Muhammad Tops U.K.’s Baby Boy Name Chart for Second Year in a Row

Alternate spellings like ‘Mohammed’ and ‘Mohammad’ put the name’s popularity even higher on the list.

Carl Court/Getty Images
A pro-Palestinian rally on April 5, 2024 at London. Carl Court/Getty Images

Muhammad has secured the crown as the United Kingdom’s most popular baby name for boys for a second year in a row, marking a cultural shift in naming trends.

The name, which has Arabic and Muslim origins, has been in the top 10 of yearly rankings released by the Office for National Statistics for nearly a decade, with a further rise in popularity beginning in 2023.

The ONS rankings are compiled using the exact spelling of names given on birth registrations. The name Muhammad earned its top ranking after approximately 5,700 boys were given the name in 2024 in England and Wales.

The name beat out more traditional names like Noah, Oliver, Arthur, and Leo, which ranked at second through fifth, respectively.

Another notable name on the list of boys’ first names, Yahya, rose into the top 100 for the first time in 2024, to the 93 spot. Yahya Sinwar is the Palestinian Hamas leader who organized the October 7 attacks against Israel and who later died in combat against troops with the Israel Defense Forces.

The dominance of the top-ranked name becomes even more striking when accounting for spelling variations, as similar names with alternate spellings are ranked as separate entries. Mohammed claimed 21st place, while Mohammad secured 53rd.

Not as popular in the U.K. last year were names associated with Britain’s royal family. George was ranked sixth, with just more than 3,000 babies given the name, and William came in 27th place.

The ranks also list unique names that were registered less than five times, including Cuthbert, Crispin, Beckham, and Awesome for the boys and Orchid, Poem, Sicily, and Everest for girls born last year.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use