Muhammad remains most popular baby name for boys in England and Wales
Muhammad has once again topped the list of baby names for boys in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics
LONDON (MNTV) — Muhammad has once again topped the list of baby names for boys in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), marking the second consecutive year it has held the number one spot.
In 2024, 5,721 baby boys were named Muhammad — a 23% rise from the previous year — placing it firmly ahead of Noah and Oliver, which ranked second and third, respectively. This specific spelling of the Prophet’s name (PBUH) has been in the ONS top 10 since 2016, and has now become the single most popular boys’ name across the country.
Muhammad was the top boys’ name in five of the nine regions in England: London, West Midlands, East Midlands, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber. It also placed in the top ten in the South East and East of England.
Other spellings of the name also made the top 100: Mohammed ranked 21st and Mohammad came in at 53rd. In some regions, like London and the West Midlands, multiple variations of the name appeared in the top ten, reflecting the cultural diversity and strong presence of Muslim communities.
Several other Muslim boys’ names also saw a rise in popularity. Yusuf climbed to 68th, Musa to 73rd, Ibrahim to 78th, and Yahya entered the top 100 for the first time at 93rd.
Among girls, Layla (56) was the most popular Muslim name, closely followed by Maryam (57), Zara (69), and Fatima (77). The name Athena also made it into the top 100 for the first time.
The ONS, which publishes the annual list based on birth registrations, treats each spelling of a name as a separate entry. While Muhammad alone did not top the chart until 2023, analysts have noted that when all spelling variations are combined, the name has dominated the charts for more than a decade.
The name Mohammed first appeared in the ONS top 100 in 1924, ranking 91st. Since then, it has featured every decade and annually since 1996. In 1954, three different spellings of the name appeared in the top 100 — a pattern that continues today.
Despite growing calls to aggregate similarly spelled names, the ONS has maintained that each variant is treated separately to avoid making “subjective” decisions about similarities.
The enduring popularity of Muhammad reflects broader demographic shifts and the significance of cultural and religious heritage among Muslim communities in Britain, particularly in cities with large South Asian and Middle Eastern populations.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
