UK baby boy names are making all sorts of statements, and we are loving the mix of old-world charm and rising trends at play on the list. The most recent list of top 1,000 names shows us which ones are most popular and speak to a cultural zeitgeist at a time when parents are either sticking with tradition, looking across the pond, or trying something totally new.

One thing you will note on this list is the prevalence of Arabic names including several Muhammad spellings and newcomers Ibrahim and Yusef, which demonstrate a growing Muslim population in the UK. Parents in England and Wales are also seeking American influence as shown in favourites like Hudson, Jaxon, and Grayson. The top 25 (and well beyond) also feature lots of “nicknames” as first names, like Archie, Harry, Charlie, Billy, and the like; this trend shows a playfulness and decrease in stuffy or serious attitude which we are totally here for.

But classics remain important, and just like on the girls’ list, old-school British names still reign supreme, like George and Arthur right near the top and Theodore, Alexander, etc. trailing not far behind. Oliver earns the top spot and his twin Olivia shares the same glory on the girls’ list!  

This list also showcases an affinity for nature names. Favourites include Oakley, Robin, Phoenix, and Wolf. Place names like Austin offer up some fun flair, and influence from the rest of Europe seeps in…from Luca to Beau. There are some quirky central x’s and z’s in the mix, and lots of stunning picks from around the globe, but the prevalence of vintage names passed down from one generation of UK parents to the next cannot be ignored.  

So, where do your favourites fall? 

Top 10 Best Boy Names in the UK

  1. Oliver: The Germanic “olive tree” name is considered gender-neutral but rarely heard for girls. It has been a top pick for boys in England and Wales for years, as has Olivia for the little ladies.

  2. George: This one has royal clout and a cute, classic sound; George is a beloved baby boy name meaning “farmer” with Greek roots that has been in use for centuries.
  3. Arthur: The Celtic “bear” name is another old-fashioned pick we are not surprised to see at the top of the heap.

  4. Noah: Dropping from the top spot, but still super popular is the biblical name translating to “motion.”

  5. Muhammad: The name of the prophet has grown exponentially!

  6. Leo: We are loving this sweet nickname-as-a-first name with the meaning “lion;” Italian roots; and a strong yet soft sound.

  7. Oscar: Dignified, vintage, and fun—the English name meaning “champion warrior” is a clear winner.

  8. Harry: At a time when “old man” names are showing up big time on the baby charts, this cutie belonging to the younger, redheaded prince cannot be left behind. A shortening of Harold or Harrison, on its own it sounds more fun and less stuffy.

  9. Archie: When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, gave this cheeky moniker to their little boy in 2019, eyebrows raised. But the playful, Americana-esque Archibald diminutive meaning “truly brave” has clearly worked its way into the hearts of many, as it holds its own in the top 10 today.

  10. Jack: You would be hard-pressed to find a top boys’ name list anywhere in the English-speaking world right now that did not have Jack on it, for the sweet simplicity and old-world charm of the classic “God is gracious” name is just too good to pass up.”

A special baby deserves a special name...and a special baby cot! Learn how SNOO Smart Sleeper aids sleep and gives new parents a helping hand.  

