The most successful baby names of 2023: Step aside Sir Richard Branson, there’s a new kid in town...

If you'd like to raise a future entrepreneur or CEO, here's what names are likely to make them successful in business

Baby names alphabet letters main image and drop in of a baby wearing grown up outfit
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The most successful baby names of 2023 have been revealed - and no, it's not Sir Richard Branson.

When it comes to starting a family, parents are pre-occupied with picking out the best pram or best cot mattresses or best cot bed for their newborn baby. 

But latest research carried out by small business digital marketing experts Add People, who analysed more than 8,000 small business owners, have identified the most common names of those who are self-employed in the UK.

The team also used the average age of a CEO right now (55 years) to work out how popular these names were when they were born and compared them with names of similar popularity right now to find an updated list of names that are likely to be successful. 

Move over Sir Richard Branson, as the name Richard which ranked 5th around 55 years ago, is only the fifth most common male entrepreneur name in the UK - with James taking the top spot!

And while we've got lists on unusual baby names and baby names that have been popular for the last 100 years, your baby might grow up to be successful in business if they have one of these names...

The 10 most common male entrepreneur’s names in the UK

  • James (ranked #7 55 years ago) 
  • John #13
  • Mark #2
  • Paul #1
  • Richard #5
  • Chris #6
  • Steve #17
  • Andrew #4
  • David #3
  • Mike/Michael #9

The most successful male baby names of 2023

  • Harry (Currently ranked #7 in 2023 by UK Baby names)
  • Jack #13
  • Oliver #2
  • Noah #1
  • Muhammad #5
  • Leo #6
  • Jacob #17
  • Arthur #4
  • George #3
  • Archie #9

Babies sat upright

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 10 most common female entrepreneur’s names in the UK

  • Catherine (Ranked #22 55 years ago)
  • Sarah #1
  • Elizabeth #23
  • Joanne #6
  • Susan #20
  • Helen #8
  • Emma #4
  • Claire #2
  • Lisa #5
  • Laura #54

The most successful female baby names of 2023

  • Phoebe #22
  • Olivia #1
  • Sofia #23
  • Freya #6
  • Ella #20
  • Florence #8
  • Ava #4
  • Amelia #2
  • Ivy #5
  • Layla #54

Peter Marshall, chief marketing officer at Add People, said, "Studies find that a name can correlate to academic performance, behaviour and hiring so choosing the right name for your child is a major choice they will carry with them their whole lives.

"A 2011 LinkedIn study found that men with shorter names are overrepresented in the c-suite, while women more often use the full version of their name in high-level jobs, which is supported by our study."

He continued, "The study also suggests that successful women are more likely to have less popular names compared to men. Three of the most common names for female entrepreneurs featured below the top 20, compared with none of the most common names for male entrepreneurs."

Peter added, "Having worked with thousands of small business owners over the years, it’s interesting to see patterns in their names that could reflect their drive and commitment to building their own companies."

In other related parenting news, find advice on how to set up a business or we discuss if womb transplants could be possible soon

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)