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Blog»Baby Names»Top 100 Baby Girl Names UK 2026
Baby Names

Top 100 Baby Girl Names UK 2026

Published 4 April 2026
This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your midwife or GP.
At a glance

Olivia, Amelia, and Isla lead the UK charts. The biggest trends are shorter names, nature-inspired names like Ivy and Wren, vintage revivals like Mabel and Edith, and increasing cultural diversity with names like Ayla, Zara, and Niamh. You have 42 days to register a birth in England and Wales.

In this article

What are the most popular girls' names in the UK?

Olivia is the most popular girls' name in England and Wales, followed by Lily and Amelia, according to the Office for National Statistics data for 2025, the most recent published. Olivia has now held the top spot for ten years running. The biggest change near the top was Lily overtaking Amelia for second place, while Ivy slipped four places to ninth. Isla, Florence, Freya, Poppy, and Elsie fill the places in between, and Isabella completes the top ten. The full top 100, in order and with meanings, is below. Choosing for a boy instead? The Top 100 Baby Boy Names UK 2026 covers the same ground for boys.

This list is built on the most recent official ONS data, covering births registered in 2025 and published by the ONS in July 2026, the freshest national picture available for parents choosing in 2026.

Nature and flower names continue to define the girls' chart, with Lily, Ivy, Poppy, Florence, Willow, Daisy, and Violet all ranking high. Alongside them, vintage names from a great-grandparent's era keep returning, including Elsie, Mabel, Margot, Ada, and Maisie, with Mabel climbing twenty-one places this year. The clearest movement came from Eliana, which rose fifty-four places to enter the top 100, the biggest jump of any girls' name, joined by Gracie, Anaya, Alba, Marnie, Lilah, and Frankie as new entries. Bonnie fell thirty-two places, the sharpest drop on the list. The overall picture is a list that blends botanical, classic, and gently old-fashioned names rather than following one dominant style.

How the rankings are compiled

The ONS builds the list from birth registrations across England and Wales, counting the exact spelling recorded at registration. This detail matters, because similar names with different spellings are counted separately, so Sofia and Sophia appear as two entries rather than one combined name. The figures are published once a year and describe births in the year named, so the 2025 data, released in July 2026, is the latest available. Figures for 2026 will not exist until the 2027 release. Positions low down the list can be separated by only a handful of births, so small year-to-year movements there are normal.

Names across the rest of the UK

These rankings cover England and Wales. Scotland publishes its own list through National Records of Scotland and Northern Ireland through NISRA, and the leading names are broadly similar with some local variation. In Wales, names of Welsh origin such as Seren, Mali, and Eira feature strongly alongside the wider favourites, which is why a Welsh top ten often looks a little different from the England and Wales list as a whole.

Choosing from the list

A popular name is usually popular for good reason, often because it sounds warm and wears well from childhood into adult life, but it is worth thinking about how often your child might share it in a class. Say the full name aloud with your surname, look at the initials, and consider how it shortens, since the short form is often what gets used day to day. If you love a top-ten name but want a little distance, a less common spelling or a closely related form can give you both familiarity and a touch of difference. There is no rush either, and many parents only settle on the name after meeting their baby. If nothing on the list feels distinctive enough, the unique baby names guide covers names outside the top 100 that are still easy to say and spell.

Names and meanings

Ranked by the Office for National Statistics, England and Wales, 2025 — the most recent official data. Arrows show movement since 2024.

