Nadine Osman
Muhammad has retained its position as the most popular boys’ name in England and Wales for the third consecutive year, with official figures showing almost 6,000 baby boys were given the name in 2025.
Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows 5,957 newborn boys were named Muhammad last year, up from 5,721 in 2024. The name first became the country’s most popular boys’ name in 2023 and has remained at the top of the rankings ever since.
The total rises even higher when alternative spellings are taken into account. A further 1,712 boys were named Mohammed, while 895 were registered as Mohammad, meaning 8,564 babies received one of the three spellings in 2025—up from 8,467 the previous year and more than twice the number named Noah.
The name’s rise has been gradual over several decades. While the spelling Mohamed first entered the top 100 in the 1950s, Muhammad itself only entered the rankings in 2004, climbing steadily before reaching number one in 2023.
Several other names with Islamic origins also featured in the top 100. Ibrahim, Yusuf and Musa—the Arabic forms of the biblical names Abraham, Joseph and Moses—ranked 48th, 58th and 63rd respectively. Adam and Isaac also appeared in the top 100, although both names are widely used across Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities.
Among girls, names with Arabic or Islamic roots also continued to feature prominently. Layla ranked 50th, followed by Maryam (53rd), Zara (73rd), Fatima (79th) and Anaya (86th). While some of these names are now widely used across different communities, others remain particularly popular among Muslim families.
In Islam, naming a child after the Prophet Muhammad is regarded as a way of honouring the final prophet of Islam and expressing the hope that the child will emulate his character and values. The practice is rooted in religious tradition rather than being a religious obligation.
Other prophetic names, including Ibrahim, Yusuf, Musa, Isa and Adam, remain popular because these figures are revered in the Qur’an. For girls, names such as Maryam, the mother of Isa (Jesus), and Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, continue to be among the most widely chosen in Muslim families.
The latest figures highlight the growing diversity of naming trends in England and Wales, with names of Arabic and Islamic origin now firmly established among the country’s most popular choices for newborns.
