UK boy's name
Anakin
A masculine name derived from the Greek word "anemoi" meaning "the winds".
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.
Anakin is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Anakin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1595, with 16 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 21 births.
This profile covers 195 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 2000 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.
The latest count is about 76% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 194 living people in the UK are called Anakin. 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
- • Anakin ranked #1595 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 16 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 21 boys were registered as Anakin.
- • About 194 living people in the UK are estimated to have Anakin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1595
2024
Births in 2024
16
Latest year
Peak year
2022
21 births
Estimated living
194
2026
Meaning
What does Anakin mean?
The name Anakin is a modern invention, likely derived from the word "Anakin" itself, which was first used in the Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. It does not appear to have any direct linguistic or cultural origins prior to its introduction in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
In the Star Wars mythos, Anakin Skywalker is the central character who eventually becomes the villainous Darth Vader. The name Anakin is given to him as a young slave on the planet Tatooine, and its meaning or etymology within the fictional universe is not clearly explained.
Outside of the Star Wars franchise, there are no recorded instances of the name Anakin being used historically or appearing in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. It is a unique name created specifically for the character Anakin Skywalker.
While the name Anakin itself does not have a long historical legacy, the character of Anakin Skywalker, portrayed by actors Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen, has become a iconic figure in popular culture since the release of the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005).
Due to the widespread popularity of the Star Wars films, the name Anakin has gained some usage as a given name in recent decades, particularly among fans of the franchise. However, there are no notable historical figures or individuals named Anakin prior to the creation of the Star Wars character.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Anakin over time
The chart below shows babies named Anakin registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 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 Anakin, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 16 births in 2024, compared with 21 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Anakin by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Anakin 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 | #1806 | 71 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2825 | 73 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2617 | 51 | 9 |
Related
Names similar to Anakin
- 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
Anakin: questions and answers
How popular is the name Anakin in the UK right now?
In 2024, Anakin was ranked #1595 for boys in England and Wales, with 16 births registered.
When was Anakin most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 21 babies registered as Anakin in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Anakin?
A masculine name derived from the Greek word "anemoi" meaning "the winds".
How many people are called Anakin in the UK?
A total of 195 babies have been registered as Anakin across the 24 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.