If you ever want to spark a debate that absolutely everyone has an opinion about, bring up baby names.

The website BabyCenter published an article regarding the most popular baby names (so far) of 2026.

But after that list was released, the Daily Wire then published an article about the BabyCenter baby names ranking, pointing out that the name “Muhammad” was posted on their 2026 list at number 36, a slight drop from the year before, but still holding steady within the Top 100 of baby names.

The newly released rankings show Muhammed falling from No. 19 last year to No. 36 this year. Over the longer term, however, the traditionally Muslim name has climbed 222 spots from No. 258 in 2005. The trend is even more dramatic measured by frequency rather than rank: the name’s share of babies on BabyCenter’s list rose 486.5%, from 637 per million in 2005 to 3,736 per million in 2026, according to the Daily Wire’s analysis of BabyCenter data.

The numbers offer a window into changing naming preferences in the United States, where Muslim names have become increasingly visible as immigration from Islamic nations has increased.

Muhammad’s rise in the rankings was particularly pronounced between 2012 and 2019. The name moved from No. 102 in 2012 to No. 10 in 2019, when its reported frequency reached 3,872 per million. It remained near the top 15 through 2020, before slipping to No. 29 in 2021 and No. 35 in 2022.

The name rebounded to No. 16 in 2023 and remained there in 2024 before reaching No. 19 in 2025. Its latest drop to No. 36 marks a reversal from last year, though its reported frequency remains well above the level recorded in the early 2010s.

The fundamental problem with this assertion is not the immigration data – it’s the actual data. BabyCenter is popular, but the entire methodology for their Top 100 baby names list is SELF-REPORTED DATA. They are using what they call “true popularity” to assess the ranking, and if you click on it, this is their disclaimer.

As BabyCenter members tell us what name they picked for their baby, we share the popularity rankings with you. Our list is updated every month. It’s a great way to get an early look at the year’s most popular names, since the official U.S. government list of names for this year won’t be released until next year.

In other words, BabyCenter users are driving the list, and if those users are picking the name “Muhammad,” then that’s what the list reflects. And they openly say that the list gets “updated every month.” So, where do you have to go for actual, hard data on baby names? The Social Security Administration website.

SSA compiles the first names of all newborns who get Social Security numbers into a searchable database for every calendar year. The database allows a search for “any year after 1879,” or a search by name alone, and is a fascinating way to spend hours going down rabbit holes to see the rise and fall of baby names and their popularity. Each year has a limit of the Top 1000 names registered, so any name lower than that is not listed. Obviously, the data for 2026 isn’t finished yet, so the 2025 data is the newest available information. Using that search, “Muhammad” doesn’t even rank in the Top 100. It lands at No. 239, with a recorded total of 1,473 babies given that name.

However, the Social Security numbers have one unique issue with its data. It only tells you how many babies were named “Muhammad” – with that EXACT spelling. This requires a far deeper dive into the actual numbers, because all alternative spellings are not collectively totaled up together. Thus, “Aidan,” “Ayden,” and “Aiden” all have separate numbers, but the Social Security database will not total them up to give the name a more accurate ranking.

And there are a LOT of different spellings of “Muhammad.”

The Social Security database for 2025 baby names lists “Muhammad” as the highest ranked version of that name. “Mohamed” is the next highest at No. 527, with 568 babies. “Mohammad” then comes next at No. 562, with 529 babies, and “Mohammed” at No. 595 with 486 babies.

Adding all the numbers up, this gives the name “Muhammad,” with all the alternative spellings, a total of 3,056 babies recorded in 2025. The aggregated count would put the name between Nos. 117 and 118 in 2025 – but that doesn’t account for any other alternative spellings also being totaled into a cumulative count. (For the record, Aidan/Ayden/Aiden would total 7,432 baby boys in 2025, putting it between Nos. 28 and 29 on the list.)

Should the name Muhammad/Mohamed/Mohammad/Mohammed being that collectively high in baby name popularity be a concern? Honestly, I would be more concerned about the 455 baby boys named “Yahya” (as in the very dead Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar) in 2025 first. It is true that more Islamic-sounding names and spellings are very present on the Social Security list – both “Ibrahim” for boys and “Maryam” for girls end up at No. 351 – and that it is reflective of the culture at large. Obviously, it is a trend to be watched and considered. But given the data collection methods by BabyCenter, I’m not certain it’s time to hit the panic button just yet.

Featured image via Ben_Kerckx on Pixabay, cropped, Pixabay license