Muhammad (or Mohammed) was, surprisingly, the most popular name for babies born in the United Kingdom during the first half of the year, a result that starkly illustrates the huge fertility gap between Muslim women and non-Muslims in the country. Olivia, however, was the most popular girl's name in the UK for the fourth straight year.
It was the other way around in France where the traditional French names of Gabriel (truly French) and Emma (a name with German origins, however) were the most popular baby names for the first six months of the year.
The top 20 boys' names in the UK thus far in 2018 according to parenting website Babycentre are Muhammad, Oliver, Noah, George, Harry, Leo, Charlie, Jack, Freddie, Alfie, Oscar, Arthur, Henry, Jacob, Archie, Joshua, Theo, Ethan, Lucas, and Logan
The top 20 girl's names are Olivia, Sophia, Amelia, Lily, Emily, Ava, Isla, Aria, Mia, Isabella, Isabelle, Ella, Charlotte, Grace, Evie, Maya, Harper, Sophie, Layla, and Freya.
In France, the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) said the 10 most popular names for baby boys in France are Gabriel, Louis, Raphaël, Leo, Lucas, Jules, Adam, Arthur, Nathan, and Hugo.
For French baby girls, the most desirable names are Emma, Louise, Alice, Chloé, Léa, Manon. Lina, Rose, and Mila.
Babycentre said royal names have seen a surge in popularity in the UK with Victoria, Charlotte, George and Arthur all climbing the rankings for popular baby names. It earlier predicted that food-inspired baby names such as Honey, Saffron, Basil, and Angus might become a trend this year but the list for the first six months of the year hasn't borne this out.
In France, Emma replaced Louise as the favorite female name after a decade of being the most popular female baby name. INSEE said the 2018 rankings reveal French parents are mostly returning to traditional names when it comes to naming their children. This is the tenth straight year that Gabriel has been the most popular name for French boys.
A return to tradition can't be said to be the case in the UK. Muhammed or Mohammed (or variations of this name) became the most popular name in the first six months of 2018 after being the second most popular name in 2017 after Oliver.
A study by the Pew Research Center predicts the Muslim population of the UK will likely triple to 13 million in 2050, or 16.7 percent of Britain's population at this time. The UK also has one of the largest gaps in fertility rates between Muslims and non-Muslims. Muslim women have an average of 2.9 children compared to the 1.8 by non-Muslims.
