Lily and Arthur have topped a new list of baby names that were fashionable a century ago and remain firm favourites with parents in England and Wales today, according to research released this week.
The study, by Autism Parenting Magazine, compared the Office for National Statistics’ top 100 baby names for 2025 against the top 100 names from 1924, the closest year to a century ago for which ONS data is available. It found that 23 girls’ names and 23 boys’ names have stayed popular across the full 100 years.
Lily leads the girls’ names, Arthur tops for boys
Lily was the most popular “vintage” girls’ name, with 2,249 babies given the name in 2025. Florence followed in second place with 1,924 births, and Elsie came third with 1,700. Ivy and Evelyn rounded out the top five, while Mabel, Daisy, Grace, Violet and Ruby completed the top ten.
For boys, Arthur was the clear leader, with 3,211 babies named Arthur last year. George was close behind in second with 3,082 births, followed by Henry in third with 2,295. Harry and Mohammed took fourth and fifth place, with Jack, William, Edward, Thomas and Alexander completing the top ten.
Beyond the top ten, names including Ada, Emily, Olive, Alice and Eleanor for girls, and James, Frederick, Albert, Joseph and Benjamin for boys, also made the cut as enduring choices across both eras.
Mark Blakey, CEO of Autism Parenting Magazine, said the findings show how many “timeless options” are available to expecting parents.
“What stands out is that names like Albert or Mabel, which many would associate with a bygone era, are now being chosen by hundreds of new parents each year,” he said. “Many may gain inspiration from older relatives that they wish to honour, or they may be inspired by historical figures or their favourite characters on screen or in literature.”
He added that the fact almost a quarter of the most popular names from a century ago remain in favour today highlights their “strong appeal through generations and perhaps generations to come.”
