Mohammed the lad leaps up league of names

By Alexandra Frean, Social Affairs Correspondent

MOHAMMED was the fifth most popular boys’ name in England and Wales in 2004, according to new government data that also illustrates the growing cultural diversity of England and Wales.

The official annual survey of all 620,000 births registered in 2004 reveals that Jack and Emily were the most popular names given to babies in 2004. Jack has now been the top boys’ name for ten years while Emily has been most popular for two years.

This year’s chart shows a number of new developments, including a big rise in popularity of the Muslim name Mohammed for boys and the first appearance in the girls’ list of the American name Madison.

Mohammed made it into the top 20 for the first time in 2004, up two places from 2003. But when all 16 spellings (including Muhammad and Mohammad) of the name are added up, it moves to fifth place in the chart, close behind Jack, Joshua, Thomas and James.

In 2004 5,358 babies were named Mohammed (or another spelling of it). Fifty years ago there were 604.

According to the 2001 census Islam was the second most popular religion after Christianity, with more than 1.5 million Muslims in England and Wales, or 3.1 per cent of the population.

There are no specifically Muslim girls’ names in the top 50 — perhaps because in most cultures there tends to be a bigger pool of girls’ names to draw from. The first possible Muslim entrant in the girls’ list is Alisha, at 61, followed by Aaliyah at 113 and Aisha at 122.

The table also shows, however, the extent to which the pool of boys’ names is now widening. In 1944, 30,000 babies were called John, the top boys’ name. But in 2004 there were just 7,521 Jacks, the top name.

The glamour of Hollywood has had a large impact on this year’s list. Among the big climbers are Keira (up 100 places to 53) and Kiera (up 30 to 94). One of Britain’s leading actresses, Keira Knightley, may have been partly responsible for the name’s huge rise in popularity. Knightley has used both spellings, changing her name from Kiera to Keira to make it easier for a worldwide audience to say.

Officials at the Office for National Statistics were more puzzled, however, about the first appearance of Madison as a name for girls in the Top 50.

“Following Brooklyn Beckham, it might just be part of a trend for people to name their children after places in America,” a spokesman said.

Another possible explanation is that it derives from the Hollywood film Splash! starring Daryl Hannah as a mermaid named Madison. When the film was released in 1984, it sparked a frenzy for the name Madison in the United States.

It is possible that adults who loved the film as a child might now be giving the name a second boost, as they start producing their own daughters.

The Hollywood effect is not just limited to girls. Ashton has shot up the boys’ list after the success of Demi Moore’s actor boyfriend, Ashton Kutcher.

Tony Blair’s decision to name his youngest child Leo appears also to have been a popular one with the public: Leo is up 22 places to 57.

David dropped out of the top 50 for the first time in more than 60 years, a reflection possibly of the declining fortunes of Messrs Beckham and Blunkett. John, which fell out of the Top 50 names in 1999, now does not even make it into the Top 100.

THE GAME OF THE NAME IN ENGLAND . . .

Boys
1 Jack
2 Joshua
3 Thomas
4 James
5 Daniel
6 Samuel
7 Oliver
8 William
9 Benjamin
10 Joseph

Girls
1 Emily
2 Ellie
3 Jessica
4 Sophie
5 Chloe
6 Lucy
7 Olivia
8 Charlotte
9 Katie
10 Megan

. . . AND IN SCOTLAND

Boys
1 Lewis
2 Jack
3 James
4 Cameron
5 Ryan
6 Liam
7 Jamie
8 Ben
9 Kyle
10 Callum

Girls
1 Emma
2 Sophie
3 Ellie
4 Amy
5 Chloe
6 Katie
7 Erin
8 Emily
9 Lucy
10 Hannah