Is Muhammad the most popular name in England and Wales?

May 21, 2024
10:11 PM

News

While the name “Muhammad” ranked second for baby boys in England and Wales in 2022, when combined with other spellings of the Prophet’s name (PBUH), it emerges as the most popular for newborn boys.

According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), “Muhammad” trails Noah (1st) by just 409 entries, highlighting the name’s widespread appeal and cultural significance within British Muslim communities.

But when the spellings Muhammad (2nd), Mohammed (27th) and Mohammad (67th) are combined, the Prophet’s name surpasses Noah.

Muhammad was the most popular boys’ name in four out of nine English regions: the North West, Yorkshire And The Humber, the West Midlands, and London. The latter three regions also have the “Mohammed” spelling in the top 10.

Several other Muslim boys’ names also appear in the top 100, including Yusuf (93rd), Musa (99th) and Ibrahim (100th).

Layla ranked as the highest Muslim-sounding name for baby girls in England and Wales at 56th place.

Other Islamic names featured in the top 100 list include Zara (70th), Maryam (75th), and a new entry Fatima (99th). Olivia maintained its position as the most popular name for baby girls overall.

ONS top 100

The Prophet’s (PBUH) name appearing in the top 100 is not new — the first time it appeared was in 1924, ranking at 91.

It has appeared in the top 100 most popular names for baby boys every ten years from 1924 to 1994 and every year since 1996. Three different spellings of the name were also in the top 100 in 1954.

The ONS treats each spelling of a name separately and has said that combining names with similar spelling would confuse matters as it means making a ‘subjective decision’ on names.

“So to make a fair comparison either all names should be treated separately or all names on the list should be combined with names that have a similar spelling,” it said in a blog in 2016.