🇬🇧 Most Popular Baby Names in the United Kingdom (2025)
The Office for National Statistics publishes for England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland releasing their own figures separately. Britain has the most mixed naming pool in Europe and the ranking shows it plainly: Muhammad has been the single most common boys' name since 2023, having entered the top five only a few years earlier. Royal births move this list in a way they do not elsewhere. George climbed to third after the Cambridge children were named and has been easing back down since.
Data source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) · Year: 2025 · 49 girl names, 50 boy names
Before you settle on a name, it helps to know what the register will accept. Baby naming rules in United Kingdom: the legal basis, the deadline and what a registrar may refuse.
Names Used Only in United Kingdom
United Kingdom has 40 names in its 2025 ranking that appear in none of the other twelve countries on this site. Most European top tens have converged on the same handful of names over the past twenty years. These are the ones that stayed put.
Girls: 21 names
FreyaPoppyElsiePhoebeSiennaMabelDaisyMatildaArabellaRosieHallieLottieDelilahEvieMillieRubyMaisieEsmeOliveBonnieElodie
Boys: 19 names
GeorgeFreddieArchieJudeArloAlfieRoryFinleyAlbieReubenRowanEdwardOakleyTeddyReggieRonnieTommySonnyHarrison
2024 to 2025: What Moved
Set the two most recent rankings side by side and the movement is easy to read. Some names climbed, others slipped, and a few appeared or vanished outright.
Girls
Biggest climbers: Mabel (#37 → #16, +21), Matilda (#31 → #19, +12), Evelyn (#20 → #12, +8), Arabella (#30 → #22, +8), Lottie (#38 → #31, +7)
Biggest drops: Bonnie (#16 → #48, -32), Maya (#15 → #28, -13), Emily (#34 → #44, -10), Millie (#27 → #36, -9), Mia (#14 → #21, -7)
New in the ranking: Esme, Olive, Elodie, Layla
Dropped out: Emilia, Mila, Luna, Alice, Sophie
Boys
Biggest climbers: Rowan (#41 → #30, +11), Ronnie (#49 → #39, +10), Adam (#35 → #26, +9), Rory (#24 → #17, +7), Reggie (#43 → #37, +6)
Biggest drops: Jacob (#30 → #41, -11), Thomas (#26 → #35, -9), Lucas (#25 → #32, -7), Charlie (#17 → #22, -5), Teddy (#29 → #34, -5)
New in the ranking: Sonny, Harrison
Dropped out: Ethan, Joshua
Steady Through 2021–2025
Olivia tops the girl's ranking in United Kingdom, and has done so 5 years running.
39 girls' names appear in every year from 2021–2025 without a gap. The 30 highest placed:
OliviaLilyAmeliaIslaFlorenceFreyaPoppyElsieIvyIsabellaAvaEvelynSophiaPhoebeSiennaSofiaDaisyMatildaWillowMiaArabellaHarperRosieCharlotteGraceMayaHallieDelilahPenelopeAria
Muhammad tops the boy's ranking in United Kingdom, and has done so 3 years running.
42 boys' names appear in every year from 2021–2025 without a gap. The 30 highest placed:
MuhammadNoahLeoLucaArthurOliverGeorgeOscarTheodoreFreddieArchieTheoHenryJudeArloAlfieRoryFinleyHarryMohammedAlbieCharlieElijahJackWilliamAdamRomanLouieReubenEdward
👧 Most Popular Girl Names in United Kingdom (2025)
#1OliviaLatin
Meaning: Olive tree
Olivia was first popularised by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night and is now consistently ranked among the top girl's names in the English-speaking world.
#2LilyLatin
Meaning: Lily flower
#3AmeliaGermanic
Meaning: Work, industrious
Amelia is a blend of the Germanic Amalia and the Latin Aemilia, meaning industrious, and has been a top name in the UK and Australia for over a decade.
