What's in a name?

I've always noticed how a particular name can have different spellings. Take for example, Muhammad which means "one who is praiseworthy" and is usually given to boys as an honorary prefix to be followed by a name which is commonly known to them, e.g Muhammad Ali. According to the UK Office for National Statistics, there are 14 different spellings of Muhammad recorded in 2006 with the following occurrences:

Mohammed 2,833
Muhammad 1,422
Mohammad 920
Muhammed 358
Mohamed 354
Mohamad 29
Mahammed 18
Mohammod 13
Mahamed 12
Muhammod 9
Muhamad 7
Mohmmed 6
Mohamud 5
Mohammud 5

Though there is no conclusive evidence for the differing variants of the name, some scholars say it results from the phonetic translations by Muslims who have moved to the UK. Then there are some who say it boils down to the parents' personal choice.

And on a more interesting note, Muhammad is the 2nd most popular name in Britain, after Jack, given to male boys (taking into account all 14 variants). Take that to all you Robbies, Jasons, Olivers!