According to The Times, in 2006 the name Muhammad rose to second place in popularity in the United Kingdom. This name (taking into account all 14 of its different spellings in English) was given to 5,991 newborn boys last year. Only the traditional British Jacks surpassed the little British Muhammads, but experts predict that in 2008 the name Muhammad will become number one. The familiar Thomases, Joshuas and Olivers took third, fourth and fifth places, respectively, according to the UK National Statistics Office.
Experts attribute the growing popularity of the name Muhammad primarily to the increase in young Muslim families in Britain. According to Professor of Ethnic Relations at the University of Warwick, Muhammad Anwar, 'Muslim parents tend to demonstrate their connection to religion.'
Recall that according to the 2001 census, the foggy Albion is home to the third largest Muslim community in Europe after France and Germany – about 1.6 million people (2.8% of the total population). But their birth rate is three times higher than that of non-Muslims. A similar situation is also developing in the aforementioned France and Germany: just a month ago, the German Federal Statistical Office proudly reported that Germany's population has begun to increase for the first time since the so-called Pillenknick (the widespread introduction of birth control pills) in the mid-60s. Not least, German newspapers note, due to the high birth rate among Muslims, whose total number in Germany is approaching 5% of the total German population.
A similar trend is observed in the UK. Experts note that traditional family values, once so revered by the British, are receding in the minds of the English with the development of modern society and methods of production, but their true guardians have become... British Muslims. More than 70% of Muslim families in the United Kingdom adhere to 'old' views: large families, the man as breadwinner, the woman as homemaker. Accordingly, not only has the male name Muhammad surpassed most familiar English names in popularity, but the same is happening with female names. According to a study by the analytical company Information Solutions, the most popular name among newborn girls in British families in 2006 was Aisha.
Boris ALTNER.
Rosbalt News Agency