#4IslaScottish Gaelic
Meaning: From the river Isla
Isla is taken from the Scottish river Isla and the island of Islay. It became a common given name in Britain only in the last thirty years.
#5FlorenceLatin
Meaning: Flowering, prospering
Florence comes from the Latin florens, meaning flowering or prospering. Florence Nightingale was named after the city where she was born and made it a girls' name in English.
#6FreyaNorse
Meaning: Lady
Freya is the English spelling of the Norse goddess Freyja, whose name is the Old Norse word for lady.
#7PoppyEnglish
Meaning: Poppy flower
Poppy is the English flower name, from the Old English popaeg. It became a common given name in Britain in the twentieth century.
#8ElsieHebrew
Meaning: God is my oath
Elsie began as a Scottish pet form of Elspeth, itself a form of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew elisheva meaning God is my oath.
#9IvyEnglish
Meaning: Ivy
Ivy is the English plant name, from the Old English ifig. It joined the Victorian fashion for flower and plant names.
#10IsabellaHebrewItalian
Meaning: My God is an oath
#11AvaGermanicHebrew
Meaning: Life, bird-like
#12EvelynHebrewFrench
Meaning: Wished-for child
#13SophiaGreek
Meaning: Wisdom
Sophia is a timeless Greek name meaning wisdom, carried by Byzantine empresses and saints, and one of the most popular girl's names globally.
#14PhoebeGreek
Meaning: Bright, radiant
Phoebe is a Titan in Greek myth and an epithet of Artemis as moon goddess, from phoibos meaning bright. A Phoebe is also named in Paul's letter to the Romans.
#15SiennaItalian
Meaning: Reddish brown earth
Sienna is the English name of the pigment terra di Siena, the earth of Siena, and so of the Tuscan city itself.
#16MabelLatin
Meaning: Lovable
Mabel is a medieval English short form of Amabel, from the Latin amabilis meaning lovable.
#17SofiaGreek
Meaning: Wisdom
Sofia is the Slavic and southern European form of Sophia, meaning wisdom in Greek, and is the most popular girl's name in Italy and Spain.
#18DaisyEnglish
Meaning: Day's eye
Daisy is the flower name, from the Old English daeges eage meaning day's eye, because the flower opens at dawn. It was also used for Margaret, since the French marguerite is the same flower.
#19MatildaGermanic
Meaning: Mighty in battle
Matilda comes from the Germanic maht meaning might and hild meaning battle. The Empress Matilda fought for the English throne in the twelfth century.
#20WillowEnglish
Meaning: Willow tree
#21MiaHebrewScandinavian
Meaning: Mine; wished-for child
Mia began as a Scandinavian pet form of Maria and has become an international favourite, topping charts from Norway to the United States.
#22ArabellaLatin
Meaning: Disputed, yielding to prayer
Arabella first appears in twelfth-century Scotland. It is usually explained as a form of Amabel, from the Latin amabilis meaning lovable, or from orabilis meaning yielding to prayer.
#23HarperEnglish
Meaning: Harp player
#24RosieLatin
Meaning: Rose
Rosie is an English pet form of Rose, from the Latin rosa.
#25CharlotteGermanicFrench
Meaning: Free woman
Charlotte is the French feminine form of Charles, meaning free woman, and is a royal name borne by princesses in Britain, Sweden and Monaco.
#26MaeveIrish
Meaning: She who intoxicates
Maeve is the English form of Medb, the warrior queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle. The Irish name is read as she who intoxicates.
#27GraceLatin
Meaning: Grace, God's favour
#28MayaGreekHebrew
Meaning: Several unrelated origins
Maya has more than one source. It is the Roman goddess Maia who gives her name to May, a Hebrew name connected with water, and separately a Sanskrit word for illusion.
#29HallieEnglish
Meaning: From the hall
Hallie began as an English pet form of Harriet and as a surname meaning one who lived by a hall or manor house.
