By Rukshana Choudhury
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that more baby boys are being named Mohammed. For the last decade Jack has been the most popular boys’ name in England and Wales. But multicultural British children named after Prophet Muhammad came a close second. It first entered the top 30 list in 2000 and its popularity continued to rise by 12% last year, and this popularity shows no indication of slowing down, giving the name the potential to be number one next year. While Mohammed is in 17th place, its position is No 2 when all 14 varied spellings of the name are taken into account. The 14 different spellings, which were shared by 5,991 newborn boys last year, beat Thomas to third place, followed by Joshua and Oliver. The name Mohammed comes from the Arabic script and its various spellings which include: Muhammad, Mohammad, Muhammed, Mohamed, Mohamad, Muhamed and Mohammod, depend on the diverse ways of pronouncing the name, and reflect the diverse ethnic makeup of Britain’s Muslim population. . Mohammed, which means “one who is praiseworthy”, is often given to boys as an honorary prefix. It is then followed by the name which they are commonly known by. Professor of ethnic relations at Warwick University, Muhammad Anwar, said, “Muslim parents like to have something that shows a link with their religion or with the Prophet.” 3 per cent of the British population is Muslim which amounts to 1.6 million people. However, the Muslim birthrate is approximately triple the non-Muslim one. The official figures from the ONS confirmed that Grace is the most popular name for girls, beating 2006 top name, Olivia, to third place. The most popular name for girls born to Muslim parents in 2006 was Aisha, in 110th place. The name, meaning “living”, also belonged to one of Prophet Muhammad’s wives. Mufti Abdul Barkatullah, a former imam at the Finchley mosque in northwest London, told The Muslim News, “Parents who name their son Muhammad believe that the name has an effect on their personality and future characteristics. They are saying that this boy will be of good character.”
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that more baby boys are being named Mohammed. For the last decade Jack has been the most popular boys’ name in England and Wales. But multicultural British children named after Prophet Muhammad came a close second. It first entered the top 30 list in 2000 and its popularity continued to rise by 12% last year, and this popularity shows no indication of slowing down, giving the name the potential to be number one next year. While Mohammed is in 17th place, its position is No 2 when all 14 varied spellings of the name are taken into account. The 14 different spellings, which were shared by 5,991 newborn boys last year, beat Thomas to third place, followed by Joshua and Oliver. The name Mohammed comes from the Arabic script and its various spellings which include: Muhammad, Mohammad, Muhammed, Mohamed, Mohamad, Muhamed and Mohammod, depend on the diverse ways of pronouncing the name, and reflect the diverse ethnic makeup of Britain’s Muslim population. . Mohammed, which means “one who is praiseworthy”, is often given to boys as an honorary prefix. It is then followed by the name which they are commonly known by. Professor of ethnic relations at Warwick University, Muhammad Anwar, said, “Muslim parents like to have something that shows a link with their religion or with the Prophet.” 3 per cent of the British population is Muslim which amounts to 1.6 million people. However, the Muslim birthrate is approximately triple the non-Muslim one. The official figures from the ONS confirmed that Grace is the most popular name for girls, beating 2006 top name, Olivia, to third place. The most popular name for girls born to Muslim parents in 2006 was Aisha, in 110th place. The name, meaning “living”, also belonged to one of Prophet Muhammad’s wives. Mufti Abdul Barkatullah, a former imam at the Finchley mosque in northwest London, told The Muslim News, “Parents who name their son Muhammad believe that the name has an effect on their personality and future characteristics. They are saying that this boy will be of good character.”
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