Top Baby Names In UK For 2018

Names loved and approved by parents in the UK.

In the olden days, parents often chose baby names from the Bible, like David (beloved) or Elizabeth (my God is an oath). And even though these names are still popular today, the top UK baby names in 2018 indicate that parents are also considering options without religious significance. In 2018, Oliver (olive tree planter) topped the list as the most popular boy’s name, while Olivia (olive tree) was the favorite for girls in the UK. This indicated that parents are willing to explore new and fresh names.

Royal names like Harry (home ruler), George (farmer), Isabella (pledged to God), and Charlotte (free man) were also popular as these names indicated elegance and nobility. At the same time, simple names such as Max (the greatest), Eva (Mother of life), Finley (fair warrior), and Millie (gentle strength) also found a place on the popularity chart as parents were attracted to their deep meaning and innocent charm. The list below consists of the most popular baby names in the UK, compiled by the Office for National Statistics (1). Have a look to find a trendy and meaningful name for your little one.

In This Article

Browse Top Baby Names by Gender

Girl Boy

Browse Top Baby Names by Year

Name		Gender	Meaning
Emma-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History-&-Popularity-Guide-For-2025		Girl	Whole; Universal
Harley		Boy	Hare's meadow
Thea-Name-Meaning-And-History:-Origins,-Popularity-&-More		Girl	Divine; Greek Goddess Theia
Rory-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Red king; Joyful
Eleanor		Girl	The other Aenor; Shining light; Riches; Fame
Luca-Name-Meaning-&-Origin:-Complete-Baby-Name-Guide		Boy	Bringer of light; From Lucania; Light
Penelope-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-&-Popularity		Girl	Weaver; Duck
Holly		Unisex	Holly tree
Jake:-2025-Complete-Guide-To-Origin,-Meaning-&-Popularity		Boy	Holder of the heel; Supplanter; Yahweh is gracious
Hannah		Girl	Grace; Favor; God has favored me
Albie		Unisex	From Alba; Bright; Noble
Molly-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Girl	Sea of bitterness; Rebelliousness; Wished-for child
Jenson		Boy	Son of Jen; Yahweh is gracious
Albert-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-A-Complete-Popularity-Guide		Boy	Noble; Bright
Bella-Baby-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-Popularity,-And-Complete-Guide		Girl	Beautiful; God is my oath
Rose		Girl	Rose; Flower; Famous type
Frankie		Boy	French guy; Free; Truthful; Generous
Amber		Girl	Like a jewel; yellow-orange gemstone
Tommy		Boy	Twin
Carter-Name-Meaning-&-Origin:-Complete-Guide-For-Your-Baby		Boy	Tourist; Sojourner; Son of Carter; One who uses a cart
Violet-Baby-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History-&-Complete-Guide		Girl	Purple; Purple flower
Ronnie		Boy	Rule's advice; Ruler's counsel; True image; Bringer of victory
Georgia-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-History,-And-Popularity-Guide		Girl	Farmer; Land worker
Lilly		Girl	Lily; Pure; Innocence; My God is an oath
Gabriel-Baby-Name:-Meaning,-Origin-&-Comprehensive-Guide		Unisex	God is my strength
Jasmine-Name:-Origin,-Meaning,-&-Popularity-Trends-For-2025		Girl	Jasmine flower
Bobby		Girl	A short form of Robert; Bright; Famous
Darcie		Girl	Dark-haired; From the fortress; Descendant of the dark
Harvey-Name-Meaning-&-Origin:-Everything-You-Need-To-Know		Boy	Strong in battle
Matthew-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity:-A-Complete-Guide		Boy	God's gift
Nancy-Name-Meaning-And-History:-Essential-Guide		Girl	Grace; Favor; Beautiful; Chaste
Michael		Boy	Who is like God?
Annabelle		Girl	Favored grace
Lottie		Girl	Free person; Little; Womanly
Elliot		Unisex	My God is Yahweh
Stanley		Boy	Stony woodland or clearing
Zara		Girl	Shining; Radiance; God remembers; Glow; Dawn
Maria		Girl	Bitter; Beloved; Of the sea
Jayden		Unisex	God will judge; Thankful
Frederick		Boy	Peaceful ruler
Amelie		Girl	Hard working; Industrious
Charles-Name-Origin,-Meaning-&-Popularity:-Complete-Guide-For-2025		Boy	Free man
Abigail		Girl	My father is joy; Cause of joy
Mila-Name-Meaning:-2025-Guide-To-Origin,-History-&-Popularity		Girl	Gracious; Dear; Soldier; Miracles
Jackson-Baby-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-History:-Complete-Guide		Boy	Son of Jack
Roman		Boy	From Rome
Anna-Name-Meaning-&-Origin:-A-Comprehensive-Guide-In-2025		Boy	Grace; Favor
Luke-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Your-Comprehensive-Guide-In-2025		Boy	Bringer of light; From Lucania; Light