#30MargotGreek
Meaning: Pearl
Margot is a French pet form of Marguerite, from the Greek margarites meaning pearl.
#31LottieGermanic
Meaning: Free woman
Lottie is an English pet form of Charlotte, a French feminine diminutive of Charles, from the Germanic karl meaning a free person.
#32DelilahHebrew
Meaning: Delicate, or of the night
Delilah appears in the Book of Judges as the woman who betrays Samson. The Hebrew root is read either as delicate or as connected with night.
#33PenelopeGreek
Meaning: Weaver
Penelope is a Greek name meaning weaver, most famous as the faithful wife of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, and enjoying a strong modern revival.
#34AriaItalian
Meaning: Air, song
#35EvieHebrew
Meaning: Life
Evie is an English pet form of Eve or Evelyn. Through Eve it goes back to the Hebrew chavah, meaning life.
#36MillieGermanic
Meaning: Gentle strength
Millie is an English pet form of Mildred, from the Old English milde meaning gentle and thryth meaning strength, and is also used for Amelia.
#37VioletLatin
Meaning: Violet flower
#38RubyLatin
Meaning: Red gemstone
Ruby is the gemstone name, from the Latin rubeus meaning red. It belongs to the Victorian fashion for jewel names.
#39AuroraLatin
Meaning: Dawn
Aurora is the Roman goddess of the dawn; the name has been popular in Italy and Spain for generations and is now rising across northern Europe.
#40AdaGermanicHebrew
Meaning: Noble, or adornment
Ada has two roots that have merged. One is a Germanic short form of names beginning with adal, meaning noble; the other is a Hebrew name meaning adornment.
#42AylaTurkishHebrew
Meaning: Moonlight, or oak wood
Ayla is a Turkish name meaning halo or moonlight, from ay meaning moon. It is also read as a Hebrew name meaning oak, and separately as a Scottish place name.
#43MaisieGreek
Meaning: Pearl
Maisie is a Scottish pet form of Mairead, the Gaelic form of Margaret, from the Greek margarites meaning pearl.
#44EmilyLatin
Meaning: Rival, industrious
#45EsmeFrench
Meaning: Esteemed, loved
Esme comes from the Old French esmé, meaning esteemed or loved. It reached Scotland from France in the sixteenth century.
#46EllaGermanic
Meaning: All, completely
Ella developed as a short form of Eleanor or Elisabeth and has surged in popularity across Europe and North America since the early 2000s.
#47OliveLatin
Meaning: Olive tree
Olive is the English plant name, from the Latin oliva. The olive branch has stood for peace since antiquity.
#48BonnieScottish GaelicFrench
Meaning: Pretty, fine
Bonnie comes from the Scots word bonnie, meaning pretty or fine, itself from the French bon meaning good.
#49ElodieGermanic
Meaning: Foreign riches
Elodie comes from the Visigothic Alodia, generally read from Germanic elements meaning foreign and wealth. Saint Alodia was martyred in ninth-century Spain.
#50LaylaArabic
Meaning: Night
👦 Most Popular Boy Names in United Kingdom (2025)
#1MuhammadArabic
Meaning: Praiseworthy
Muhammad is the most common given name in the world, borne by the founder of Islam, meaning praiseworthy in Arabic.
#2NoahHebrew
Meaning: Rest, comfort
Noah is a Hebrew name meaning rest or comfort, famous as the biblical patriarch who built the ark, and the most popular boy's name across much of Europe.
#3LeoLatin
Meaning: Lion
Leo is the Latin word for lion and the name of thirteen popes, making it both a timeless classic and a modern favourite across Europe.
#4LucaLatinItalian
Meaning: Bringer of light
Luca is the Italian form of Luke, meaning bringer of light in Greek, and is among the most popular boy's names in Italy, Switzerland and Germany.
#5ArthurCeltic
Meaning: Bear
Arthur is of Celtic origin, possibly meaning bear, and was the name of the legendary British king whose stories have captivated Europe for centuries.
