Britain's Newborn Surnames Are Changing... 'Khan' Closes in on 'Smith' for No. 1

[Financial News] Traditional British surnames have declined noticeably among newborns in England and Wales, while surnames of Muslim and Asian origin have entered the top ranks in large numbers.
On the 14th (local time), British media outlets including the Daily Mail reported, citing data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), that as of 2025, multicultural surnames such as Khan, Ahmed and Ali ranked among the top 10 surnames of newborns registered in England and Wales.
About 30 years ago, in 1996, the top 10 surnames among newborns were dominated by typical British and Welsh surnames, including Smith, Jones and Williams, as well as Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson.
By 2025, however, only three of those traditional surnames remained in the top 10. Only Smith, which held on to first place, Jones, which fell to fifth, and Williams, which ranked eighth, stayed on the list. Even Smith and Williams saw their share of newborn birth registrations fall by 43% compared with 1996.
By contrast, Asian and Muslim surnames are rising rapidly. Khan moved into second place overall among newborn surnames, behind Smith, while Ahmed, Ali, Hussein, Singh, Patel and Kaur were among the many surnames to newly enter the top 10. In particular, the frequency of surnames such as Khan, Ahmed and Ali at least doubled compared with 1996.
Meanwhile, demographic changes were also clearly reflected in given names (first names), not just surnames. According to ONS statistics, Muhammad ranked first among boys born in England and Wales last year, while Olivia was the most popular name for girls.
This shift is seen as a clear indicator of Britain's accelerating transition to a multiethnic, multicultural society driven by rising immigration.


[email protected] Yoon Jae-jun Reporter