Fatima and Muhammad were the most popular baby names among Greater Manchester parents in 2023, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
There were more than 650 boys named Muhammad across the region while 62 girls were given the name Fatima.
Muhammad became England’s most popular baby boys’ name for the first time in 2023. But it has been Manchester’s top boys’ name for several years.
In 2023, it was the most popular boys’ name in eight of Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs.
The name Fatima has grown in popularity since 2022. Isla and Olivia were Greater Manchester’s most popular girls’s names in 2022 while Fatima was the name of choice in the city centre alone.
Phoebe and Grace made the list in 2023, as top girls names in Bury and Trafford respectively.
The name Khadijah appeared as joint-most popular girls name in Bolton in 2023, perhaps inspired by Manchester City footballer Khadija Shaw.
Sports stars will have a big impact on baby names in 2025, according to research by British name label manufacturer mynametags.com.
Lars B Andersen, managing director at mynametags.com said 2024’s big cultural moments, like the Paris Olympics and the Euros, will be at the forefront of expecting parents’ minds.
Google searches for the name Jude peaked this July following England star Jude Bellingham’s successful summer in the Euros.
Searches for the name Adam increased by 73% this year, after Olympian Adam Peaty announced his retirement.
Experts at mynametags.com also predicted viral musicians will have a big influence on baby names in 2025.
Andersen said: “We have been tracking name trends for over two decades and know how parents are often influenced by TV, film, and pop culture.
“However, 2024 has been the year of the viral musician, and we expect this to strongly impact 2025 baby names as Brits look to take inspiration from new icons.”
The name Sabrina, inspired by singer Sabrina Carpenter, is predicted to spike in 2025, with Google searches for the name increasing by 65% since the release of the singer’s viral song Espresso.
The names Charli, Teddy and Gracie are also set to rise, inspired by hit musicians Charli XCX, Teddy Swims and Gracie Abrams.
Featured image: Holding baby’s hand by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash liscence
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