UK boy's name
Albert
Germanic name meaning "noble" or "bright".
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.
Albert is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Albert popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #57, with 915 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 1,264 births.
This profile covers 15,809 England and Wales registrations across 29 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 72% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 16,026 living people in the UK are called Albert. 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
- • Albert ranked #57 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 915 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 1,264 boys were registered as Albert.
- • Albert ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #216 in 2024.
- • About 16,026 living people in the UK are estimated to have Albert as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#57
2024
Births in 2024
915
Latest year
Peak year
2018
1,264 births
Estimated living
16,026
2026
Meaning
What does Albert mean?
The name Albert has its roots in the Germanic language and culture, originating from the Old High German name Adalbrecht, which was derived from the words "adal" meaning "noble" and "beraht" meaning "bright" or "shining." The name gained popularity in medieval Europe and was widely used in various regions, particularly in Germanic-speaking areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Albert can be found in the 8th century, when it was mentioned in the Annales Regni Francorum, a contemporary account of the Carolingian dynasty in the Frankish Kingdom. The name was borne by several prominent figures during this period, including Albertus Magnus, a renowned philosopher and theologian who lived from 1193 to 1280.
In the 11th century, the name gained further significance with the rise of Albertus von Bollstädt, commonly known as Albert the Great, a highly influential Dominican friar and scholar who made significant contributions to the fields of natural science, logic, and theology. He lived from 1193 to 1280 and his works had a profound impact on the intellectual landscape of the time.
The name Albert also appeared in various religious texts and historical records throughout the Middle Ages. One notable example is Albert I of Germany, who reigned as the Holy Roman Emperor from 1298 to 1308. His rule was marked by his efforts to consolidate imperial power and resolve conflicts within the Holy Roman Empire.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained further prominence with figures such as Albrecht Dürer, the renowned German painter, printmaker, and theorist who lived from 1471 to 1528. His artistic achievements and contributions to the development of Renaissance art have cemented his place in history.
Another notable figure bearing the name Albert was Albert Einstein, the world-renowned physicist who revolutionized our understanding of the universe with his theories of relativity. Born in 1879 and lived until 1955, Einstein's groundbreaking work has had a profound impact on modern physics and our perception of space, time, and the nature of the cosmos.
Throughout history, the name Albert has been borne by numerous other influential individuals, including Albert Camus, the French philosopher and author who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957; Albert Schweitzer, the German-French theologian, philosopher, and physician who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952; and Albert Speer, the German architect and minister of armaments for Nazi Germany during World War II.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Albert over time
The chart below shows babies named Albert registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Albert, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 915 births in 2024, compared with 1,264 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Albert by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Albert 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 | #57 | 5,144 | 5 |
| 2010s | #89 | 8,355 | 10 |
| 2000s | #222 | 1,875 | 10 |
| 1990s | #265 | 435 | 4 |
Geography
Where Albert is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Albert. 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.
Albert ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #216 in 2024.
Across the UK
Albert in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#218 in 2024
30 years of NRS records, 257 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#216 in 2024
11 years of NISRA records, 59 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Albert
-
Albert Aiken
association football player
Footballer (1914-1972)
1914-1972
-
Albert Addison
Royal Navy officer (1875-1952)
1875-1952
-
Albert Owen Evans
diacon, caterisit
archdeacon of Bangor (1864-1937)
1864-1937
Related
Names similar to Albert
- 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
- Aiden 15,654
FAQ
Albert: questions and answers
How popular is the name Albert in the UK right now?
In 2024, Albert was ranked #57 for boys in England and Wales, with 915 births registered.
When was Albert most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 1,264 babies registered as Albert in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Albert?
Germanic name meaning "noble" or "bright".
How many people are called Albert in the UK?
A total of 15,809 babies have been registered as Albert across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 257 more in Scotland and 59 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Albert most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Albert ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #216 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.