Children's wear retailer JoJo Maman Bébé has analysed the last decade of ONS birth data for England and Wales to identify the fastest and most consistently growing baby names for boys and girls.
Pop culture and celebrity influences
Using birth data for England and Wales from 1996 to 2025, researchers calculated each name's average annual rate of change over the past decade. Names linked to well-known celebrities and TV characters are among the fastest risers. Dua is growing by 22.8% each year, likely helped by the success of Dua Lipa. Daphne has climbed since the release of Netflix's Bridgerton, while Otis, the name of the lead character in Sex Education, has also become an increasingly popular choice with parents.
New influences and traditional favourites
The analysis suggests parents are looking beyond traditional British names. French name Maeva tops the girls list, while Irish favourite Maeve is also proving increasingly popular. For boys, French name Remy and Italian name Enzo are climbing the rankings.
Traditional names still attract modern parents, particularly for girls, with Mabel and Winnie continuing to grow in popularity. Names linked to the outdoors and the night's sky are also gaining ground: Nova is growing by 20.7% each year, while Oakley is the fastest-rising boys' name overall and River features among the biggest climbers.
Fastest-growing girls' names
- Maeva – 69.1%
- Maeve – 47.5%
- Raya – 29.2%
- Dua – 22.8%
- Ayra – 20.7%
- Nova – 20.7%
- Daphne – 20.4%
- Mabel – 20.1%
- Winnie – 19.5%
- Ottilie – 17.8%
Fastest-growing boys' names
- Oakley – 16.8%
- Remy – 15.9%
- Otis – 15.7%
- Hudson – 15.6%
- Axel – 15.0%
- Luca – 14.6%
- Enzo – 14.3%
- River – 12.8%
- Otto – 12.4%
- Zion – 12.1%
What the retailer says
Anne Varsanyi, Head of Buying at JoJo Maman Bébé, said: "Choosing a baby's name is one of the first opportunities parents have to express something about their family, whether that's honouring tradition, celebrating heritage or simply choosing a name they love. What's particularly fascinating about this year's data is seeing how quickly tastes can change. Some names that once filled classrooms have become increasingly rare, while others that were barely heard a generation ago are now among the country's favourites."
