Most Popular 2023 Newborn Boys’ Name in England and Wales: Muhammad

Muhammad has emerged as the most popular name for baby boys in England and Wales, unseating Noah from the top spot, according to new data from the UK Office for National Statistics.

The three most popular names for baby girls in England and Wales were Olivia, Amelia, and Isla, remaining unchanged since 2022.

Olivia was the most popular girls’ name in five out of nine regions in England and the most popular in Wales, while Muhammad was the most popular boys’ name in four out of nine regions in England and was ranked 63rd in Wales.

Muhammad has overtaken Noah as the top name for baby boys in England and Wales, followed by Noah and Oliver; Muhammad was the second most popular name in 2022 and has been in the top 10 most popular names for baby boys in England and Wales since 2016.

New entries to the top 100 baby names include Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh and Raya for girls, as well as Jax, Enzo and Bodhi for boys.

Pop culture continues to influence the popularity of baby names including music artists such as Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey, celebrity baby names from the Kardashian-Jenner family such as Reign and Saint, and film stars such as Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy.

The top names for boys had much higher counts than those for girls. Since there are more unique names for baby girls – 35,000 unique names and spellings compared with 29,560 for boys – it suggests parents are choosing from a smaller pool of names for boys than girls, increasing the prevalence of each boys’ name.