Best UK Boy Names 11-25

  1. Henry: The old English “estate ruler” is everything UK parents are loving right now–classic, British, beloved by the Royals, and has an easy, cheerful sound to it.
  2. Charlie: Maybe one of the most adorable chart-toppers here, it is the perfect compromise if you would like to do a Royal nod but want something fresh and youthful. The “free man” Charles diminutive is super sweet and in the top 15 with good reason.
  1. Freddie: More nickname-sounding firsts to flood our top names! Why name him Fred when you can have a bit more fun with Freddie? The meaning of this name is part of why we love it so much: “peaceful ruler.”
  1. Theodore: A gorgeous classic that has not hit the charts this hard since the Victorian era, you will find Theodore (or Teddy, or Theo!) trending globally, and the UK is absolutely no exception. It means “gift of God.” 
  1. Thomas: This one presents like an old-school British name but actually has ancient Aramaic roots, and means “twin.” 
  1. Finley: A solid Irish name meaning “fair-haired hero,” it has a sing-songy sound we love.
  1. Theo: Just a few spots below the full version, one of the most precious nicknames out there proves he can make it on his own! 
  1. Alfie: After falling out of favour for nearly 80 years, this guy and his full version Alfred are trending again and we are so here for it. The British name meaning “wise counselor” is ready for his resurgence.
  1. Jacob: While biblical names are not quite as prevalent at the top of the UK charts as they are in the US, this guy—the “supplanter”—is hard to let go of!
  1. William: It goes without saying why this handsome moniker finds itself at the top of the heap; meaning “resolute protection” from the German, it’s a long-standing favourite among Brits, since Shakespeare and even before. And of course, your little guy would share a name with a modern-day prince. 
  1. Isaac: Inching higher from the 23rd spot the year before, the Hebrew name meaning “laughter” is much beloved in the UK.
  1. Tommy: Another nickname to find its place at the top of the charts, the shortened Thomas is charming and friendly, meaning “twin.” 
  1. Joshua: This one is doubly trendy and you might not even realise it at first glance; it has the classic thing going for it and also belongs in nature, as in the joshua tree. It means “the Lord is my salvation.”
  1. James: Your sweet baby James would not be alone with this super popular boys’ name, a variation of Jacob also meaning the “supplanter” from the Hebrew.
  1. Lucas: The Latin version of Luke translating to “man from Lucania” has a homey and charming feel.

Best UK Boy Names 26–100

  1. Alexander
  2. Arlo
  3. Roman
  4. Edward
  5. Elijah
  6. Teddy
  7. Mohammed
  8. Max
  9. Adam
  10. Albie
  11. Ethan
  12. Logan
  13. Joseph
  14. Sebastian
  15. Benjamin
  16. Harrison
  17. Mason
  18. Rory
  19. Reuben
  20. Luca
  21. Louie
  22. Samuel
  23. Reggie
  24. Jaxon
  25. Daniel
  26. Hugo
  27. Louis
  28. Jude
  29. Ronnie
  30. Dylan
  31. Zachary
  32. Albert
  33. Hunter
  34. Ezra
  35. David
  36. Frankie
  37. Toby
  38. Frederick
  39. Carter
  40. Gabriel
  41. Grayson
  42. Riley
  43. Jesse
  44. Hudson
  45. Bobby
  46. Rowan
  47. Jenson
  48. Finn
  49. Michael
  50. Mohammad
  51. Stanley
  52. Felix
  53. Jasper
  54. Liam
  55. Milo
  56. Sonny
  57. Oakley
  58. Elliot
  59. Chester
  60. Caleb
  61. Harvey
  62. Elliott
  63. Charles
  64. Ellis
  65. Jackson
  66. Alfred
  67. Ollie
  68. Leon
  69. Yusuf
  70. Ralph
  71. Otis
  72. Harley
  73. Ibrahim
  74. Jayden
  75. Myles

Best UK Boy Names 101–200

  1. Ryan
  2. Blake
  3. Kai
  4. Tobias
  5. Austin
  6. Rupert
  7. Jake
  8. Alex
  9. Luke
  10. Eli
  11. Nathan
  12. Dominic
  13. Elias
  14. Matthew
  15. Musa
  16. Lewis
  17. Jaxson
  18. Patrick
  19. Vinnie
  20. Aaron
  21. Aiden
  22. Billy
  23. Ruben
  24. Dexter
  25. Robert
  26. Brody
  27. Vincent
  28. Leonardo
  29. Cody
  30. Eric
  31. Beau
  32. Ayaan
  33. Owen
  34. Jax
  35. Levi
  36. Parker
  37. Joey
  38. Muhammed
  39. Evan
  40. Tyler
  41. Ali
  42. Marley
  43. Rex
  44. Miles
  45. Wilfred
  46. Robin
  47. Jonah
  48. Nathaniel
  49. Lincoln
  50. John
  51. Yahya
  52. Bodhi
  53. Jamie
  54. Lenny
  55. Kevin
  56. Cooper
  57. Maxwell
  58. Connor
  59. River
  60. Zakariya
  61. Callum
  62. Joel
  63. Rocco
  64. Isaiah
  65. Phoenix
  66. Anthony
  67. Kayden
  68. Axel
  69. Finlay
  70. Spencer
  71. Syed
  72. Archer
  73. Frank
  74. Idris
  75. Seth
  76. Nicholas
  77. Kian
  78. Maximilian
  79. Christopher
  80. Lorenzo
  81. Zayn
  82. Raphael
  83. Cole
  84. Abdullah
  85. Enzo
  86. Eesa
  87. Rafael
  88. Rayan
  89. Aidan
  90. Asher
  91. Remy
  92. Filip
  93. Mohamed
  94. Zion
  95. Brodie
  96. Kit
  97. Matei
  98. Cameron
  99. Matteo
  100. Xander

