Muhammad once again claimed the top spot as the most popular boys’ name in England and Wales, according to newly released government data, while the name Yahya made the fastest climb of any name in 2024—prompting broader questions about cultural identity and societal shifts in modern Britain.
On July 31, 2025, the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its 2024 baby name rankings, confirming that 5,721 boys were named Muhammad—reflecting a 20% increase over the previous year. This marks the second consecutive year Muhammad topped the list and the fifth year it ranked in the top ten. When including close variants—Mohammed (1,760 boys, ranked 21st) and Mohammad (986 boys, ranked 53rd)—the total number of newborn boys bearing a variation of the name surpasses 8,400.
Muhammad led naming charts in five out of nine English regions, including London, the West Midlands, and the North West, but it ranked 57th in Wales.
Meanwhile, the name Yahya surged 33 places to break into the top 100 boys’ names in the UK for the first time, landing at 93rd overall. A total of 583 boys were named Yahya in 2024—making it the fastest-rising male name on the annual list.
The dramatic ascent triggered commentary across British media. The Telegraph published an article titled, Why are so many British babies being given the same name as a murderous Hamas terrorist? It highlighted that Yahya was by far the fastest riser and questioned whether the trend reflected coincidence—or something more concerning—given Britain’s fraught political climate following Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/articles/babynamesinenglandandwales/2024
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/01/why-are-so-many-babies-being-named-yahya/
