Noah leads Welsh baby names in 2025
Noah has once again been crowned the most popular boys' name in Wales for 2025, marking its sixth consecutive year at the top, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The name was given to 218 newborns across the country, significantly outpacing all other choices.
The ONS compiles the annual list using birth registration data, capturing exact spellings as recorded. Similar names with different spellings are counted separately, ensuring precision in the rankings.
Top five and traditional Welsh names
Following Noah, the second most popular name was Luca with 186 registrations, Theo with 176, and Arthur with 169. The top five was completed by Freddie, which saw 164 babies named. Traditional Welsh names also featured prominently: Osian ranked 16th, Macsen 17th, Harri 25th, and Jac 27th.
The name Noah, of Hebrew origin, primarily means 'rest' or 'comfort' and is associated with the biblical figure who built the ark to survive the Great Flood.
Comparison with England and Wales combined list
In the combined list for England and Wales in 2025, Muhammad took the top spot for boys, with Noah coming in second. However, in Wales alone, Muhammad ranked only 34th. The ONS noted that Muhammad was the most popular boys' name in four out of nine English regions, illustrating a stark regional variation.
Other traditional Welsh names in the top 30 included Dylan (31st), Ellis (36th), Idris (37th), and Tomos (42nd).
Full top 100 list for Wales
The complete top 100 boys' names in Wales for 2025 are as follows: Noah, Luca, Theo, Arthur, Freddie, Oliver, George, Leo, Archie, Osian, Rowan, Macsen, Arlo, Oscar, Alfie, Oakley, Albie, Elijah, Reuben, Theodore, Harri, Rory, Jude, Finkey, Hudson, Henry, Jac, Roman, Tommy, Reggie, William, Charlie, Sonny, Ezra, Muhammad, Dylan, Elia, Harrison, Jacob, Myles, Teddy, Harry, Jack, Thomas, Ronnie, Max, Louie, Hugo, Isaac, Jesse, Ellis, James, Idris, Jasper, Otis, Lucas, Tomos, Edward, Hunter, Logan, Vinnie, Frankie, Toby, Louis, Caleb, Emrys, Ruben, Elias, Finn, Mason, Adam, Carter, Sebastian, Alexander, Ethan, Zachary, Enzo, Joseph, Riley, Ollie, Austin, Bodhi, Cai, Jaxon, Koa, Tobias, Brody, Daniel, David, Eli, Evan, Grayson, Rupert, Jackson, Morgan, Albert, Cooper, Dewi, Gruffydd, Samuel.
The ONS emphasised that the rankings reflect exact spellings at registration, meaning variations like 'Harri' and 'Harry' are counted separately. For more details, the full England and Wales dataset is available on the ONS website.