Best UK Boy Names 201–300

  1. Maximus
  2. Sidney
  3. Mateo
  4. Ted
  5. Ahmed
  6. Kobe
  7. Xavier
  8. Hamza
  9. Omar
  10. Abel
  11. Abdul
  12. Otto
  13. Barnaby
  14. Jason
  15. Bertie
  16. Francis
  17. Flynn
  18. Eddie
  19. Mustafa
  20. Jordan
  21. Tristan
  22. Rio
  23. Eden
  24. Reginald
  25. Rhys
  26. Bailey
  27. Peter
  28. Leonard
  29. Rayyan
  30. Rudy
  31. Kaiden
  32. Nico
  33. Christian
  34. Lukas
  35. Ayan
  36. Jakub
  37. Zain
  38. Cillian
  39. Coby
  40. Marcus
  41. Mark
  42. Zac
  43. Adrian
  44. Antoni
  45. Casper
  46. Romeo
  47. Jonathan
  48. Jensen
  49. Josiah
  50. Victor
  51. Oskar
  52. Kylo
  53. Douglas
  54. Fraser
  55. Nicolas
  56. Zayan
  57. Rafferty
  58. Dominik
  59. Zack
  60. Sam
  61. Monty
  62. Denis
  63. Ralphie
  64. Micah
  65. Stefan
  66. Amir
  67. Andrew
  68. Zayd
  69. Hector
  70. Lennon
  71. Rafe
  72. Rohan
  73. Damian
  74. Umar
  75. Freddy
  76. Ivan
  77. Finnley
  78. Franklin
  79. Wyatt
  80. Bradley
  81. Julian
  82. Martin
  83. Kingsley
  84. Corey
  85. Kairo
  86. Mylo
  87. Barney
  88. Colby
  89. Hassan
  90. Hayden
  91. Aryan
  92. Ahmad
  93. Alexandru
  94. Ismail
  95. Walter
  96. Ayden
  97. Amari
  98. Alan
  99. Conor
  100. Ezekiel

Best UK Boy Names 301–400

  1. Ernest
  2. Jan
  3. Hendrix
  4. Teddie
  5. Luka
  6. Morgan
  7. Ronan
  8. Azaan
  9. Fletcher
  10. Quinn
  11. Carson
  12. Fabian
  13. Rufus
  14. Cassius
  15. Dougie
  16. Nate
  17. Marcel
  18. Huxley
  19. Malachi
  20. Aarav
  21. Casey
  22. Chase
  23. Layton
  24. Kacper
  25. Osian
  26. Sami
  27. Ben
  28. Emmanuel
  29. Zayaan
  30. Harris
  31. Darius
  32. Edison
  33. Milan
  34. Haris
  35. Greyson
  36. Olly
  37. Maddox
  38. Danny
  39. Elis
  40. Ashton
  41. Cian
  42. Aleksander
  43. Jeremiah
  44. Kiaan
  45. Zach
  46. Erik
  47. Andrei
  48. Lachlan
  49. Percy
  50. Woody
  51. Richard
  52. Tate
  53. Harri
  54. Cohen
  55. Rudi
  56. Jace
  57. Reign
  58. Franciszek
  59. Ace
  60. Arham
  61. Bear
  62. Ilyas
  63. Philip
  64. Aron
  65. Remi
  66. Atlas
  67. Ernie
  68. Declan
  69. Kobi
  70. Koby
  71. Yunus
  72. Cruz
  73. Taylor
  74. Ayman
  75. Cairo
  76. Joe
  77. Angus
  78. Ari
  79. Jimmy
  80. Santiago
  81. Antonio
  82. Jay
  83. Lennox
  84. Hugh
  85. Kaleb
  86. Lochlan
  87. Paul
  88. Issac
  89. Timothy
  90. Malik
  91. Solomon
  92. Khalil
  93. Magnus
  94. Zak
  95. Junior
  96. Leighton
  97. Zachariah
  98. Dennis
  99. Shay
  100. Arjun

