Per the Daily Mail, this marks the first time a name with a particular spelling of Islamic origin has topped the charts, however Muhammad spelled thirty-plus ways has been the most popular for over a decade. Mohammed, a different spelling, first debuted at 91st in 1924 and has risen in popularity beginning in the 1960s.
The outlet stated, "Increasing sizes of Muslim communities across the UK fuelled by immigration ... [is] likely to have sparked the increase."
Muhammad, meaning "praiseworthy" or "commendable" in Arabic, began gaining popularity in the early 1980s and has now overtaken Mohhamed as most common. The name stems from the prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
In 2nd and 3rd place were Noah and Oliver, with Noah having been the most popular the previous year. As for girl names, Olivia, Amelia, and Isla have remained as the top three in 2023 and 2024.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which compiled the data, said that most popular names in the UK have also been heavily influenced by Hollywood, musicians, and sports figures such as Mo Farah, Mohamed Salah and Muhammad Ali.
