New and unique baby names have made their way into this year’s top 10 so far, with Elsie making a giant leap, and Sophie falling right down the pecking order
Choosing the ideal name for your newborn is a monumental task for any new parent. It’s crucial to find a name that both you and your partner adore, but it also needs to be fitting for your little one.
There’s been an uptick in unique names, but expectant parents should tread carefully to avoid choosing something overly eccentric that might cause their child issues down the line.
This is why lists of the most favoured baby names often feature timeless, classic names that never seem to fall out of favour.
Old-fashioned names are poised for a resurgence as parents gravitate back towards traditional monikers for their infants. However, a contemporary trend has seen some individuals naming their offspring after murderers, possibly inadvertently after hearing these names in true crime television series.
READ MORE: Savvy shoppers save £100 on permanent hair removal gadget plus an extra 20% off
While we usually spot patterns in names over time or in yearly summaries, these names do fluctuate throughout each year, reports the Daily Record.
The specialists at Baby Centre UK have unveiled their list of the most popular baby names for 2025 thus far, now that we’re beyond the year’s midpoint.
For boys, there hasn’t been much upheaval at the top. In fact, the top six names remained unchanged, with just one new entry sneaking into tenth place.
Muhammed continues to hold the title of the most popular boys’ name in the UK for 2025, followed by Noah, Leo, Theo, and Oliver rounding off the top five.
Arthur remains in sixth, with Luca advancing one spot to seventh and Ethan now in eighth, having overtaken George, who stays in ninth.
The only significant change is Freddie, ascending from 13th to claim the final position in the top 10, replacing Oscar, which plummeted six places down to 13th.
In terms of the biggest movers at the top end, Liam climbed 10 places up to 11th, and James dropped 15 places down to 50th. The most dramatic movers overall were Finn, plunging 42 spots to 98, and Myles, leaping 21 places to 70.
A total of 11 new names broke into the top 100, with Austin (67th), Musa (77th), and Hugo (79th) placing highest.
When it comes to the girls’ names, there was a lot more movement in and around the top 10. Amelia managed to hold onto top spot, but every other slot had a new moniker.
Olivia and Lily swapped places, with the former taking second spot. Ivy, Maya, and Mia ascended to fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively, with Isla dropping down to seventh.
Poppy jumped one place to eighth, while Freya climbed four spots into ninth and Elsie made a massive leap of 21 spots to take the final place in the top 10.
Further down the rankings, Ayla and Emily both moved up 10 places to 19th and 27th, while Hallie (up 17), Eloise (up 18), Jasmine (up 20), and Gianna (up 23) all made substantial gains. Violet’s 29 place climb from 78 to 49 was the biggest mover.
The traditional girls’ name, Sophie, has seen the most significant drop in popularity this year, plummeting 25 places to rank 55th. This seems to be a trend for 2025, with classic names such as Elizabeth (down 12), Anna (down 20), and Emma (down 22) all experiencing a decline.
Eight fresh names have made their debut in the top 100 halfway through 2025, with Lara, Nora, and Bean securing the highest positions from 80-82. Intriguingly, Bean also made an appearance on the boys’ list, coming in at 88th.
A noticeable trend emerging in 2025 is the preference for celestial-themed girls’ names, with Nove (76th), Arabella (46th), and Hallie (50th) all gaining popularity.
Parents also seem to favour bold, modern names beginning with ‘Z’. For boys, Zion (74th) and Zayne (94th) made the cut, while Zoe (34th) and Zara (37th) featured in the upper half of the girls’ list.
The top 10 boys’ names for 2025 so far are:
1. Muhammed.
2. Noah.
3. Leo.
4. Theo.
5. Oliver.
6. Arthur.
7. Luca (+1 place).
8. Ethan (+2).
9. George.
10. Freddie (+3).
And the top 10 girls’ names for 2025 so far are:
1. Amelia.
2. Olivia (+1).
3. Lily (-1).
4. Ivy (+1).
5. Maya (+2).
6. Mia (+2).
7. Isla (-3).
8. Poppy (+1).
9. Freya (+4).
10. Elsie (+21).