Overview
- The Office for National Statistics published the 2025 baby‑name tables on July 9 showing 5,957 boys were registered as Muhammad and 2,386 girls as Olivia, making Muhammad the top boys' name for a third straight year and Olivia the top girls' name for a tenth.
- The ONS counts each exact spelling separately so the related entries Mohammed (ranked 20th) and Mohammad (ranked 55th) add roughly 2,600 more births to the Muhammad name‑family and change how common the name appears in aggregate.
- The lists show active churn in name fashion: Lily rose to second for girls overtaking Amelia, and Leo moved into the boys' top three while Oliver fell to sixth, with multiple vintage and international names entering the top 100.
- Regional breakdowns mask the national headline: Muhammad was the most popular boys' name in four English regions but ranked much lower in Wales where Noah remained the top boys' name, and Olivia led girls in several regions including Wales.
- Longer trends underline the shift: Muhammad entered the top 100 in the late 1990s and the top 10 since 2016, a rise experts link to the UK’s growing and dispersed Muslim population and cultural influences such as high‑profile athletes and public figures.