  1. 1Olivia, Olive tree
  2. 2Lily, Lily flower1
  3. 3Amelia, Industrious, striving1
  4. 4Isla, Island
  5. 5Florence, Flourishing, prosperous1
  6. 6Freya, Noble woman1
  7. 7Poppy, Poppy flower1
  8. 8Elsie, Pledged to God2
  9. 9Ivy, Climbing vine4
  10. 10Isabella, Devoted to God1
  11. 11Ava, Life; birdlike2
  12. 12Evelyn, Wished for child8
  13. 13Sophia, Wisdom
  14. 14Phoebe, Bright, pure3
  15. 15Sienna, Reddish brown4
  16. 16Mabel, Lovable21
  17. 17Sofia, Wisdom5
  18. 18Daisy, Day's eye flower
  19. 19Matilda, Battle-mighty (Roald Dahl)12
  20. 20Willow, Graceful tree1
  21. 21Mia, Mine, beloved7
  22. 22Arabella, Yielding to prayer8
  23. 23Harper, Harp player (Harper Lee)1
  24. 24Rosie, Rose
  25. 25Charlotte, Free woman2
  26. 26Maeve, She who intoxicates
  27. 27Grace, Grace, blessing2
  28. 28Maya, Water; great mother13
  29. 29Hallie, Dweller by the meadow3
  30. 30Margot, Pearl2
  31. 31Lottie, Free woman7
  32. 32Delilah, Delicate, tender1
  33. 33Penelope, Weaver3
  34. 34Aria, Song, melody1
  35. 35Evie, Life6
  36. 36Millie, Gentle strength9
  37. 37Violet, Purple flower5
  38. 38Ruby, Red gemstone3
  39. 39Aurora, Dawn4
  40. 40Ada, Noble, nobility
  41. 40Mila, Gracious, dear6
  42. 42Ayla, Halo of moonlight5
  43. 43Maisie, Pearl1
  44. 44Emily, Industrious, striving10
  45. 45Esme, Esteemed, beloved6
  46. 46Ella, All; fairy maiden7
  47. 47Olive, Olive tree6
  48. 48Bonnie, Pretty, cheerful32
  49. 49Elodie, Melody, riches6
  50. 50Layla, Night, dark beauty6
  51. 51Emilia, Rival, striving (Othello)6
  52. 52Alice, Noble (Alice in Wonderland)3
  53. 52Maryam, Pious, beloved5
  54. 54Isabelle, Pledged to God2
  55. 55Ottilie, Fortunate heroine16
  56. 56Eleanor, Bright, shining one11
  57. 57Iris, Rainbow4
  58. 58Eva, Life4
  59. 59Harriet, Estate ruler9
  60. 59Luna, Moon11
  61. 61Lyla, Night13
  62. 62Eliana, God has answeredNEW
  63. 63Sophie, Wisdom13
  64. 64Orla, Golden princess6
  65. 65Eliza, Pledged to God2
  66. 66Thea, Gift of God
  67. 67Rose, Rose flower8
  68. 68Nova, New12
  69. 69Imogen, Maiden5
  70. 70Lyra, Lyre (His Dark Materials)13
  71. 71Hazel, Hazel tree4
  72. 72Erin, Ireland, peace7
  73. 73Zara, Blooming flower4
  74. 74Elizabeth, Pledged to God12
  75. 75Nora, Honour, light11
  76. 76Robyn, Bright fame2
  77. 77Clara, Bright, clear7
  78. 78Nancy, Grace3
  79. 79Fatima, Captivating, one who abstains3
  80. 80Eden, Delight, paradise20
  81. 81Ophelia, Helper (Hamlet)8
  82. 82Raya, Friend, companion
  83. 83Eloise, Healthy, wide (Kay Thompson)2
  84. 84Gracie, Grace, favourNEW
  85. 85Emma, Whole, universal16
  86. 86Anaya, Care, protectionNEW
  87. 87Lola, From Dolores; strong-willed
  88. 88Maria, Beloved, wished-for3
  89. 89Chloe, Young green shoot17
  90. 90Athena, Wisdom, clarity of mind6
  91. 91Bella, Beautiful (Twilight)15
  92. 92Darcie, Dark-haired; from Arcy2
  93. 93Scarlett, Red (Gone with the Wind)14
  94. 94Myla, Gracious, merciful5
  95. 95Alba, Dawn, whiteNEW
  96. 96Rosa, The rose flower2
  97. 97Marnie, Of the seaNEW
  98. 98Lara, Cheerful; laurel
  99. 99Lilah, NightNEW
  100. 100Frankie, Free oneNEW
Part of our complete guide
Baby Names: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Name

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Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular girls' name in the UK?

Olivia has been the most popular girls' name in England and Wales every year since 2016, ten years running, according to the ONS.

How are the UK baby name rankings put together?

The ONS compiles them from birth registrations in England and Wales, counting the exact spelling recorded. Different spellings of a name are counted separately, so Sofia and Sophia are listed apart.

Do these rankings cover the whole UK?

They cover England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland publish their own lists, which are broadly similar with some local differences.

Which girls' names are rising in popularity?

Nature and flower names and vintage revivals are climbing, and recent new entries to the top 100 include Eloise, Nora, and Athena.

What are the top 10 girls' names in the UK for 2026?

The current top 10, from the most recent ONS data covering births registered in 2025, are Olivia, Lily, Amelia, Isla, Florence, Freya, Poppy, Elsie, Ivy and Isabella. Lily overtook Amelia for second place this year and Isabella moved into the top 10.

Which girls' names dropped out of the top 100?

The sharpest fall was Bonnie, down thirty-two places. Eden fell twenty places. Because the list is capped at 100, a name entering at the bottom pushes another out, so the seven new entries this year displaced seven names that had been holding the lower ranks.

Is this list for babies born in 2026?

No, and no such list exists yet. The ONS publishes each year in the following summer, so the 2025 figures were released in July 2026 and are the most recent official data. Names given to babies born in 2026 will not be published until 2027. Rankings move slowly at the top, so the 2025 list is the best guide available for choosing now.

Sources

  1. Baby names in England and Wales, ONS
  2. Baby names in Scotland, NRS
  3. Nameberry

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