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The James Macpherson Report
What's in a Name?

What's in a Name?

The UK’s Top 100 Baby Names for 2024. A bleak census of the nation's collective hopes, delusions, and perhaps, its darker aspirations

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James Macpherson
Aug 01, 2025
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The James Macpherson Report
What's in a Name?
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I never imagined looking at baby names would confirm my belief that the world is a dark place, getting darker.

And yet, as I surveyed the UK’s top 100 baby names for 2024, one name leapt out at me.

Yahya.

Ah, Yahya …

Right there, neatly snuggled between Enzo and Ralph, at number 93 on the list of most popular UK boys names was Yahya, shimmering like a dagger in the moonlight.

What could possibly have inspired so many UK parents to name their offspring Yahya?

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