Children's wear retailer JoJo Maman Bébé has analysed the last decade of ONS (Office of National Statistics) birth data for England and Wales to find the fastest and most consistently growing names for boys and girls. The analysis, based on birth data from 1996 to 2025, looked at each name's average annual rate of change over the last decade.
Celebrity and TV Influences
Baby names linked to well-known celebrities and TV characters are among the fast risers. For boys, French name Remy and Italian name Enzo are climbing the rankings. However, traditional names are still attracting modern parents, particularly when naming girls - with Mabel and Winnie continuing to grow in popularity.
Names linked to the outdoors and the night's sky are also gaining in popularity. Nova is growing by 20.7% each year, while Oakley is the fastest-rising boys' name overall and River also features among the biggest climbers, suggesting the trend is showing no signs of slowing.
Top Growing Names
For girls, Dua is growing by 22.8% each year, likely helped by the success of singer 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.
Data also suggests parents are looking beyond traditional British names, with French name Maeva topping the girls list, and Irish favourite Maeve proving increasingly popular.
Top fastest growing boy names - growth rate per year:
- 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%
Top fastest growing girl names - growth rate per year:
- 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%
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."
