Muhammad Became England's Most Popular Boy Name in 2023

The United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics (ONS) published data Thursday showing the name Muhammad as the most frequent name chosen for newborn boys in England and Wales.

The Details: The ONS data showed that 4,661 Muhammads were born in England and Wales in 2023, overtaking Noah, 2022's most common boy name in those regions. Variations of the name, like Mohammed, also made the top 100. Olivia remained the most common girl name in England and Wales. The ONS also observed that "pop culture" is driving more celebrity-based names.

How the Media Covered It: Daily Mail (Right bias) said Muhammad's popularity reflects a "surge in the UK's Muslim community," mentioning Islam six times throughout the article. It pointed out that, "when the five most common iterations [of Muhammad] are grouped together, it has been the most common for over a decade." The Guardian (Lean Left) called Muhammad an "Arabic" name, but didn't discuss Islam. BBC (Center) also didn't mention Islam, but noted "a level of regional variation with Muhammad not appearing in the top 10 for three regions of England."

Related Statistics: In 2021, 6.5% of the population in England and Wales was Muslim, up from 4.9% in 2011. Christians made up 46.2% of the population, down from 59.3% in 2011; it was the first census data without a Christian majority, though it remained a plurality. The ONS statistics also showed that one or both parents were foreign-born for 31.8% of newborn babies in 2023. These numbers suggest Muhammad appears in a significantly higher proportion among Muslims compared to the most popular names among non-Muslims, though AllSides could not find estimated births in England and Wales broken out by the parents' religion to confirm this.