Muhammad was the most popular baby name for boys in England and Wales in 2023, according to figures released last week by the United Kingdom’s statistical agency ONS (Office for National Statistics). The name has been in the top 10 since 2016, and last year it overtook Noah, who came in second place. Oliver’s name came in third in the ranking.
In the ranking for girls, Olivia remained the most popular name for the 8th year in a row. Next are Amelia and Isla.
According to the ONS, among the names that entered the top 100 for the first time are Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh, and Raya for baby girls and Enzo and Bodhi for baby boys.
The ONS considers the exact spellings of the names provided in the birth certificate. In other words, similar names with different spellings were counted separately.
In fact, in past years, three variations of Muhammad’s name showed up in the top 100 list of boys’ names in England and Wales. However, Muhammad’s spelling is at the top of the list for the first time in 2023.
In 2023, 4,661 Muhammads were born in England and Wales, while Mohammed was 28th with 1,601 and Mohammad was 68th with 835.
According to The Bump, Muhammad is an Arabic male name. And the name means “praiseworthy.” Besides, people of the Muslim religion consider this name very holy. It is often given to children.
Information: ONS
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