Martha		Girl	Mistress; Lady
Caleb-Name-Meaning-&-Origin-in-2025:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Dog; Brave; Devoted to God; Whole-hearted
Gracie		Girl	Blessing; Graceful; Favor
Hunter		Boy	A Hunter; Pursuer
Maryam-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity:-2025-Guide		Girl	Beloved
Mohammad		Boy	Praised; Commendable
Robyn-Name-Meaning:-Guide-To-Origin,-History,-And-Variations		Boy	Bright fame; Shining fame; Bright famous one
Aurora-Baby-Name:-Origin,-Meaning,-Popularity-&-Nicknames		Girl	Dawn
Elliott-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Everything-You-Need-To-Know		Boy	The Lord is my God
Iris		Girl	Rainbow; Bringer of Joy; Irish flower; Colored part of the eye
Ezra		Boy	Help
Louis		Boy	Famous warrior
Sara-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-Popularity-In-2025:-Expert-Guide		Girl	Lady; Princess; Noblewoman
Ryan-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Comprehensive-Guide		Unisex	Little king
Arabella-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-2025-Popularity-Guide		Girl	Lovable; Invokable; Yielding to prayer; Beautiful grace
Beatrice		Girl	Voyager; Blessed one
Heidi		Girl	Noble birth; Nobility
Blake		Girl	Pale
Lewis-Name-Meaning:-Ultimate-Origin,-History-&-Popularity-Guide		Boy	Famous in battle
Ollie-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Ancestor's descendant; Olive; Olive tree; All guard
Summer-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-&-Popularity		Girl	Summertime
Dexter		Boy	Right-handed; Skilled; One who dyes
Clara-Name-Meaning:-Comprehensive-Guide-For-Your-Baby-Girl		Girl	Bright; Clear
Nathan-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-Variants-&-Popularity-In-2025		Boy	Gift of God; God has given; He gave
Orla-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Girl	Golden princess
Francesca		Girl	French; Free one
Ellis-Name-Meaning,-Origin,-And-Popularity:-Complete-Guide		Boy	My God is Yahweh
Aisha		Girl	Living; Alive; Prosperous; Divine; Regal; Supreme
Jesse-Name-Meaning:-Complete-Guide-To-Origin-And-Popularity		Boy	God exists; Gift
Liam-Name-Origin,-Meaning-&-Variants:-A-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Strong-willed warrior; Protector; Guardian; My nation; My people
Julia		Girl	Downy-bearded; Youthful; Descended from Jove or Jupiter; Supreme God; God's peace for the weary
Edith		Girl	Prosperous in war; Fortunate battle
Victoria		Girl	Victory; Roman goddess of victory
Alex-Name-Meaning,-Origin-&-History:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	To defend; To protect
Darcey		Girl	Someone from Arcy; Dark
Kai		Boy	Sea; Keeper of the keys; Shell; Pier; From the sea
Ibrahim		Boy	Father of many
Lyla		Girl	Night; Night beauty; Delicate; Sport; Drama; From the island
Tyler-Name-Origin,-Meaning,-And-History:-What-You-Need-To-Know		Boy	The tile maker
Bonnie-Baby-Name:-Meaning,-Origin,-And-History-Guide		Girl	Beautiful; Good
Finn		Boy	White; Blessed; Sámi people from Finland
Austin-Baby-Name-Guide:-Meaning,-Origin,-And-Popularity		Boy	Grand; Majestic; To grow
Leon-Baby-Name-Meaning:-Origin,-Pronunciation-&-Popularity		Boy	Lion
Hallie-Name-Meaning:-Comprehensive-Origins,-History-&-Variations		Girl	Dweller at the meadow; Clearing
Ralph-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Comprehensive-Guide		Boy	Wolf counsel
Leah		Girl	Weary; Tired; Cow
Felix		Boy	Blessed with good fortune; Succesful
Megan		Girl	Pearl; Child of light
Aaron		Boy	Exalted; High mountain
Lexi		Girl	Defender; Helper; Defending men
Felicity-Name-Meaning-And-Origin:-Everything-You-Need-To-Know		Girl	Woman with good luck
Jasper		Boy	One who brings treasure; Treasurer

When you look at the list of top UK baby names in 2018, you might feel overwhelmed by the several options. To make the selection easy, start by determining the meaning you want your child’s name to convey. Then focus on the names that match the meaning. Shortlist your favorites, and then choose the one that feels right for your little one. No matter which name you pick, it will always hold a special place in your heart.

Infographic: Popular Nature-inspired Girl Names In The UK

Nature’s freshness can make a person feel calm and rejuvenated. The natural world can help lift your spirits and inspire creativity. That’s why many cultures choose baby names that are connected to nature, and the UK is no different. Take a look at the infographic below for a glimpse of the most popular nature-inspired baby girl names in the country.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team