Most popular boys and girls names of 2024 revealed

The most popular names for children born in England and Wales in 2024 have been released, with Athena and Yahya making it into the top 100 for the first time.

Muhammad tops the list of boys names for the second year running, with Noah and Oliver also making second and third place, respectively, as they were in 2023.

Olivia and Amelia held the top two spots for girls names for a third year in a row, while Isla dropped from third place after being replaced by Lily.

The list was released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which compiles the list using birth registration data.

New entries to the top 100 names for girls include Eloise, Nora, Myla, Rosa, Athena, Sara and Zoe. New entries for boys include Austin, Nathan, Vinnie and Yahya.

Muhammad retained its place as the most popular boys name, with 5,721 babies given the name. It was ranked first in five of nine regions in England and came 57th in Wales.

Other spellings of the name also made the list: Mohammed came in 21st place, with 1,760 given the name, and Mohammad in 53rd place, with 986.

Some 2,761 baby girls in England and Wales were named Olivia, ranking first in seven English regions and Wales.

SJ Strum, a baby expert and author of Baby Name Envy, said she was not surprised Olivia had taken the number one spot once more, but that she was a "little disappointed".

"Its a name everyone loves - it was Louise in the 90s, Sarah in the 80s," Ms Strum continued.

"Olivia is a great pick as a timeless name, but we are seeing fewer and fewer Olivias being born. People are now looking for more unique names."

She said the "traditional top hitters" always make the list, but beneath those are names influenced by popular culture.

Examples include Margot, after Hollywood actress Margot Robbie, and Otis, a character from the popular Netflix series Sex Education.

"Parents are taking inspiration from the world around them and following their passions," Ms Strum explained.

But when it comes to boys, she said British parents tend to be "traditional namers", as an attempt to "set them up to succeed in the workplace".

She added that names that were once popular over a century ago are becoming so once more.

"Arthur is now in the top 10 names - that wouldnt have been [the case] 15 years ago."

This is known as the 100-year rule, according to Clare Green, another expert who writes for baby-naming website Nameberry.

"We tend to use names which are just old enough not to be a grandparent name, but the generation up," she said.

"Theyre outside living memory and part of the love for all things vintage."

It is because of this that we might see a resurgence of names like Susan or Roger in the next generation, she added.

Names relating to nature also made the list of most popular names, with Lily, Poppy and Ivy among the top 10.

Ms Green said that names like these are "evergreen" - mainstays in the top 100 for years.

But are there any that surprised her this year?

"In some ways, it is the names that people feel are a bit dated, like Jessica, but are still in the top 100 list," she says.

Names given to baby boys fewer than five times in 2024 include Awesome, Cuthbert, Crispin and Beckham.

Names given to baby girls fewer than five times include Sicily, Everest, Orchid and Poem.