Baby names: The most popular boys’ and girls’ names of 2024 - baby naming experts take a look at the trends
Watch as reporters Iona May Todd and Duncan Falconer talk through the most popular baby names in England and Wales for 2024, published by the ONS.
The most popular baby names in England and Wales for 2024 have been revealed and there are some notable newcomers.
Athena and Yahya have entered the top 100 names for the first time as published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
For boys Muhammad holds the top spot for the second year in a row followed by Noah and then Oliver, mirroring last year's rankings.
Muhammad was the most popular boys’ name in five of England's nine regions, though it was only ranked 57th in Wales.
On the girls side, Olivia and Amelia remain in the top two as they have for the past three years.
Lily has now moved into third, overtaking Isla.
In total, 2,761 baby girls were named Olivia in 2024, making it the most popular name in seven English regions and in Wales.
Baby naming expert SJ Strum, author of Baby Name Envy, says she wasn't surprised to see Olivia top the list again, but admits she was a little disappointed.
“It's a name everyone loves. It was Louise in the 90s, Sarah in the 80s”, she said.
"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."
Strum says that while traditional names continue to dominate, many parents are increasingly influenced by pop culture.
She points to names like Margot which may have risen in popularity thanks to actress Margot Robbie and Otis from the hit Netflix show Sex Education.
It's said that parents are taking inspiration from the world around them in following their passions.
When it comes to boys, it's said British parents remain largely “traditional namers”, aiming to “set them up to succeed in the workplace”.
Old-fashioned names are also making a comeback.
Arthur, for example, is now in the top 10, a name that wouldn't have featured so highly 15 years ago.
This trend’s part of what baby name expert Clare Green from the site Nameberry calls the 100 year rule.
She said we tend to use names which are just old enough not to be a grandparent name, but maybe the next generation up from them.
They're outside living memory and part of the love for all things vintage.
Because of that, she said, we might start seeing names like Susan or even Roger appear in the next generation.
Names inspired by nature are also holding strong with Lily, Poppy and Ivy all landing in the girls top 10.
Top 10 names for baby girls in England and Wales in 2024
Olivia 2,761 (-145; 2,906)
Amelia 2,448 (-215; 2,663)
Lily 2,185 (-105; 2,290)
Isla 2,056 (-281; 2,337)
Ivy 1,956 (-41; 1,997)
Florence 1,936 (+37; 1,899)
Freya 1,929 (-157; 2,086)
Poppy 1,888 (+133; 1,755)
Ava 1,774 (-276; 2,050)
Elsie 1,727 (+65; 1,662)
Top 10 names for baby boys in England and Wales in 2024
Muhammad 5,721 (+1,060; 4,661)
Noah 4,139 (-243; 4,382)
Oliver 3,492 (-64; 3,556)
Arthur 3,368 (-19; 3,387)
Leo 3,324 (-92; 3,416)
George 3,257 (-237; 3,494)
Luca 2,814 (-381; 3,195)
Theodore 2,761 (+95; 2,666)
Oscar 2,747 (+115; 2,632)
Archie 2,575 (+175; 2,400)