Khan and Ahmed enter top 10 baby surnames in England and Wales

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 22:32 · Archive

Khan, Ahmed and Ali have entered the top 10 most common surnames for newborns in England and Wales, displacing traditional British names.

Data obtained by the Daily Mail from the Office for National Statistics shows substantial changes in the most common surnames for babies born in England and Wales over the past three decades. In 1996, the top ten were dominated by traditionally British surnames: Smith, Jones, Williams, Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson. By 2025, the list has shifted markedly, with Smith, Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Jones, Hussain, Singh, Williams, Patel and Kaur now ranking highest.

The decline of traditionally British surnames has been sharp. Jones has fallen 43 per cent in popularity, whilst Williams has experienced a similar drop and now ranks eighth. Other surnames that were common in the 1990s now rank between 11th and 17th. By contrast, Khan, Ahmed and Ali have all roughly doubled in popularity. Singh and Kaur, surnames traditionally taken by Sikh men and women, have risen at least five-fold.

Britain's surnames are also becoming more varied overall. More than 23,400 different surnames were recorded among babies born in 2025, up from 21,600 three decades earlier. Only 23 surnames were given to 1,000 or more babies last year, compared with 57 in 1996. The data covers births registered in England and Wales and excludes surnames with a count of two or fewer. The data uses exact spelling, meaning variations of the same surname appear separately.

How it is being reported

• Fears traditional British surnames will die out as Khan, Ahmed and Ali enter top 10 in England and WalesTraditional British surnames could be dying out as they make way for names such as Khan, Ahmed and Ali. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has revealed a striking decline in traditionally British surnames among newborns across England and Wales. The figures, seen by the Daily Mail, span roughly three decades and paint a picture of profound change in the nation's demographic makeup. Surnames that once dominated birth registrations - quintessentially British names passed down through generations - have seen sharp falls in prevalence. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Meanwhile, surnames…GB News · 13 Oct, 22:15
• How traditional British surnames are dying out: Khan, Ahmed and Ali enter top 10 baby names and replace Taylor, Brown and JohnsonTraditional British surnames are dying out, data exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail reveals.Daily Mail · 13 Oct, 16:41

In this story: England and Wales · Office for National Statistics · Daily Mail

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