Muhammad was the most popular baby boy’s name in England and Wales in 2023, with Olivia remaining parents’ favourite choice for baby girls.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the most popular name in 2022, Noah, was knocked off the top spot by Muhammad, which has been in the top 10 since 2016.
An estimated 4,661 babies were registered with the name last year, with Noah falling to 4,382. Muhammad was the most popular in four out of nine regions in England and 63rd most popular in Wales.
Meanwhile, Olivia, Amelia and Isla held the top three spots for baby girl names for the second year in a row.
In five out of nine regions in England, Olivia was ranked number one, as well as the most popular in Wales with a total of 2,906 registrations.
New entries to the top 100 names included Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh and Raya for girls, as well as Jax, Enzo and Bodhi for boys.
The ONS also noted that due to the release of blockbuster films Barbie and Oppenheimer (starring Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy respectfully), there were an additional 215 baby girls named Margot and 14 baby boys named Cillian, compared with 2022.
Billie, Lana, Miley and Rihanna also saw a jump in popularity, taking inspiration from pop stars like Billie Eilish and Lana Del Ray who embarked on tours in 2023, and Rihanna’s Super Bowl half-time show.
Similarly, Elton John’s headline set at Glastonbury Festival and Kendrick Lamar’s tour led to an increase in both names.
Read more from Sky News:
Dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin suspended for one year
Prince Harry says life in US is what Princess Diana would have ‘wanted’
Follow our channel and never miss an update
Royal names such as Charles, George, Charlotte and Elizabeth, all declined in popularity in 2023, a continuation of an ongoing trend.
The ONS put the decline down to a “variety of modern influences on baby names”.
