While not a single British baby was named after Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2024, 583 families chose to name their sons Yahya—the same first name as the Hamas leader who orchestrated the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust on October 7, 2023.

Official figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show Yahya rocketed 33 places to rank 93rd among the most popular baby names in England and Wales, representing the largest jump of any name in the top 100.

Muhammad claimed the top spot for the second consecutive year with 5,721 boys receiving the name, followed by Noah and Oliver.

Government statisticians compile baby name rankings using exact spellings from birth registration data.

Three variants of Muhammad appeared in the top 100, with Mohammed ranking 21st (1,760 babies) and Mohammad placing 53rd (986 babies).

Combined, more than 8,400 boys received some spelling of the name. Meanwhile, Vinnie claimed second place for biggest ranking jump, climbing 20 spots to 91st with 585 babies.

Political commentator Douglas Murray questioned on social media: “Of course Muhammad remains the most popular boy’s name in the UK. But why might ‘Yahya’ have entered the top names for newborn Brits in the past year?”

Image - Reuters