Best UK Boy Names 401–500

  1. Bilal
  2. Bruno
  3. Eduard
  4. Hussain
  5. Odin
  6. Brandon
  7. Clayton
  8. Kasper
  9. Orson
  10. Ismaeel
  11. Johnny
  12. Laurence
  13. Montgomery
  14. Nikodem
  15. Ryder
  16. Tomos
  17. Vlad
  18. Ewan
  19. Simon
  20. Aahil
  21. Jac
  22. Kieran
  23. Tomas
  24. Sullivan
  25. Diego
  26. Anas
  27. Dawud
  28. Orion
  29. Sulaiman
  30. Tymon
  31. Avery
  32. Hasan
  33. Ibraheem
  34. Niall
  35. Reece
  36. Hamish
  37. Khalid
  38. Marshall
  39. Nikolas
  40. Preston
  41. Rome
  42. Zane
  43. Atticus
  44. Isa
  45. Kobie
  46. Rares
  47. Travis
  48. Kyle
  49. Leonidas
  50. Maksymilian
  51. Ziggy
  52. Szymon
  53. Edwin
  54. Hughie
  55. Tommy-lee
  56. Aadam
  57. Abraham
  58. Buddy
  59. Luis
  60. Malakai
  61. Rayaan
  62. Vihaan
  63. Yaqub
  64. Alistair
  65. Arnie
  66. Haider
  67. Beauden
  68. Jaden
  69. Keegan
  70. Laith
  71. Mathias
  72. Vinny
  73. Koa
  74. Wilbur
  75. Archibald
  76. Dante
  77. Kenzo
  78. Rian
  79. Jago
  80. Yousef
  81. Yuvraj
  82. Brooklyn
  83. Ianis
  84. Keyaan
  85. Lennie
  86. Loki
  87. Tudor
  88. Jaiden
  89. Mario
  90. Miguel
  91. Usman
  92. Calvin
  93. Judah
  94. Lucian
  95. Mikaeel
  96. Albi
  97. Aydin
  98. Jaxx
  99. Keanu
  100. Georgie

 

Best UK Boy Names 501–600

  1. Kane
  2. Maxim
  3. Prince
  4. Yaseen
  5. Asa
  6. Fox
  7. Mikolaj
  8. Zakaria
  9. Emilio
  10. Josh
  11. Kayson
  12. Sean
  13. Ayyub
  14. Euan
  15. Faris
  16. Huzaifa
  17. Kyrie
  18. Marco
  19. Maverick
  20. Olivier
  21. Regan
  22. Robbie
  23. Teo
  24. Aaryan
  25. Bryan
  26. Cassian
  27. Matias
  28. Matthias
  29. Aayan
  30. Hashim
  31. Jonas
  32. Osman
  33. Troy
  34. Yasin
  35. Hadley
  36. Hari
  37. Kareem
  38. Oliwier
  39. Ruairi
  40. Tom
  41. Noel
  42. Teodor
  43. Thiago
  44. Amos
  45. Dalton
  46. Dion
  47. Idrees
  48. Jayce
  49. Sultan
  50. Zaid
  51. Caiden
  52. Dawson
  53. Justin
  54. Kabir
  55. Lawrence
  56. Lucca
  57. Raheem
  58. Tadhg
  59. Ashley
  60. Caspian
  61. Kody
  62. Nolan
  63. Raife
  64. Azlan
  65. Miller
  66. Stephen
  67. Tommie
  68. Cai
  69. Clark
  70. Emir
  71. Emmett
  72. Lowen
  73. Macsen
  74. Reid
  75. Sulayman
  76. Mikael
  77. Ozzy
  78. Ralphy
  79. August
  80. Deen
  81. Eisa
  82. Emanuel
  83. Forrest
  84. Fred
  85. Haroon
  86. Ivor
  87. Alby
  88. Alessandro
  89. Bentley
  90. Brian
  91. Dillon
  92. Israel
  93. Kyro
  94. Md
  95. Orlando
  96. Ray
  97. Shayan
  98. Ian
  99. Omari
  100. Zidan

