of the name, such as Mohammed and Mohammad, ranked within the top 100, highlighting the consistent preference for the name across different spellings.
For baby girls, Olivia maintained its lead as the most popular name, followed by Amelia and Isla, continuing a trend from 2022. Parents increasingly chose hyphenated names for girls, with registrations surging to over 19,140 in 2023, compared to about 12,330 the previous year.
Pop culture remained a significant influence on naming trends. Names inspired by celebrities like Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, and Rihanna, as well as Netflix characters such as Wednesday, saw notable increases. Days of the week, such as Wednesday and Sunday, also gained popularity, with the former linked to the late-2022 release of the Netflix series Wednesday.
Seasonal names like Autumn and Summer continued to inspire parents, with Autumn ranking 96th and Summer climbing to 86th, though the latter has declined compared to its peak a decade ago.
New entries to the top 100 included Lilah, Raya, and Hazel for girls, while Jax, Enzo, and Bodhi made their debut for boys. Meanwhile, royal names such as George, Archie, Harry, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Charles saw a decline, reflecting an ongoing trend.
The ONS observed that cultural influences, particularly from music and film, continue to shape baby name choices. The release date for the most popular names of 2024 is yet to be announced.
