Muhammad and Olivia lead 2025 England/Wales baby name list

The most popular baby names for children born in England and Wales in 2025 have been released, showing significant shifts in the annual rankings. The data, published on July 9, 2026, by the Office for National Statistics, reveals that Muhammad remains the most popular name for boys for the third consecutive year, while Olivia retains the top spot for girls for the second year running.

Muhammad, Noah, and Leo were the top three names for boys, with Leo entering the top three and displacing Oliver, which fell to sixth place. For girls, the top three were Olivia, Lily, and Amelia, with Lily overtaking Amelia for second place. The rankings are based on the exact spelling of names registered at birth for the 585,396 live births recorded in England and Wales in 2025.

Regional analysis shows Olivia was the most popular girls' name in three of nine English regions and in Wales. Muhammad was the most popular boys' name in four English regions, though it ranked 34th in Wales. In total, 5,957 boys were named Muhammad and 2,386 girls were named Olivia, accounting for 1.4% of all birth names. The top ten names overall accounted for 9.1% of all births.

The annual list highlighted several...