nuhahyearlyLaunch pricing - Get £50 off!nuhahyearlyNoah, Muhammad, and Oliver lead the UK charts. The biggest trends are softer, gentler names, short forms used as legal names (Freddie, Alfie, Teddy), increasing cultural diversity with names like Hamza and Ibrahim, and nature and mythology influences with Atlas, Orion, and Bear.
Muhammad is the most popular boys' name in England and Wales, for the second year running, followed by Noah and Oliver, according to the Office for National Statistics data for 2024, the most recent published. Muhammad was given to 5,721 boys in 2024 and has been in the top ten since 2016. Arthur, Leo, and George follow, with Luca, Theodore, Oscar, and Archie completing the top ten. The full top 50, in order and with meanings, is below.
Short, affectionate forms used as full legal names are a defining feature of the boys' chart, with Freddie, Alfie, Archie, Arlo, Albie, and Teddy all ranking highly. Softer, gentler sounds have largely replaced harder traditional names, and the list has grown more culturally varied, with Muhammad at the top and Yahya among the recent new entries to the top 100. Nature and mythology also feature, through names like Arlo, Rowan, and Oakley. The result is a chart that leans warm and informal while still carrying plenty of classics.
The ONS builds the list from birth registrations across England and Wales, counting the exact spelling recorded at registration. This is why Muhammad can appear more than once: the spelling Muhammad ranked first, Mohammed twenty-first, and Mohammad fifty-third in 2024, each counted as a separate name. Combined, the spellings would lead the chart by a wide margin. The figures are published once a year, so the 2024 data is the latest available, and positions low down the list can be separated by only a few births.
These rankings cover England and Wales. Scotland publishes its own list through National Records of Scotland and Northern Ireland through NISRA, with broadly similar leaders and some local variation. In Wales, names of Welsh origin such as Osian, Arthur, and Harri feature strongly, and Muhammad, the top name in England and Wales overall, sits much lower in the Welsh list.
A popular name is usually popular for good reason, often because it is easy to say and wears well over a lifetime, but it helps to think about how many other boys in a class might share it. Say the full name aloud with your surname, check the initials, and consider the short form, since that is what tends to get used most. If you are drawn to a top-ten name but want a little distance, a related form or a meaningful middle name can give you both. There is no rush, and plenty of parents decide only once their baby has arrived.
The 50 most popular, in order, each with its meaning.
Muhammad was the most popular boys' name in England and Wales in 2024, for the second year running, with 5,721 boys given the name according to the ONS.
The ONS counts the exact spelling recorded at birth registration. Muhammad, Mohammed, and Mohammad are counted separately; combined, they would lead the chart by a wide margin.
They cover England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland publish their own lists, which are broadly similar with some local differences.
Short affectionate forms used as legal names are climbing, and recent new entries to the top 100 include Yahya, Vinnie, and Austin.
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