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Most Popular Baby Boy Names in England & Wales (All Time)

This list ranks the top baby boy names in England & Wales by total births across all years of Office for National Statistics (ONS) records. This is a long-term view of naming patterns, not just recent trends.

Use it when you want classic or traditional names — widely used names that have stayed in favor over time. If you prefer modern or unique options, check our year-by-year or fastest-rising reports instead. This type of ranking suits parents who value timeless recognition over novelty.

Key insights

The most widely used name is Jack, with 188,738 total births. It has stayed at the top for decades, not just recently. Here are a few key metrics for the full list:

  • #1 share of top 100: 3.6%
  • Gap #1 vs #10: 1.7x
  • Gap #1 vs #50: 4.8x
  • Top 10 share: 26.8% of total births in the ranking
  • Total births in top 100: 5,233,244

Visual overview

Top 10 by total births

Jack
188,738 births
Thomas
160,894 births
Oliver
157,197 births
Joshua
145,189 births
James
141,878 births
Harry
141,693 births
George
121,258 births
Daniel
120,900 births
William
117,982 births
Samuel
108,505 births
Cumulative births across all years

How the ranking works

Names are ranked by total births across all years of official records. More births means a higher rank. Classic names that have stayed in use for decades rank higher.

How this list can help you:

  • Top of the list — classic, safest, most established names
  • Middle of the list — familiar, but less common today
  • Looking for something unique? Explore our fastest rising names or year-by-year reports

Full ranking

Scroll down for the full list. The table below shows the complete all-time ranking based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) birth data.

#NameTotal birthsPeak years
1Jack188,7381996, 1997, 1998…
2Thomas160,8941998, 1999, 2000…
3Oliver157,1972009, 2010, 2013…
4Joshua145,1892002, 2003, 2004…
5James141,8781997
6Harry141,6932011, 2012
7George121,2582018, 2019, 2020
8Daniel120,9001996
9William117,9822006, 2010
10Samuel108,5052004
11Charlie104,7612012
12Joseph102,2592000
13Jacob93,7542013, 2014
14Benjamin90,4122002
15Alfie86,5402009, 2010, 2011
16Alexander85,5251996
17Matthew80,9311996, 1997, 1998…
18Ethan77,3942011
19Mohammed74,3162008, 2009
20Noah72,5962021, 2022
21Luke72,2471997, 2000, 2001
22Muhammad72,2232023, 2024
23Adam71,8551996, 2001
24Lewis69,5552001
25Ryan68,6921996
26Oscar67,4952013, 2020, 2022
27Jake66,8962006
28Callum65,7961998
29Henry65,1772021, 2023
30Leo63,2492022, 2023, 2024
31Dylan60,8362010
32Liam60,4821996
33Archie59,9652020, 2021
34Max59,8072012
35Edward53,2122016, 2017
36Connor53,0721998
37Isaac49,1292015, 2016, 2018
38Lucas49,0612009
39Michael47,0751996
40Freddie46,9452022
41Nathan46,8602002
42Harrison45,9582007
43Arthur43,5862020
44Finley42,4102020
45Tyler42,1412012
46Jamie41,2431996
47Logan40,7712017
48Theo40,5942022
49Cameron40,3942001, 2003
50Mason38,9352013
51Riley37,9862012
52David37,8521996
53Jordan36,7501997, 1998
54Aaron36,3661998
55Ben36,3562002
56Louis35,8982004
57Harvey35,6482005
58Owen33,5172002
59Charles33,0911998, 1999
60Sebastian33,0082018
61Alex32,7292002, 2003
62Toby32,4822014
63Kieran30,4291996, 1998
64Luca30,3232023, 2024
65Bradley30,2301997
66Theodore30,2112022, 2023, 2024
67Zachary29,3622013, 2016
68Jayden28,9212009, 2010
69Kyle28,4631996, 1999, 2004
70Robert27,4621996
71Christopher26,8491996
72Brandon26,4051999
73Mohammad25,9102024
74Tommy25,3002020
75Reuben25,1222024
76Kai24,4322003, 2010, 2011
77Rhys24,4182006, 2008
78Reece24,3292000
79Louie24,2422024
80Jude24,1562024
81Elliot23,4501997
82Elijah22,3692024
83Leon22,3082009, 2010
84John22,2371996
85Harley22,0952014
86Rory21,8702024
87Sam20,8891996, 1997
88Teddy20,7812022
89Gabriel20,5812018
90Dominic20,4801996
91Andrew20,1691996
92Frederick19,8662024
93Ellis19,3582019
94Joe19,1641997
95Arlo19,0612023
96Joel19,0042001
97Hugo18,7792021
98Billy18,6081998
99Finlay17,8792005
100Kian17,6662014

Click any name to see its history, meaning, origin, and trends over time.

Interpretation for parents

These names have stood the test of time. Many peaked in specific decades and still carry that association today. Some may feel classic and stable, while others can sound tied to older generations — but many eventually return as trends cycle.

If you want a timeless and widely recognized name, focus on the top of the list. If you prefer something familiar but less common today, the middle ranks often offer better balance. For distinctive options, see our fastest rising or falling reports.

About the data

This analysis is based on official Office for National Statistics (ONS) birth statistics across all available years.

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