The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released its annual analysis of first names given to newborns in 2025, revealing Olivia and Muhammad as the most popular names for girls and boys respectively. This marks the 10th consecutive year Olivia has topped the girls' chart, and the third year for Muhammad.
An interactive widget allows users to see how many people share their name, or any name, and how its popularity has changed over the years.
Top Names Across Greater Manchester
Across Greater Manchester boroughs, Muhammad was the most popular boys' name in every borough except Wigan, where Noah took the top spot. For girls, the top names varied by borough, with Maryam leading in Bolton and Manchester, and Olivia in Oldham.
The figures show significant shifts in name popularity over the past decade. Only four of the top 10 boys' names in 2015 remained in the top 10 in 2025, while five girls' names did the same.
Rises and Falls in Popularity
Oliver, the top boys' name in 2015, has dropped to 6th place, while Jack fell from 2nd to 24th. Jacob saw the biggest drop for boys, going from 5th to 41st. For girls, Jessica fell from 7th place with almost 3,000 newborns in 2015 to just 360 in 2025, leaving it in 139th place. Ella dropped from 6th to 46th, and Emily from 3rd to 44th.
The biggest climber into the top 10 is the boys' name Luca, which rose from 53rd in 2015 to 4th in 2025. Theodore moved from 45th to 9th, and Arthur from 37th to 5th. For girls, Ivy climbed from 42nd to 9th, and Elsie from 33rd to 8th.
Most Popular Names of 2025
The top five boys' names in 2025 were Muhammad (5,957), Noah (4,075), Leo (3,278), Luca (3,266), and Arthur (3,211). The top five girls' names were Olivia (2,386), Lily (2,249), Amelia (2,153), Isla (1,959), and Florence (1,924).
In Greater Manchester, the most popular boys' names by borough included Muhammad in Bolton (180), Bury (57), Manchester (240), Oldham (166), Rochdale (96), Salford (24), Stockport (30), Tameside (62), and Trafford (23), with Noah leading in Wigan (37). For girls, top names included Maryam in Bolton (29) and Manchester (35), Florence in Bury (11), Olivia in Oldham (14), Amelia in Rochdale (14), Chaya and Lily in Salford (10), Daisy, Elodie, and Isla in Stockport (15), Isla in Tameside (15), Isla, Orla, Phoebe, Sofia, and Sophia in Trafford (10), and Poppy in Wigan (16).
