The name Muhammad has become the most popular among newborns in Europe

The name Muhammad has become the most popular among newborns in Europe

According to the statistical service World of Statistics and national bureaus, the name Muhammad and its variants are confidently leading in the ratings of male names in the largest cities of the European Union and the UK.

According to the publication of the World of Statistics account on the social network X, the name Muhammad took first place among the names for newborn boys in London, Manchester, Berlin, Brussels, The Hague, Amsterdam and Oslo. At the same time, the traditional name Jan remains the most popular in Warsaw, which distinguishes the Polish capital from Western European metropolises.

Especially impressive statistics were recorded in the UK. According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2024 in England and Wales, 5,721 babies received the name Muhammad (in this spelling) - this is 23% more than a year earlier. The name surpasses the traditional favourites Noah and Oliver for the second year in a row. Taking into account the different spellings (Mohamed, Mohammad, etc.), almost 3% of all newborn boys in the region receive the name of the prophet.

Austria became the record holder in terms of growth rates: for a quarter of a century, the number of newborns with this name increased by 732%. Today, every two hundredth Austrian baby is Muhammad. In Ireland, the increase was 372%, in France - 127%, in Belgium every hundredth newborn receives a name.

Nevertheless, it is obvious: the name Muhammad has firmly entered the European name, becoming one of the most striking markers of demographic changes on the continent.