New research has identified the baby names rising fastest in popularity in England and Wales, with Maeva and Oakley heading the lists.
Data behind the rankings
Children's wear retailer JoJo Maman Bébé analysed the last decade of Office of National Statistics (ONS) birth data for England and Wales to find the fastest and most consistently growing names for boys and girls.
Based on birth data from 1996 to 2025, researchers looked at each name's average annual rate of change over the last decade to identify which ones were consistently growing in popularity.
What the experts say
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."
She added: "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."
Pop culture's influence
Pop culture appears to be playing a major role in shaping parental choices, with several names linked to celebrities and popular TV characters among the biggest climbers. Dua has increased by an average of 22.8% a year, a trend linked to the success of pop star Dua Lipa. Daphne has risen sharply since Bridgerton arrived on Netflix, while Otis, the name of the central character in Sex Education, has continued to gain favour.
Fastest-rising 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-rising 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%
