The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released its annual list of the most popular baby names in England and Wales – and the new contenders might surprise you
Eight new entries have joined the UK’s most popular baby names, and some of them are rather unusual.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has now released its annual figures for the most popular baby names in England and Wales. The data always reflects the year just gone, so the list makes up the top 100 names for boys and girls from 2023.
This year, Muhammad has overtaken Noah and stolen the crown for the top name for boys. Meanwhile, Olivia remains in first place for girls for the eighth year running. Noah and Oliver came in the top three for boys, and Amelia and Isla for girls.
It seems parents have been opting for more unusual names this year with some less traditional monikers joining the top 100 list. The new additions to the girls’ list include Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh and Raya. Autumn appeared more popular during its respective season and ranked 96th overall. Hazel was ranked 91st, Lilah was 95th and Nevaeh and Raya in the last two spots.
The boys’ list saw the addition of Jax, Enzo and Bodhi, with Jax soaring to 87th despite being its first year on the list. Enzo came 95th while Bodhi was ranked 100th. Interestingly, there were more unique names and spellings for girls than boys overall, suggesting parents are choosing from a smaller pool of names for baby boys.
You can read the top 100 baby names list for boys and girls in 2023 here.
The ONS data highlighted that seasonal names, like Autumn and Summer, and weekday names, such as Sunday and Wednesday, also increased in popularity in 2023. The Kardashian-Jenner family continued to inspire parents, with Reign and Saint, and celebrities Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey and Margot Robbie also sparked some names.
Royal names were less popular this year, showing the variety of modern influences on baby names. Meanwhile, the time of year impacted parents’ decisions with Poppy being the most popular name in November, likely because of the connection with Remembrance Day and poppies. Festive names, such as Joseph, Holly and Robyn, were more popular in December.
Regionally, Olivia was the most popular girl’s name in five out of nine regions in England and the most popular in Wales. While Muhammad was the top moniker for boys in four out of nine regions but was ranked 63rd in Wales. Muhammad has risen in popularity over the past decade, as it only ranked 20th back in 2012. Last year, it came in second place behind Noah.
Is your name one of the new entries? We want to hear what you think. Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
