The official data has been by released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and reflects naming trends from babies born in 2024, the most recent full year of birth registrations
The annual list of the most popular baby names in England and Wales has just been unveiled, revealing some significant changes in what UK parents are naming their little ones.
The official data, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), reflects naming trends from babies born in 2024, the most recent full year of birth registrations.
Each year, the official stats include the top 100 baby names for boys and girls – and while some names have remained firm favourites, a few newcomers have made impressive leaps into the rankings. Victorian-era baby names are also making a huge comeback, with parents ditching trendy monikers in favour of traditional titles.
Muhammad continues to reign as the most popular name for baby boys. It’s the second year running that Muhammad topped the list after overtaking Noah, having been in the top 10 since 2016.
In a surprise twist, Isla has dropped out of the top three after being replaced by Lily. Olivia and Amelia have held the top two spots for baby girl names for the third year in a row, reports the Mirror.
Significant shifts in top 100 list.
Olivia and Amelia have held the top two spots, but Isla dropped out of the top three after being replaced by Lily.
Royal names have continued to fall in popularity overall. George ranked sixth with 3,257 babies being given the name and William came in 27th.
Louis ranked 47th for boys, while Charlotte came in at 23rd for girls. Names given to baby boys less than five times in 2024 include Cuthbert, Crispin, Awesome and Beckham.
For baby girls, names given less than five times include Orchid, Poem, Sicily and Everest.
The rankings were compiled using the exact spellings of names given at birth registration, meaning similar names with different spellings were counted separately.
Lily continues to climb the ranks, moving from fourth to third place and knocking Isla out of the top three favourites.
Traditional girl’s names continue to be popular as parents opt for more classic choices over trendier ones. In the latest data, Florence moved up two places to sixth, while Ivy moved up from seventh to fifth.
Sofia has also been a firm favourite with parents, climbing 12 spots to become the 12th most popular girl’s name.
Other names shooting up the list are Maeve, which moved up 10 places to 26th, and Margot which rocketed a staggering 16 places higher, coming in at 28th.
While Charlotte has slipped in the ranks, a shorter version of the name, Lottie, has surged, coming in at 38th place and moving up 10 spots.
In terms of boys’ names, Jude is the fastest growing favourite in the top 20, moving up four places from 15th to 11th.
Rory has also seen a significant increase in popularity, moving up an impressive nine places to 24th.
Further down the table, Felix is gradually moving upwards in the top 100, moving from 73rd to 62nd.
Baby names losing favour.
In the boys’ category, Brody has taken a tumble down the list from 82nd to 99th place, barely making it into the top 100.
Leon just about managed to secure a spot in the charts, coming in last place and dropping nine spots.
Meanwhile, Jessica isn’t as popular as it once was, falling 12 places from 83rd to 95th.
It’s not great news for any Ellas out there either, as the name plummeted 12 spots from 27th to 39th.
Most favoured boy’s names
1 Muhammad
2 Noah
3 Oliver
4 Arthur
5 Leo.
6 George
7 Luca.
8 Theodore
9 Oscar
10 Archie.
11 Jude.
12 Theo
13 Freddie
14 Henry
15 Arlo
16 Alfie
17 Charlie
18 Finley
19 Albie.
20 Harry
Most favoured girl’s names
1 Olivia
2 Amelia
3 Lily
4 Isla
5 Ivy
6 Florence
7 Freya
8 Poppy
9 Ava
10 Elsie
11 Isabella
12 Sofia
13 Sophia
14 Mia
15 Maya
16 Bonnie
17 Phoebe
18 Daisy
19 Sienna
20 Evelyn
Last year’s winners
In the 2024 report (based on 2023 births), Muhammad took the top spot for boys, overtaking Noah, which had held first place for two years running. Oliver remained a solid third.
Muhammad had gradually climbed the list over the past decade – it was ranked just 20th in 2012, before entering the top 10 in 2016.
For girls, there were no changes to the reigning top three: Olivia, Amelia, and Isla led the way. Olivia in particular has proven continuously popular, holding the top spot for an impressive eight years straight.
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