Best UK Boy Names 601–700

  1. Aariz
  2. Caden
  3. Deniz
  4. Esa
  5. Fionn
  6. Heath
  7. Igor
  8. Kye
  9. Tyson
  10. Zaviyar
  11. Ahad
  12. Andre
  13. Aston
  14. Giovanni
  15. Imran
  16. Ioan
  17. Jovan
  18. Zayden
  19. Ayub
  20. Ishaan
  21. Kylan
  22. Steven
  23. Caelan
  24. Karter
  25. Killian
  26. Zayyan
  27. Abdulrahman
  28. Amaan
  29. Angelo
  30. Anton
  31. Clay
  32. Dawid
  33. Francesco
  34. Harlan
  35. Kyan
  36. Raymond
  37. Rueben
  38. Theodor
  39. Wesley
  40. Ammar
  41. Bowie
  42. Krish
  43. Laurie
  44. Moses
  45. Natan
  46. Presley
  47. Taha
  48. Vladimir
  49. Wiktor
  50. Yanis
  51. Abu
  52. Armaan
  53. Henley
  54. Michal
  55. Mikail
  56. Bruce
  57. Dean
  58. Elio
  59. Emil
  60. Harlow
  61. Ishaq
  62. Ivo
  63. Kyran
  64. Samson
  65. Talha
  66. Yousuf
  67. Zakariyya
  68. Andreas
  69. Coen
  70. Dorian
  71. Franky
  72. Henri
  73. Izaan
  74. Ronald
  75. Saad
  76. Saif
  77. Winston
  78. Zayne
  79. Adyan
  80. Brayden
  81. Cayden
  82. Cyrus
  83. Daniyal
  84. Hadi
  85. Jett
  86. Miran
  87. Ned
  88. Neo
  89. Roscoe
  90. Amar
  91. Aubrey
  92. Benedict
  93. Caspar
  94. Iosif
  95. Mckenzie
  96. Roan
  97. Simeon
  98. Tymoteusz
  99. Fynn
  100. Hubert 

Best UK Boy Names 701–800

  1. Ivar
  2. Karim
  3. Raiden
  4. Seb
  5. Tiago
  6. Abbas
  7. Alec
  8. Deacon
  9. Denny
  10. Emrys
  11. Fergus
  12. Ismael
  13. Karson
  14. Qasim
  15. Saint
  16. Santino
  17. Silas
  18. Veer
  19. King
  20. Kristian
  21. Rishi
  22. Stanislaw
  23. Colton
  24. Eddison
  25. Gray
  26. Ignacy
  27. Issa
  28. Kaden
  29. Kenny
  30. Kyron
  31. Raees
  32. Rico
  33. Rocky
  34. Safwan
  35. Shahzain
  36. Wren
  37. Yasir
  38. Zidane
  39. Damien
  40. Lawson
  41. Lorcan
  42. Sahib
  43. Suleiman
  44. Yusha
  45. Antony
  46. Aris
  47. Arnold
  48. Boris
  49. Deon
  50. Ekam
  51. Eyad
  52. Forest
  53. Fredrick
  54. Viaan
  55. Andy
  56. Ayaz
  57. Curtis
  58. Eoin
  59. Jeremy
  60. Mehmet
  61. Mikey
  62. Niko
  63. Omer
  64. Rehan
  65. Tony
  66. Ciaran
  67. Cobie
  68. Cosmo
  69. Edmund
  70. Izaiah
  71. Jamal
  72. Jaylen
  73. Kade
  74. Oisin
  75. Rafi
  76. Rogan
  77. Saxon
  78. Scott
  79. Valentino
  80. Vivaan
  81. Abdurrahman
  82. Alexandros
  83. Artie
  84. Artur
  85. Avi
  86. Dhruv
  87. Faizan
  88. Hashir
  89. Jad
  90. Lee
  91. Ovie
  92. Sacha
  93. Shiloh
  94. Viktor
  95. Wade
  96. Arin
  97. Arvin
  98. Bodie
  99. Chaim
  100. Gideon

