Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

What's in a name? Top choices for Asian babies

What's in a name? Top choices for Asian babies

ONS data reveals popular picks among ethnic minority parents

THE most popular Muslim, Hindu and Sikh baby names in England and Wales have been revealed.


Among the top 100 boys names in 2020 were Adam, Ibrahim, Muhammad, Mohammed, Yusuf and Sonny, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Aisha, Jasmine, Zara, Maryam and Maya were among the trendiest 100 girls names, based on birth registration data for 2020.

Many Muslim families name their children after Islamic messengers including Muhammad, Adam and Ibrahim, as well as figures mentioned in the Qu’ran, such as Aisha and Maryam.

Muhammad was fifth overall and top in four regions of England.

Mohammed, which has also been inspired by sports figures including Liverpool footballer Mohamed Salah, was 32nd.

Kamran Uddin, a writer who works with mosques across England, told Eastern Eye, “Recently I’ve noticed a resurgence in the name Muhammad or Mohamed being adopted by Muslims.

“This could be to do with current sports superstars like footballer Mohamad Salah and Sir Mohammed Farah, the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history.

“Some Muslims will pick Anglicised-sounding names like Maria, Sarah and Hana.

“Asian families have a tendency to find names not already used by other children in the family, so they often have to think outside the box.”

Hindu names often originate from Sanskrit religious texts and the Hindi language. According to the Hindu Council UK, the most popular names for boys worldwide include Aarav, meaning peaceful; Arjun, which means bright; Dhruv, which translates as pole star; and Divansh, which means part of the divine light.

The organisation added that the most common girls’ names are Arya, which means wise; Aashi which means beautiful smile; Aarohi, which translates as a musical note; and Diya, which means lamp. Rajnish Kashyap, general secretary of Hindu Council UK, told Eastern Eye: “Families go to religious scriptures and the first letter of the alphabet and work it out that way. The birth chart also plays a part – the month they are born, the gd of that month and particular time.”

The Sikh tradition involves visiting the gurdwara with newborns to offer prayers and then opening a page (at random) of the Granth Sahib holy book.

The first letter of the first verse on the left hand page or a meaningful word on that page is often adopted. Some families also opt for names of Punjabi origin.

Harmander Singh, from the Sikhs in England think-tank, said: “Some are going back to old traditional names, 50-60 years ago from their grandparents [generation] to name their kid.

“Then there are modern names which mean nothing, but sound good, a mixture of common names. There are a lot of Anglicised names like Peter Singh or Johnny given at birth. Those in mixed marriages are likely to go for mixed names as well.

“There are concerns from religious people at the dropping of identity, some people dropping Singh or Kaur (for females) at the end of their name, which is used to distinguish gender.”

Singh added: “Children close to their parents call their child Arjun Singh, Angad, Amrit – names of historical figures.

“My five-year-old grandson Harvir has a traditional name, but at school they call him ‘Harvey’.

“My grandaughter is called Ashleen, not a traditional Sikh name, it is Punjabi.”

The ONS data, published in October 2021, showed that Oliver and Olivia remained the most popular names for boys and girls, respectively, for the fifth consecutive year.

And mothers aged 35 years and over continued to choose more traditional names while younger mums went for more modern and shortened ones.

Siân Bradford, from the ONS, said: “Popular culture continues to provide inspiration for baby names, whether it’s characters in favourite shows or trending celebrities.”

More For You

ve-day-getty

VE Day 80 street parties, picnics and community get togethers are being encouraged to take place across the country as part of the Great British Food Festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

Public invited to attend VE Day 80 procession and flypast

THE 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day will be marked with a military procession in London on May 5.

The event will include over 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, youth groups, and uniformed services marching from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

Keep ReadingShow less
Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less