#6OliverLatinNorse
Meaning: Olive tree
Oliver has Norse and Latin roots linked to the olive tree and ancestor-descendants, and has been the top boy's name in England and Wales for several years.
#7GeorgeGreek
Meaning: Farmer
George derives from the Greek Georgios, meaning farmer, and is the name of the patron saint of England, among others.
#8OscarNorseIrish
Meaning: God's spear; divine strength
Oscar is of Norse or Irish origin, possibly meaning friend of deer, and has been popular in Scandinavia and Ireland for generations.
#9TheodoreGreek
Meaning: Gift of God
Theodore is derived from the Greek Theodoros, meaning gift of God, and has seen a remarkable revival in the UK, USA and Australia.
#10FreddieGermanic
Meaning: Peaceful ruler
Freddie is an English pet form of Frederick, from the Germanic frid meaning peace and ric meaning ruler. It has been registered as a full name in Britain for years.
#11ArchieGermanic
Meaning: True and brave
Archie is a diminutive of Archibald, meaning true and brave in Germanic, and has surged in popularity in the UK since Prince Harry named his son Archie in 2019.
#12TheoGreek
Meaning: Gift of God
Theo is a short form of Theodore, from the Greek theos meaning god and doron meaning gift. It is now given as a full name across most of Europe.
#13HenryGermanic
Meaning: Home ruler
Henry is the English form of the Germanic Heimirich, meaning home ruler, and has been borne by eight kings of England.
#14JudeHebrew
Meaning: Praised
Jude is an English form of Judas, from the Hebrew Judah meaning praised, and gained popularity after the Beatles song and the 2001 film.
#15ArloEnglish
Meaning: Uncertain, first recorded in poetry
Arlo has no settled etymology. It first appears as the place name Arlo Hill in Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene of 1590, itself an adaptation of an Irish valley name.
#16AlfieEnglish
Meaning: Wise counsel of the elves
Alfie is an English pet form of Alfred, from the Old English aelf meaning elf and raed meaning counsel. It has been given as a full name in Britain since the 1990s.
#17RoryIrish
Meaning: Red king
Rory comes from the Irish Ruaidhrí, joining ruadh meaning red with rí meaning king. Ruaidhrí Ua Conchobair was the last high king of Ireland.
#18FinleyScottish Gaelic
Meaning: Fair warrior
Finley comes from the Scottish Gaelic Fionnlagh, joining fionn meaning fair or white with laogh meaning warrior or calf. It began as a surname and returned as a first name.
#19HarryGermanic
Meaning: Ruler of the home
Harry is the medieval English form of Henry, from the Germanic heim meaning home and ric meaning ruler. It was how the English pronounced the name of eight kings.
#20MohammedArabic
Meaning: Praiseworthy
Mohammed is a transliteration of the Arabic Muhammad, meaning praiseworthy, from the root hamida meaning to praise.
#21AlbieGermanic
Meaning: Noble and bright
Albie began as an English pet form of Albert, from the Germanic adal meaning noble and beraht meaning bright, and is now given as a name in its own right.
#22CharlieGermanic
Meaning: Free man
Charlie is a pet form of Charles, from the Germanic karl meaning a free man. It has been registered as a name in its own right across northern Europe for decades.
#23ElijahHebrew
Meaning: My God is Yahweh
Elijah is the Hebrew original of Elias, meaning my God is Yahweh, and is currently one of the fastest-rising boy's names in the United States.
#24JackHebrewEnglish
Meaning: God is gracious
Jack began as a medieval English pet form of John and is now one of the most popular boy's names in England, Ireland and Australia.
#25WilliamGermanic
Meaning: Resolute protector
William comes from the Germanic Willahelm, meaning resolute protector, and remains one of the most enduring royal names in the English-speaking world.
