Why 'Mohammed' Was Thought To Be The Most Popular Name For Baby Boys This Year In UK
For a while, Mohammed became the "most popular name" for 2014 newborn boys in U.K.--but only in some media circles. That was because of a "survey" and announcement by BabyCentre.co.uk.
The website explained that the name could be written as Muhammed, Mohammed or Muhammad after the prophet. If the variation in spellings is overlooked, the name sees a surge in popularity by 27 ranks over last year's list, and is the most popular name for baby boys in Britain, it declared. The news caught on, and became viral as a number of publications reported the startling fact.
However, the name became more popular in the media than among parents, as it turned out that the list was compiled by the BabyCentre.co.uk based only on a sample of its 56,157 users. It did not refer to the official statistics available. Muhammed may still not top the charts in the near future, as the Muslims currently constitute only 4.8 percent of the population in the country, according to The Guardian.com. The official lists make it clear that Muhammad is the 15th most popular boys' name in England and Wales and the 52nd most popular in Scotland in 2013.
Other publications made their own "surveys" with some errors. Some websites had pointed out that if the different variations of Muhammad/Mohammed and Mohammad are added, the name tops the chart with 7,445 counts. However, refuting this point, The Guardian says that spelling variations should be noted even in other names then. Hence, Oliver and Ollie (7,749) or Harry and Henry (9,136) would overshadow Muhammed.
The actual list of the top 10 boys' baby names in England and Wales, according to official government figures from the Office for National Statistics are the following. For boys, the array reads as Oliver, Jack, Harry, Jacob, Charlie, Thomas, Oscar, William, James and George. The list for girls shows Amelia, Olivia, Emily, Ava Isla, Jessica, Poppy, Isabella, Sophie and Mia as the top ten popular names.
Although it cannot be ruled out that Muhammad might become the most popular name at some point, that fact has more to do with "cultural trends" rather than "immigration" according to The Guardian. Most parents tend to go for diversity of names for their children, even as Muslims prefer to opt for Muhammad.
That name is usually given for a first-born boy in a Muslim family, according to the managing editor of BabyCentre.co.uk, Sarah Redshaw. Meanwhile, in her own list, she says that while parents like to opt for celebrity names, the royal monikers showed a dip in popularity. Hence, George was less opted for this year due to Prince George, son of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2013. That is mainly because Kate and William get a lot of attention. Sarah Redshaw, explains that perhaps parents don't want to be asked if they named their baby after Prince George.
