NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Ace

A given name derived from the word for "one" or "unity".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Ace is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Ace popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #352, with 125 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 163 births.

This profile covers 1,380 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 77% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,503 living people in the UK are called Ace. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Ace ranked #352 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 125 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 163 boys were registered as Ace.
  • Ace ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #191 in 2024.
  • About 1,503 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ace as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.6% of Ace registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#352

2024

Births in 2024

125

Latest year

Peak year

2021

163 births

Estimated living

1,503

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Ace

In England and Wales birth records, Ace has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.6% of registrations are for boys and 0.4% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

100% boys
Boys1,380 (99.6%)Girls6 (0.4%)

Ace registered for boys

  • Ranked #352 in 2024
  • 125 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2021 (163 births)

Ace registered for girls

  • Ranked #5,687 in 2023
  • 3 girls registered in 2023
  • Peak: 2012 (3 births)

Meaning

What does Ace mean?

The given name Ace is of English origin, derived from the word "as" meaning "one" or "unity." It was initially used as a nickname or short form for the name Ambrose, which comes from the Greek word "ambrosios," meaning "immortal" or "divine."

Ace is believed to have emerged as a standalone name in the late 19th century, during the Victorian era. It gained popularity as a trendy, modern name, reflecting the spirit of adventure and achievement that characterized the era's fascination with exploration and technological advancements.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Ace can be found in the early 20th century, with Ace Browne, an American baseball player born in 1884. He played for several Major League Baseball teams between 1905 and 1914.

Another notable historical figure with the name Ace was Ace Bailey, an American professional ice hockey player born in 1903. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and had a successful career in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1920s and 1930s.

In the world of aviation, Ace Parker, born in 1912, was a renowned American football player and aviator. He earned the nickname "Ace" for his exceptional skills on the football field and later became a highly decorated pilot during World War II.

Ace Everhart, born in 1944, was an American stock car racing driver who achieved success in the NASCAR circuit throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He won several prominent races and is considered a legend in the sport.

Ace Frehley, born in 1951, is a famous American musician best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the legendary rock band KISS. His stage persona and guitar playing have made him an iconic figure in the rock music world.

While the name Ace was initially more commonly used as a nickname or a shortened form of other names, it has gained popularity as a standalone given name in recent decades, particularly in the United States and certain parts of Europe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ace over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ace in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Ace, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 125 births in 2024, compared with 163 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
04182122163199620102024

Decades

Ace by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ace was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #324 695 5
2010s #733 530 10
2000s #1580 134 9
1990s #2027 21 4

Geography

Where Ace is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ace. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Ace ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #191 in 2024.

Scotland
22
Northern Ireland
4

Across the UK

Ace in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#191 in 2024

13 years of NRS records, 118 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#339 in 2024

3 years of NISRA records, 14 total registered

Related

Names similar to Ace

FAQ

Ace: questions and answers

How popular is the name Ace in the UK right now?

In 2024, Ace was ranked #352 for boys in England and Wales, with 125 births registered.

When was Ace most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 163 babies registered as Ace in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ace?

A given name derived from the word for "one" or "unity".

How many people are called Ace in the UK?

A total of 1,380 babies have been registered as Ace across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 118 more in Scotland and 14 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Ace most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Ace ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #191 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.