The most common baby name in every London borough
Each year the Office of National Statistics (ONS) releases the data on the country's most popular baby names from the previous year. The results from 2024 have just been unveiled – here's what parents in London were naming their sprogs in 2024.
Last year, parents in Camden, Kensington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Kingston and Wandsworth were all naming their little girls Olivia, while in Barking & Dagenham, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Southwark and more, the most common girls' name was Amelia. Fourteen London boroughs were topped by Amelias in 2024, double from seven the year before.
For boys, the most popular boys name across the city was Muhammad, with that name taking the top spot in Barking & Dagenham, Croydon, Ealing, Hounslow, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. But parents in Barnet, Enfield, Greenwich, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Kensington & Chelsea, Wandsworth and more were most likely to call their boys Alexander. Alexanders climbed the ranks in 2024 after only topping one London borough in 2023, now growing to eight.
In Hackney Sarah made a comeback for girls, while the most common boys' name was Moshe. For Islington, the number one name was Emily for girls, and Henry or Oliver for boys. Leo was the most popular name for baby boys in Camden, while most of the girls in Barnet were named Maya.
Meanwhile Noah seems to have fallen out of trend: in 2022 Noah was the most popular boys' name in 13 London boroughs, dropping to nine in 2023. However in 2024 Noah didn't top any locations, though it did come second overall.
Most popular baby names for each London borough
Barking & Dagenham – Amelia / Muhammad
Barnet – Maya / Alexander
Bexley – Grace / Harry
Brent – Maria / Adam
Bromley – Emily / Oliver
Camden – Olivia / Leo
Croydon – Amelia / Muhammad
Ealing – Amelia / Muhammad
Enfield – Amelia / Alexander
Greenwich – Amelia / Alexander
Hackney – Sarah / Moshe
Hammersmith & Fulham – Isabella / Alexander
Haringey – Amelia / Alexander
Harrow – Sofia / David
Havering – Olivia / Oliver
Hillingdon – Amelia / Harry
Hounslow – Amelia / Muhammad
Islington – Emily / Henry or Oliver
Kensington & Chelsea – Olivia / Alexander
Kingston – Olivia / Oliver
Lambeth – Olivia / Daniel
Lewisham – Olivia / Daniel
Merton – Amelia / Oliver
Newham – Amelia / Muhammad
Redbridge – Amelia / Muhammad
Richmond – Sophie / Oliver
Southwark – Amelia / David
Sutton – Amelia / Joshua
Tower Hamlets – Maryam / Mohammed
Waltham Forest – Amelia or Sophia / Muhammad
Wandsworth – Olivia / Alexander
Westminster – Sophia / Alexander
Rare white storks are coming back to London after being extinct for 600 years.
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