New Top Baby Names UK Announced!

Updated Thu Dec 05 2024

Christmas has come early: the most popular baby names for England and Wales for 2023 have just been released. And we have a new Number 1 boy name!

The most popular British names of 2023 are Olivia and Muhammad. Muhammad, which was previously Number 2, takes over from Noah as the new top boy name. Olivia remains the top girl name, a title she has held since 2016.

Top Baby Names UK 2023

With a new name in the top spot, the UK Top 10 boy names have been shuffled around. Nickname-style favorites Theo and Freddie joined the Top 10 for the first time in 2022 but they have now been pushed out again in favor of the more traditional Henry.

Once outranked by the quintessentially British Harry, full name Henry is well and truly back in style. Harry now sits outside the Top 20 for the first time since the 90s, with other nickname-style choices such as Jack, Tommy, Max, and Toby also trending downwards.

Short, stylish, and international feeling Luca was a new addition to the Top 10 for 2023. Parents may still be drawing inspiration from the Pixar movie Luca, with the name having risen nearly 40 spots since its release in 2021.

The girls' Top 10 remained fairly stable with Olivia, Amelia, and Isla as the Top 3 for the fifth year running. While this feels like it could point to less variety in girl names in the UK, the most popular choices are chosen less often for girls than they are boys. Olivia was chosen for 2906 babies compared to Muhammad which was chosen for 4661.

The biggest change in the line-up was the loss of Mia which dropped six places. Stylish nature name Willow re-entered the Top 10 after losing its place in 2022.

Top 100 Girl Names UK 2023

The new entrants to the girls' Top 100 in 2023 included Hazel, Lilah, Nellie, Autumn, Nevaeh and Raya — none of which have featured before. While Hazel and Nellie fit in with other vintage picks like Bonnie and Mabel, Lilah joins its variants Lyla and Layla, and its sound-alikes, Lyra, Delilah, and Lola.

Raya is a Disney inspired pick with multicultural appeal which matches up with the rise of boy name Luca. Nevaeh makes an unexpected appearance, given its recent decline in the States.

The fastest-rising girl names in the Top 100 include the lyrical Delilah and the Nameberry favorite Maeve, along with vintage choices such as Margot and Olive.

The fastest-falling names in the Top 100 for girls include a number of classics and favorites of the past, including Alice, Sophie and Jessica.

Top 100 Boy Names UK 2023

On the boys' side, the new entries into the Top 100 included Jax, Enzo and Bodhi. Short, stylish, and cool seems to be the common theme here, along with unusual letters, strong O sounds, and fresh takes on classic sounds such as Jack, Elliott and Bobby.

Other fast-rising choices that fit into this trend include Jude, Oakley, Rowan, and Sonny.

With Muhammad making the top spot, other Arabic names have also been climbing. Ibrahim, Musa, and Yusuf have all been used more often.

The fastest-falling names of 2023 include old favorites from the 2010s, Carter, Logan, Elliot, and Mason.

Find the full release on the Office for National Statistics site.

About the Author

Clare Green

Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at clare@nameberry.com

View all of Clare Green's articles