Baby Names in England and Wales 2025: What ONS Data Shows About the Top Ten, Welsh Favourites and Rising Names

Every year the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes the first names given to babies whose births were registered in England and Wales, with counts, rank changes and breakdowns by country and region. The 2025 tables were released on 9 July 2026. This guide summarises the boys’ and girls’ spreadsheets for that release, which is the most recent data for parents choosing a name for a baby who will be registered in England or Wales. For the Scottish equivalent, see the site’s guide to baby names in Scotland. This is general information about naming trends, not a recommendation of any name.

How the figures are compiled (England and Wales)

The ONS spreadsheets explain that the statistics come from the first names recorded when live births are registered, which is a legal requirement in England and Wales. They cover only live births in the calendar year, and they use the exact spelling on the birth certificate, so variants such as different spellings of the same sound are counted separately. Names given to two or fewer babies are hidden to protect confidentiality. For each name the tables give a rank, a count, and the change in rank since 2024 and since 2015.

The top ten boys’ names (England and Wales)

According to the ONS table, the ten most popular boys’ names in 2025 were Muhammad (5,957 babies), Noah (4,075), Leo (3,278), Luca (3,266), Arthur (3,211), Oliver (3,154), George (3,082), Oscar (2,798), Theodore (2,638) and Freddie (2,526). Muhammad and Noah held the top two places with no change in rank from 2024. Leo rose two places, Luca three and Freddie three, while Oliver fell three. Two of these names have climbed a long way since 2015: Luca is up 49 places and Theodore up 36, according to the table.

The top ten girls’ names (England and Wales)

For girls, the top ten was Olivia (2,386), Lily (2,249), Amelia (2,153), Isla (1,959), Florence (1,924), Freya (1,802), Poppy (1,789), Elsie (1,700), Ivy (1,698) and Isabella (1,690). Olivia stayed first and Isla stayed fourth. Lily moved up one place to second, and Amelia dropped one to third. Ivy fell four places from its 2024 position, and Elsie rose two. Since 2015, the table shows Ivy up 33 places, Elsie up 25 and Florence up 18.

Wales on its own

The Welsh table ranks names among babies whose mothers usually live in Wales. Noah was first for boys with 218 babies, followed by Luca (186), Theo (176), Arthur (169) and Freddie (143). The list includes names far less common in England: Osian ranks tenth in Wales but 671st in England, according to the table. For girls, Olivia was first with 140 babies, then Lily (116), Elsie (106), Mali (104) and Lottie (99). Mali, fourth in Wales, ranks 1,118th in England on the same table, and its rank rose nine places from 2024.

Names on the move

The girls’ table shows several new entries into the top 100 in 2025, marked by an asterisk: Eliana (62nd, up 54 places), Gracie, Anaya, Alba, Marnie, Lilah and Frankie. Among names already in the top 100, Mabel rose 21 places to 16th and Ottilie 16 places to 55th, while Bonnie fell 32 places to 48th. For boys, the new top-100 entries were Vincent (93rd), Carter and Stanley (both 97th) and Ruben (100th). Vinnie rose 33 places to 58th, and Myles rose 20 to 67th, while Jaxon fell 22 places to 88th.

By region and by mother’s age (England and Wales)

The regional tables, based on the mother’s usual residence, show that the national order is not the same everywhere. For boys, Muhammad was the most common name in the North West (1,372 babies), Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands and London, Noah led in the East Midlands, the East of England and Wales, Arthur in the South East and South West, and Luca in the North East. For girls, Olivia led in the North East, East Midlands, South East and Wales, Lily in the North West and West Midlands, Amelia in Yorkshire and the Humber and the East of England, Florence in the South West and Sofia in London (342 babies).

The age-of-mother table also varies. Among mothers under 25, the top boys’ names were Muhammad, Noah, Arlo and Luca, and the top girls’ names were Delilah, Arabella, Mabel and Isla. For mothers aged 35 and over, the top girls’ names were Olivia, Lily, Charlotte and Sophia, and the top boys’ names were Muhammad, Oliver, Leo and Noah.

Where the data helps a name search

• Compare the England and Wales rank with the Wales-only rank, as Osian and Mali show.
• Look at the change in rank since 2015 to separate a fast riser from a long-standing favourite.
• Remember that exact spelling matters: similar names with different spellings are ranked separately.
• Check the regional and mother’s-age tables in the same file for local patterns.

For registering the name once it is chosen, see the site’s guide to registering your baby’s birth.

Frequently asked questions

What was the top boys’ name in England and Wales in 2025? Muhammad, according to the ONS table.

And the top girls’ name? Olivia.

Do the numbers include Scotland or Northern Ireland? No; the release covers England and Wales only.

The bottom line

ONS’s 2025 tables put Muhammad and Olivia first in England and Wales, with Noah and Lily close behind, and show Welsh favourites such as Osian and Mali standing apart from the England ranking. Use the official spreadsheets to compare rank, change and spelling before settling on a name.

Sources

• Office for National Statistics, "Baby names in England and Wales: 2025" (released 9 July 2026)
• Office for National Statistics, "Baby names for boys in England and Wales"
• Office for National Statistics, "Baby names for girls in England and Wales"