Statistics show that Muhammad was the most common name given to newborn boys in England and Wales in 2024. This marks the second consecutive year that Muhammad has held the position of the most popular name in England and Wales. In Arabic, Muhammad means “praiseworthy” or “commendable.” This name is attributed to the noble Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
In him.
In the UK, this name is spelled in various ways. There are over 30 different spellings of this name. Muhammad first appeared in the list of top 100 popular names in England and Wales in 1924. Another variation of the same name also made it to the list in the 1980s. Since 2016, the name Muhammad has been consistently appearing in the top 10 most popular names list in these two regions. From 2022, it became the second most popular name given to boys in these areas. Subsequently, in 2023, it held the position of the most popular name.
In 2024, 5,721 children were named Muhammad in England and Wales. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), this is a 23 percent increase from the number of children given this name in 2023. Different spellings of the same name also appear at 21st and 53rd positions in the list of top 100 names.
Looking at other Muslim names given to children in England and Wales, the next most notable names are Yusuf, Musa, Ibrahim, and Yahya. These rank at 69th, 73rd, 76th, and 93rd positions respectively. These names are also attributed to prophets. Among Muslim names given to girls, the most popular ones in the top 100 list are Layla, Maryam, and Fatima, ranking at 56th, 57th, and 76th positions respectively.
