Traditional British Surnames Decline as New Names Enter Top 10
Data reveals a significant shift in the popularity of surnames for newborns in England and Wales over the past three decades.
Traditional British surnames are experiencing a decline in popularity, according to exclusive data obtained by the Daily Mail. In 1996, Smith, Jones, and Williams were the most common surnames for babies born in England and Wales. The top ten at that time also included Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson, and Wilson.
Fast forward to the present, and the top ten surnames for newborns in England and Wales now feature Smith, Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Jones, Hussain, Singh, Williams, Patel, and Kaur. While Smith remains in the top spot, its prevalence has decreased. Jones has dropped 43 percent in popularity, and Williams, now at eighth place, has seen a similar decline. Other surnames common in the 1990s now rank between 11th and 17th.
Conversely, Khan, Ahmed, and Ali have all doubled in popularity, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Singh and Kaur, names traditionally associated with Sikh men and women respectively, have risen at least five-fold.
Rob Bates of the Centre for Migration Control think tank commented on the data, stating that it highlights Britain's "rapid demographic change." He added, "We are at risk of our country being completely unmoored from its heritage, and our society becoming increasingly atomised as a result."
The ONS data, which covers births registered in England and Wales and excludes surnames with fewer than three occurrences, indicates a diversification of surnames among newborns. In 2025, over 23,400 unique surnames were recorded for babies, an increase from 21,600 three decades prior. In contrast, only 23 surnames were given to 1,000 or more babies in 2025, down from 57 three decades ago.
The surname Smith, once the most common, was recorded for 4,102 babies in 2025, down from 7,276 in 1996. This trend follows recent data showing Muhammad as the most popular baby name for boys in England and Wales for the third consecutive year, with 5,957 boys given this name in 2025. For girls, Olivia retained the top spot for the fourth year, with Lily moving to second place, and Amelia dropping to third. Noah was the second most popular name for boys, followed by Leo.