Surnames associated with South Asian and Muslim communities have risen sharply among newborns in England and Wales, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on October 13. The figures, covering births registered between 1996 and 2025, show that Khan, Ahmed and Ali have entered the top 10 most common surnames recorded for newborns, replacing Taylor, Brown and Johnson.

In 1996, the top 10 was dominated by traditional British and Welsh surnames. Smith, Jones and Williams held the top three positions, followed by Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson.

By 2025, the rankings had changed considerably. Smith remained in first place, but Khan rose to second, followed by Ahmed and Ali. Jones ranked fifth, with Hussain, Singh, Williams, Patel and Kaur completing the top 10.

The figures show that Khan, Ahmed and Ali have at least doubled in frequency since 1996. Singh and Kaur, surnames commonly associated with Sikh communities, increased at least fivefold over the same period.

Traditional surnames also became less prevalent among newborns. The number of babies registered with the surname Smith fell from 7,276 in 1996 to 4,102 in 2025. Jones and Williams also experienced substantial declines, with both falling approximately 43% over the three-decade period.

The data further highlights the growing diversity of surnames recorded among newborns. More than 23,400 different surnames appeared in birth registrations in 2025, compared with approximately 21,600 in 1996. The number of surnames given to at least 1,000 babies also dropped from 57 to just 23, indicating that births are being distributed across a wider range of family names.

The changes coincide with broader shifts in Britain's population, including immigration and changing birth patterns among different communities. However, surname statistics alone do not establish an individual's ethnicity, nationality or immigration status, and the figures do not independently explain the causes of the changes.

The ONS data also comes amid changes in first-name trends. Muhammad was the most popular boys' first name in England and Wales for 2025 for the third consecutive year, while Olivia ranked first among girls for the fourth consecutive year.

The latest figures provide a snapshot of how the names recorded among Britain's newest generation have changed since the mid-1990s, with traditional surnames losing ground as a wider variety of family names appear in birth registrations.