This Morning’s Ben Shephard interrupted the show to share some “breaking” baby news as the latest 2025 list of popular baby names was unveiled – essential reading for any soon-to-be parents in need of name inspiration.
The Tipping Point presenter, 49, highlighted that Olivia remains a firm favourite for girls, topping the charts in England and Wales for another year, the Mirror reports.
Ben declared: “Now then, breaking naming news. The UK’s top baby names have been revealed. Olivia is the most popular name for baby girls in England and Wales for the eighth year in a row.”
He continued, confirming: “Amelia and Isla came in second and third,” while his co-host Cat revealed that Mohammed has become the preferred choice for boys’ names. She informed the viewers: “Mohammed knocked Noah off the top spot, having been the most second popular name the year prior.
“The name Benjamin still holds its own,” noted Ben, with a hint of pride, “Yeah, Benjamin came in at 53rd on the list.”
Cat met his claim with skepticism, questioning if being 53rd was really something to celebrate. Unperturbed, Ben proceeded to break the not so cheerful news to Catherine’s across the country: “There’s some bad news for Catherine’s though, you didn’t make the top 100.”
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But Cat retaliated with a cheeky comeback, asserting her uniqueness: “I’m just rare; I’m like a rare exotic bird.” Showing concern, Ben responded: “I think you’re going the same way as the Nigels. There were only 78 Catherines named last year.”
Cat and Ben had been discussing the data published on 5 December by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which revealed that Olivia was the most popular name in five regions across England and Wales, with Mohammed taking the top spot in four out of nine regions.
The report indicated Noah had now slipped to second place on the list. Muhammad had been the second most popular boys’ name in 2022 after ranking up from fifth place in 2021 but has been a top ten staple since 2016. Ahead of the official data being announced, there had been lots of hype about vintage names making a comeback.
Baby name consultant Colleen Slagen, working in partnership with baby retailer JoJo Maman Bébé, predicted that classic baby names would be popular in 2025.
Colleen said: “Look out for Margot in 2025 as people are looking for feminine, classic-sounding [names like] Margot, Eloise, and Vivian. I think we’ll start seeing more traditional male names being chosen for girls such as Drew, Noah and Dylan.”
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