Best UK Boy Names 801–900

  1. Kaison
  2. Mahir
  3. Musab
  4. Reagan
  5. Taron
  6. Trent
  7. Uzair
  8. Warren
  9. Youssef
  10. Zaki
  11. Zander
  12. Bjorn
  13. Bleu
  14. Bogdan
  15. Danyal
  16. Digby
  17. Emerson
  18. Gruffydd
  19. Hakeem
  20. Mahdi
  21. Arjan
  22. Benny
  23. Herbie
  24. Ivaan
  25. Jakob
  26. Lake
  27. Rohaan
  28. Soren
  29. Adriel
  30. Alfie-james
  31. Ariyan
  32. Axl
  33. Eren
  34. Hasnain
  35. Kaiser
  36. Kayan
  37. Klay
  38. Renzo
  39. Salman
  40. Sid
  41. Subhan
  42. Sufyan
  43. Wilf
  44. Yousif
  45. Devon
  46. Gene
  47. Guy
  48. Hamdan
  49. Huw
  50. Indy
  51. Kiyan
  52. Mateusz
  53. Raul
  54. Reyan
  55. Sunny
  56. Aarush
  57. Alessio
  58. Aras
  59. Bobbie
  60. Braxton
  61. Cristian
  62. Denver
  63. Drew
  64. Elyas
  65. Giorgio
  66. Julius
  67. Kendrick
  68. Kole
  69. Lando
  70. Layth
  71. Matas
  72. Moshe
  73. Obie
  74. Raja
  75. Timur
  76. Tomi
  77. Zakariyah
  78. Addison
  79. Ameer
  80. Arian
  81. Benas
  82. Bernard
  83. Boden
  84. Bowen
  85. Casian
  86. Chance
  87. Diyan
  88. Edgar
  89. Elvis
  90. Franco
  91. Henryk
  92. Jayson
  93. Karam
  94. Mohamad
  95. Reyansh
  96. Ricardo
  97. Shivansh
  98. Ajay
  99. Arman
  100. Chris

Best UK Boy Names 901–1,000

  1. Damon
  2. Essa
  3. Gethin
  4. Hunter-lee
  5. Izhaan
  6. Jai
  7. Jibreel
  8. Keaton
  9. Luqman
  10. Manraj
  11. Montague
  12. Nathanael
  13. Nuh
  14. Patrik
  15. Riyan
  16. Ryker
  17. Sahil
  18. Samir
  19. Sol
  20. Zephaniah
  21. Abubakar
  22. Abubakr
  23. Aneurin
  24. Arlen
  25. Arlie
  26. Conrad
  27. Denzel
  28. Dilan
  29. Gregory
  30. Harper
  31. Harun
  32. Herbert
  33. Huey
  34. Ishaaq
  35. Jameson
  36. Kajus
  37. Moise
  38. Paddy
  39. Riaan
  40. Roux
  41. Shane
  42. Shaun
  43. Younes
  44. Abdullahi
  45. Adnan
  46. Ayoub
  47. Ayrton
  48. Byron
  49. Carlos
  50. Farhan
  51. Fateh
  52. Griffin
  53. Hezekiah
  54. Lloyd
  55. Loui
  56. Markas
  57. Mikhail
  58. Richie
  59. Wilson
  60. Wolf
  61. Zackary
  62. Adonis
  63. Aman
  64. Aran
  65. Ares
  66. Arran
  67. Aryaan
  68. Dara
  69. Devansh
  70. Elian
  71. Eryk
  72. Francisco
  73. Gus
  74. Haaris
  75. Hamzah
  76. Jadon
  77. Kingston
  78. Kohen
  79. Kuba
  80. Lockie
  81. Malcolm
  82. Manuel
  83. Marlo
  84. Pablo
  85. Rudra
  86. Rylee
  87. Salah
  88. Sonnie
  89. Taran
  90. Valentin
  91. Younis
  92. Zorawar
  93. Abdulaziz
  94. Acer
  95. Aj
  96. Akram
  97. Alexandre
  98. Alvey
  99. Aronas
  100. Bartosz

See more baby name inspiration!

View more posts tagged, baby names

Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Submit your questions here.

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.