Muhammad is UK's favourite boy's name for second year in a row

Muhammad has been revealed as the most popular name in the UK for newborn babies, according to an annual survey by parenting advice resource Baby Centre.

The Muslim boy's name, which is also spelled Mohamed, Muhammed, Mohammad, is constantly the top choice for parents naming their sons in the UK.

Arabic names Layla, Aisha, Zahra, and Maya were also in the top 100 most popular girl names, the survey showed.

The results of Baby Centre’s survey found that Noah was the second most popular choice for boys, followed by Theo and Leo.

Olivia, Amelia, and Isla were crowned the top three names for girls in the UK, the parenting advice platform survey revealed.

Other traditional Muslim and Arabic names like Abdullah, Yusuf, Hamza, and Ahmad were included in the top 100 names.

From 2016 to 2021 Muhammad was found to be the number one name for baby boys in the UK. Muhammad re-took the top spot in 2022 and held the title again in 2023.

UK census data from 2021 found differently; Noah not Muhammad was the most popular name for boys in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Muhammad still held up as the most popular boys’ name in four out of nine English regions, while Olivia was the top girls’ name in every region in England and Wales.

The variations in spellings can be attributed to the different backgrounds of Muslims in the UK, from Bangladesh to Malaysia or Libya, which offer varying transliterations.

It is common for Muslim families to name their sons Muhammad after the final prophet of Islam and the name is hugely popular across the world.

Famous figures with the name include Olympic gold-medallist Sir Mo Farah, Liverpool football club player Mo Salah, American boxer Muhammed Ali and the business tycoon Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Around 6.5 percent of England and Wales identify as Muslim, according to the most recent ONS census, with the religion being the second most common among London’s population after Christianity.