Office for National Statistics data shows that Khan is on track to replace Smith as the most popular surname for newborns, with other prominent names such as Taylor, Brown, and Evans also dying out. Smith is thought to have been the most common family name in England for centuries but has decreased in the last 30 years.
Changing popularity of surnames
Khan, which means leader or ruler and is a common name across South Asia and parts of the Middle East, is set to lead the way in 2027, with its popularity more than doubling in the last three decades. In 2025, England and Wales welcomed 4,102 babies with the surname Smith and 3,772 with the name Khan.
However, Smith's 4% average annual drop and Khan's 1.9% annual increase suggested that Smith will no longer be the most common family name from 2027, reports the Telegraph.
Top 10 surnames shift
The data also shows a huge change in the top 10 common surnames within the last 30 years. The likes of Taylor, Brown, and Evans all once featured as one of the most popular surnames but have now vanished from the top 10 list.
According to experts, the change has been driven by various factors including migration and differing fertility rates among people of different backgrounds. Nuni Jorgensen, researcher for Oxford University's Migration Observatory, explained that immigration from south Asian countries has particularly risen since 2021, and that "UK-born women have been having fewer babies" while "migrant mothers from these areas make up a bigger share of births".
Diversity and integration
She added: "Finally, some communities share a smaller number of surnames, which makes each one more common, although we do not have good data to show to what extent this applies to the names Khan or Smith."
Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future think tank, explained that the nation is becoming more diverse. He said: "These new Smiths and Khans will all go to school together in a few years, alongside children with many other surnames. The question isn't really whether Khans outnumber Smiths or vice-versa: it's how to ensure that they, and all of us, can live together well."
