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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 flower▲1
  3. 3Amelia, Industrious, striving▼1
  4. 4Isla, Island
  5. 5Florence, Flourishing, prosperous▲1
  6. 6Freya, Noble woman▲1
  7. 7Poppy, Poppy flower▲1
  8. 8Elsie, Pledged to God▲2
  9. 9Ivy, Climbing vine▼4
  10. 10Isabella, Devoted to God▲1
  11. 11Ava, Life; birdlike▼2
  12. 12Evelyn, Wished for child▲8
  13. 13Sophia, Wisdom
  14. 14Phoebe, Bright, pure▲3
  15. 15Sienna, Reddish brown▲4
  16. 16Mabel, Lovable▲21
  17. 17Sofia, Wisdom▼5
  18. 18Daisy, Day's eye flower
  19. 19Matilda, Battle-mighty (Roald Dahl)▲12
  20. 20Willow, Graceful tree▲1
  21. 21Mia, Mine, beloved▼7
  22. 22Arabella, Yielding to prayer▲8
  23. 23Harper, Harp player (Harper Lee)▼1
  24. 24Rosie, Rose
  25. 25Charlotte, Free woman▼2
  26. 26Maeve, She who intoxicates
  27. 27Grace, Grace, blessing▼2
  28. 28Maya, Water; great mother▼13
  29. 29Hallie, Dweller by the meadow▲3
  30. 30Margot, Pearl▼2
  31. 31Lottie, Free woman▲7
  32. 32Delilah, Delicate, tender▲1
  33. 33Penelope, Weaver▲3
  34. 34Aria, Song, melody▲1
  35. 35Evie, Life▼6
  36. 36Millie, Gentle strength▼9
  37. 37Violet, Purple flower▲5
  38. 38Ruby, Red gemstone▲3
  39. 39Aurora, Dawn▲4
  40. 40Ada, Noble, nobility
  41. 40Mila, Gracious, dear▲6
  42. 42Ayla, Halo of moonlight▲5
  43. 43Maisie, Pearl▲1
  44. 44Emily, Industrious, striving▼10
  45. 45Esme, Esteemed, beloved▲6
  46. 46Ella, All; fairy maiden▼7
  47. 47Olive, Olive tree▲6
  48. 48Bonnie, Pretty, cheerful▼32
  49. 49Elodie, Melody, riches▲6
  50. 50Layla, Night, dark beauty▲6
  51. 51Emilia, Rival, striving (Othello)▼6
  52. 52Alice, Noble (Alice in Wonderland)▼3
  53. 52Maryam, Pious, beloved▲5
  54. 54Isabelle, Pledged to God▼2
  55. 55Ottilie, Fortunate heroine▲16
  56. 56Eleanor, Bright, shining one▲11
  57. 57Iris, Rainbow▲4
  58. 58Eva, Life▼4
  59. 59Harriet, Estate ruler▲9
  60. 59Luna, Moon▼11
  61. 61Lyla, Night▲13
  62. 62Eliana, God has answeredNEW
  63. 63Sophie, Wisdom▼13
  64. 64Orla, Golden princess▼6
  65. 65Eliza, Pledged to God▼2
  66. 66Thea, Gift of God
  67. 67Rose, Rose flower▼8
  68. 68Nova, New▲12
  69. 69Imogen, Maiden▼5
  70. 70Lyra, Lyre (His Dark Materials)▲13
  71. 71Hazel, Hazel tree▲4
  72. 72Erin, Ireland, peace▼7
  73. 73Zara, Blooming flower▼4
  74. 74Elizabeth, Pledged to God▼12
  75. 75Nora, Honour, light▲11
  76. 76Robyn, Bright fame▲2
  77. 77Clara, Bright, clear▲7
  78. 78Nancy, Grace▲3
  79. 79Fatima, Captivating, one who abstains▼3
  80. 80Eden, Delight, paradise▼20
  81. 81Ophelia, Helper (Hamlet)▼8
  82. 82Raya, Friend, companion
  83. 83Eloise, Healthy, wide (Kay Thompson)▲2
  84. 84Gracie, Grace, favourNEW
  85. 85Emma, Whole, universal▼16
  86. 86Anaya, Care, protectionNEW
  87. 87Lola, From Dolores; strong-willed
  88. 88Maria, Beloved, wished-for▲3
  89. 89Chloe, Young green shoot▼17
  90. 90Athena, Wisdom, clarity of mind▲6
  91. 91Bella, Beautiful (Twilight)▼15
  92. 92Darcie, Dark-haired; from Arcy▼2
  93. 93Scarlett, Red (Gone with the Wind)▼14
  94. 94Myla, Gracious, merciful▼5
  95. 95Alba, Dawn, whiteNEW
  96. 96Rosa, The rose flower▼2
  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?

Eliana made the biggest jump in the 2025 data, rising fifty-four places into the top 100. Gracie, Anaya, Alba, Marnie, Lilah and Frankie are also new entries, and names such as Lily and Mabel keep climbing.

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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