Most popular baby names in the UK for 2022

The new list coincides with a fall in the UK birth rate

Lily has been confirmed as the number one girl’s name for the second year in a row, while Muhammad is the most popular name for boys born in the UK, it has been revealed.

The annual list of the most popular names for girls and boys has been compiled and released by experts at BabyCentre, a digital resource for new parents.

According to the team, girls’ names have changed a little compared with previous years, while boys’ names have remained much the same.

Similarly to previous years, royal and high-profile events have influenced parents’ choices when it comes to naming their child.

For girls, Sophia is the second most popular name, while Olivia has fallen to third position after previously securing the top spot.

Amelia and Ava follow in fourth and fifth places respectively.

For boys, Noah is the second most favoured name for British parents to name their child, followed by Jack, Theo and Leo in third, fourth and fifth places.

Oliver – which has remained in a solid third place position for several years – has since dropped down the list, with Jack taking its place.

Freddie and Harry have both fallen from the top 10, while Ethan and Oscar have climbed the rankings to claim eighth and ninth places respectively.

Given the additional scrutiny on the royal family in the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, it’s no surprise that this has had a bearing on baby names.

Queen Elizabeth II (Getty Images)

Elizabeth went up two places, while William climbed 12 places from 41 to 29.

George, the name of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s eldest child, remains in the top 10, while the number one girls’ name, Lily, is a version of of both the queen’s nickname, Lilibet, and Harry and Meghan’s baby daughter.

Meanwhile, the number of registrations for Andrew plummeted amid controversies surrounding the prince.

And after years of remaining in the top 100 names for girls, Amber has also dropped off the list for the first time, perhaps a reflection of the recent high-profile court case involving Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.

The release comes amid new evidence that Britain’s birth rate is declining.

According to the latest census results for England and Wales, the population is growing, but at a much slower rate.

The soaring cost of having a child, including UK child-care fees – some of the highest in the world – is frequently cited as a major factor in a person’s decision not to start a family.

The top 20 girls’ names in 2022

1. Lily

2. Sophia

3. Olivia

4. Amelia

5. Ava

6. Isla

7. Freya

8. Aria

9. Ivy

10. Mia

11. Elsie

12. Emily

13. Ella

14. Grace

15. Isabella

16. Evie

17. Hannah

18. Luna

19. Maya

20. Daisy

The top 20 boys’ names in 2022

1. Muhammad

2. Noah

3. Jack

4. Theo

5. Leo

6. Oliver

7. George

8. Ethan

9. Oscar

10. Arthur

11. Charlie

12. Freddie

13. Harry

14. Zayn

15. Alfie

16. Finley

17. Henry

18. Luca

19. Thomas

20. Aiden