#26AdamHebrew
Meaning: Earth, man
#27RomanLatin
Meaning: From Rome
Roman comes from the Latin Romanus, meaning a Roman. It has been used in the Slavic countries and in France for centuries.
#28LouieGermanic
Meaning: Famous warrior
Louie is an English spelling of Louis, from the Germanic hlud meaning famous and wig meaning war. Eighteen French kings carried the name.
#29ReubenHebrew
Meaning: Behold, a son
Reuben is the eldest son of Jacob in Genesis. The Hebrew is read as an exclamation, behold a son, spoken by Leah at his birth.
#30RowanIrish
Meaning: Little red one, or the rowan tree
Rowan has two sources that have merged. One is the Irish Ruadhan, meaning little red one; the other is the English name of the rowan tree.
#31EdwardEnglish
Meaning: Guardian of wealth
Edward comes from the Old English Eadweard, joining ead meaning wealth or fortune with weard meaning guardian. It is one of the few Anglo-Saxon names that survived the Norman Conquest intact.
#32LucasLatinGreek
Meaning: Bringer of light
Lucas is the Latin form of Luke, meaning bringer of light, and ranks highly across Europe and the Americas.
#33OakleyEnglish
Meaning: Oak clearing
Oakley is an English place name and surname, from the Old English ac meaning oak and leah meaning clearing or meadow.
#34TeddyEnglishGreek
Meaning: Guardian of wealth, or gift of God
Teddy is an English pet form of Edward and of Theodore. The teddy bear is named after Theodore Roosevelt, which kept the name in circulation.
#35ThomasAramaic
Meaning: Twin
#36IsaacHebrew
Meaning: He will laugh
#37ReggieGermanic
Meaning: Counsel and power
Reggie is an English pet form of Reginald, from the Germanic ragin meaning counsel and wald meaning power or rule.
#38EzraHebrew
Meaning: Help
#39RonnieGermanic
Meaning: Counsel and power
Ronnie is an English pet form of Ronald, which came from the Old Norse Rognvaldr, joining regin meaning counsel with valdr meaning ruler.
#40AlexanderGreek
Meaning: Defender of men
Alexander is the Latinised form of the Greek Alexandros, meaning defender of men, and was the name of the Macedonian king who conquered the ancient world.
#41JacobHebrew
Meaning: Supplanter
Jacob is the third patriarch of Genesis, who takes his brother Esau's birthright. The Hebrew Yaakov is traditionally read from the word for heel, hence one who supplants.
#42JamesHebrew
Meaning: Supplanter
James is the English form of the Late Latin Jacomus, derived from the Hebrew Jacob, meaning supplanter, and has been borne by six kings of Scotland.
#43HudsonEnglish
Meaning: Son of Hudd
#44TommyAramaic
Meaning: Twin
Tommy is an English pet form of Thomas, from the Aramaic teoma meaning twin.
#45SonnyEnglish
Meaning: Son
Sonny began as an English term of address for a boy and became a given name in its own right, most strongly in the United States and Britain.
#46HugoGermanic
Meaning: Mind, intellect
Hugo is the Latinised form of Hugh, meaning mind or intellect in Germanic, and is a favourite in France, Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia.
#47SebastianGreek
Meaning: From Sebastia; venerable
Sebastian comes from the Greek Sebastianos, meaning from Sebastia, and was the name of a 3rd-century Roman soldier venerated as a martyr.
#48MaxLatin
Meaning: Greatest
Max is a short form of Maximilian or Maximus, from the Latin maximus meaning greatest. It has been used independently across Europe for over a century.
#49LouisGermanicFrench
Meaning: Renowned warrior
#50HarrisonEnglish
Meaning: Son of Harry
Harrison is an English surname meaning son of Harry, itself a medieval form of Henry. It moved into use as a first name in the twentieth century.
Data: Office for National Statistics (ONS). Rankings reflect official birth registrations for 2025. Retrieved automatically each week from the statistics office. Browse all countries →