Top baby surnames in England and Wales change between 1996 and 2025, ONS data shows
Office for National Statistics data obtained by the Daily Mail shows the top 10 baby surnames in England and Wales now include Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Hussain, Singh, Patel and Kaur, while several once-common names have fallen. Both outlets reporting it are right-leaning and pair the figures with comments from campaigners critical of migration.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Office for National Statistics (ONS) data obtained by the Daily Mail compares the most common surnames of babies in England and Wales in 1996 and 2025. Daily MailR “Traditional British surnames are dying out, data exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail reveals.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ GB NewsR “The figures, seen by the Daily Mail, span roughly three decades” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1In 1996 the top ten was Smith, Jones, Williams, Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson. Daily MailR “Smith, Jones and Williams were the most common. Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson rounded out the top ten.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 2The 2025 top ten is Smith, Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Jones, Hussain, Singh, Williams, Patel and Kaur. Daily MailR “the top 10 of newborns' surnames are Smith, Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Jones, Hussain, Singh, Williams, Patel and Kaur.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ GB NewsR “Today's top 10 reads: Smith, Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Jones, Hussain, Singh, Williams, Patel and Kaur.” Read at GB News ↗
Right · 2Jones has fallen 43 per cent in popularity and Williams by a similar amount, to eighth place; Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson now rank between 11th and 17th. Daily MailR “Although still in the top ten, Jones has dropped 43 per cent in popularity. Williams, now at eighth, has fallen by a similar amount.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ GB NewsR “They now sit between 11th and 17th position.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 2Khan, Ahmed and Ali have each doubled in popularity, and Singh and Kaur, names traditionally taken by Sikh men and women, have risen at least five-fold. Daily MailR “Khan, Ahmed and Ali have all doubled in popularity” Read at Daily Mail ↗ GB NewsR “Singh and Kaur - traditionally adopted by Sikh men and women respectively - have risen at least fivefold.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1Smith remains the most common surname, but recorded babies fell from 7,276 to 4,102. Daily MailR “Smith, the most common surname, fell from being recorded for 7,276 babies to 4,102.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Right · 2Surnames are also becoming more varied: more than 23,400 were recorded in 2025, up from 21,600, while only 23 surnames were given to 1,000 or more babies last year, against 57 three decades earlier. Daily MailR “Only 23 surnames were given to a 1,000 or more babies last year, compared with 57 three decades ago.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ GB NewsR “In 2025, more than 23,400 distinct surnames were recorded among newborns” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 2The data uses exact spelling, so variants of a surname are counted separately, and excludes surnames with a count of two or fewer; the Daily Mail says it paid for the data. Daily MailR “The data, paid for by the Daily Mail, uses exact spelling, meaning variations of the same surname will appear separately.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ GB NewsR “The data relies on exact spelling, so different variations of the same surname are counted separately.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1Rob Bates of the Centre for Migration Control think tank told the Daily Mail the data showed 'rapid demographic change' and warned of the country being 'unmoored from its heritage'. Daily MailR “Rob Bates, of the Centre for Migration Control think tank, told the Daily Mail the data laid bare Britain’s ‘rapid demographic change’.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Right · 1Aman Bhogal of Global Britain UK told GB News that Britain was being transformed by mass migration and that he had called for an emergency brake on all migration. GB NewsR “"I have previously called for an emergency brake on all migration; without one, the country we recognise will be long gone."” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 2Both outlets link the figures to separate ONS data from this summer showing Muhammad was the most popular boys' name for a third year, with 5,957 boys given that spelling in 2025, and Olivia the top girls' name for a fourth year. Daily MailR “A total of 5,957 boys were given the specific spelling of Muhammad in 2025, according to the ONS.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ GB NewsR “Olivia, meanwhile, retained the top spot among girls for a fourth year running.” Read at GB News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets lead with 'traditional British surnames' dying out, presenting the ONS figures as evidence of demographic change and immigration, and quote migration-restriction campaigners.
- Emphasis
- The fall of Taylor, Brown, Johnson and others and the rise of Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Singh and Kaur; GB News adds an 'emergency brake' on migration quote.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither stresses that surname diversity increased, or that exact-spelling counting may split variants; no demographers or voices from the communities named are quoted. Neither explains the causes of the change beyond the campaigners' view.
- Charged language
- “dying out”“striking decline”“profound change”“civilisational inheritance”“Yookay”
- For example
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“We are at risk of our country being completely unmoored from its heritage, and our society becoming increasingly atomised as a result.” — Daily Mail
“The shift is among the most vivid statistical illustrations yet of how immigration and changing birth rates are reshaping the cultural landscape of England and Wales.” — GB News
What every side reports
- The 1996 top ten was Smith, Jones, Williams, Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson.
- The 2025 top ten is Smith, Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Jones, Hussain, Singh, Williams, Patel and Kaur.
- Smith fell from 7,276 to 4,102 babies and remains the most common surname.
- Surnames given to 1,000+ babies fell from 57 to 23, while total distinct surnames rose to over 23,400.
- The data counts exact spellings and excludes very rare surnames.
Office for National Statistics organisation
The ONS is the source of the underlying birth-registration data, which the Daily Mail says it paid for; neither article quotes the ONS on interpretation.
“The data, paid for by the Daily Mail, uses exact spelling” — Daily Mail
“Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has revealed a striking decline in traditionally British surnames” — GB News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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Alarmist Presents the exclusive ONS data as showing traditional surnames dying out, backed by a migration-control think tank quote.
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GB NewsR ·
Alarmist Rewrites the Daily Mail's data as a sign of immigration reshaping the country, adding a campaigner's call for a migration brake.
- 13 Oct 17:00 First Daily MailR How traditional British surnames are dying out: Khan, Ahmed and Ali enter top 10 baby names and replace Taylor, Brown and Johnson
- 13 Oct 22:15 +5h 15m GB NewsR Fears traditional British surnames will die out as Khan, Ahmed and Ali enter top 10 in England and Wales
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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