UK boy's name
Adonay
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "Lord" or "Master".
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.
Adonay is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Adonay popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1951, with 12 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 12 births.
This profile covers 64 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.
Adonay is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 64 living people in the UK are called Adonay. 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
- • Adonay ranked #1951 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 12 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 12 boys were registered as Adonay.
- • About 64 living people in the UK are estimated to have Adonay as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1951
2024
Births in 2024
12
Latest year
Peak year
2024
12 births
Estimated living
64
2026
Meaning
What does Adonay mean?
The name Adonay has its origins in Hebrew, specifically in the term "Adonai," meaning "Lord" or "Master." This name traces its roots back to ancient Judaic traditions and scriptures, where it was used as a reverential substitute for the sacred name of God.
In the Hebrew Bible, the name of God is represented by the four Hebrew consonants YHWH, known as the Tetragrammaton. Due to the reverence associated with this name, Jews began using the term "Adonai" as a way to avoid pronouncing the sacred name directly. This practice dates back to at least the 3rd century BCE and became widespread among Jewish communities worldwide.
The name Adonay appears in various ancient Jewish texts, including the Talmud and other rabbinical literature. It is found in prayers, blessings, and religious ceremonies, where it is used as a respectful way to refer to the divine.
While the name Adonay is not commonly used as a given name, there are a few notable historical figures who bore this name. One of the earliest recorded examples is Adonay ben David, a 12th-century Jewish philosopher and commentator from Narbonne, France.
Another prominent figure was Adonay Rabach, a 16th-century rabbi and Kabbalist from Safed, Palestine. He was known for his contributions to the study of Jewish mysticism and his influential works on the Kabbalah.
In the 17th century, Adonay Lopez de Illescas was a Spanish Jew who converted to Christianity and became a noted theologian and writer. He published works on Jewish-Christian relations and religious controversies of the time.
Moving into the 18th century, Adonay Binyamin Abulafia was a renowned Hebrew grammarian and lexicographer from Italy. He authored several important works on the Hebrew language and its grammar rules.
In more recent history, Adonay Ariza was a Colombian footballer who played as a midfielder in the 1990s and early 2000s. He represented his national team and played for various clubs in Colombia and Mexico.
While not a common given name, Adonay holds significant meaning and historical importance within the Jewish tradition, serving as a respectful substitute for the sacred name of God and appearing in various religious texts and works throughout history.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Adonay over time
The chart below shows babies named Adonay registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 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 Adonay, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 12 births in 2024, compared with 12 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adonay by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Adonay 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 | #2987 | 29 | 4 |
| 2010s | #3971 | 25 | 6 |
| 2000s | #3763 | 10 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Adonay
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Adonay: questions and answers
How popular is the name Adonay in the UK right now?
In 2024, Adonay was ranked #1951 for boys in England and Wales, with 12 births registered.
When was Adonay most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 12 babies registered as Adonay in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Adonay?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "Lord" or "Master".
How many people are called Adonay in the UK?
A total of 64 babies have been registered as Adonay across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.