What was the most popular baby boy name in England and Wales in 2025?

LONDON: Muhammad has been named the most popular baby boy name in England and Wales for the third consecutive year, according to the latest list of baby names for 2025.

Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that nearly 6,000 baby boys were named Muhammad in 2025, almost 2,000 more than the second most popular name, Noah. Noah retained second place for the third year in a row, while Leo and Luca ranked third and fourth, respectively.

The report also showed that other spellings of the name remained popular. Mohammed ranked 20th, while Mohammad was placed 55th. Together, those spellings were given to around 2,600 more baby boys. However, the ONS counts each spelling separately rather than combining them.

Among baby girls, Olivia remained the most popular name, followed by Lily, Amelia, Isla, and Florence.

According to the ONS data, Muhammad has remained in the top 10 boys’ names since 2016. The name first entered the top 100 rankings in 1997 and has continued to grow in popularity over the years.

Experts say the different spellings of Muhammad reflect various ways of transliterating the Arabic name into English. The spelling Muhammad is more commonly used by families of Pakistani origin, while Mohammed is more common among families with Middle Eastern backgrounds.

The ONS does not attribute the trend to any single factor, but the popularity of the name has continued to rise alongside the UK’s growing and diverse Muslim population. According to recent estimates, around 4 million Muslims live in the UK, making up about 6% of the country’s population.