The UK’s Fastest Rising Girls’ Baby Names Share A Common Theme

An analysis of birth data from England and Wales has revealed some interesting insights into the fastest-rising baby names.

TV shows, films and even celebrities can all heavily influence what parents end up calling their new arrivals, as can broader trends: for instance, for the past few years we’ve seen a real resurgence in vintage-inspired baby names from the 1920s, as well as nature-themed monikers.

To determine which names might become even more popular in the next five years, experts at JoJo Maman Bébé analysed a decade of Office for National Statistics (ONS) birth data from England and Wales (2016-2025).

The team calculated each name’s average annual growth rate to reveal the fastest and most consistently rising baby names for boys and girls.

The fastest-rising girls’ baby name is Maeva, which is of French and Polynesian origin. The team suggested it’s grown in popularity by about 69% each year.

According to The Bump, it comes from the Tahitian word maeva, which means “welcome”.

The second biggest riser is Maeve, which is of Irish origin and means “she who intoxicates”. It also happens to be the name of one of the lead characters, Maeve Wiley portrayed by Emma Mackey, in hit TV show Sex Education.

Elsewhere on the trending names list, Raya, Dua, Ayra and Nova all feature.

JoJo’s team highlighted that Dua is growing in popularity by 22.8% a year, likely helped by the global success of singer Dua Lipa. Nameberry highlights that in Albanian, Dua translates to “want” or “love”, while in Islam, du’a is an act of prayer.

Raya, which is thought to be of Hebrew origin, means “friend”, while Ayra is of Arabic origin and means “respectable” or “awe-inspiring”, according to the Bump.

Eliana – yep, another name ending with ‘a’ – is also proving to be increasingly popular according to separate data from BabyCentre, which said Eliana has overtaken Olivia to be the most popular baby name for girls in 2026.

Considered a modern alternative to the name Eleanor, Eliana has two meanings. In Hebrew, it translates to “my God has answered” while the name is also thought to derive from the Greek word for “sun” (ílios).

The fastest rising boy’s names are a real mixed bag. Oakley has the most growth momentum, according to JoJo’s analysis. Ancestry claims the name Oakley is of English origin and means “oak clearing” or “meadow near the oak trees”.

Remy, Otis, Hudson and Axel are also in the top five fastest-growing boy’s names.

Per Nameberry, Remy is a name of French and Latin origin which means “oarsman”.

Otis, meanwhile, also happens to be the name of a lead character in Sex Education (Otis Milburn is played by Asa Butterfield), which might have something to do with its popularity. The name is of German origin and means “wealthy” or “fortune”.

Hudson is of British origin, per The Bump, and means ‘son of Hudd’ or ‘son of Hugh’. It was typically a surname but is becoming increasingly popular as a first name.

Lastly, Axel is of Scandinavian origin and means “my father is peace” or “father of peace”.