UK boy's name
Andy
A masculine diminutive of Andrew of Greek origin, meaning "manly".
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.
Andy is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Andy popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1108, with 26 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 55 births.
This profile covers 1,040 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 47% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,134 living people in the UK are called Andy. 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
- • Andy ranked #1108 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 26 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 55 boys were registered as Andy.
- • Andy ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #418 in 2019.
- • About 1,134 living people in the UK are estimated to have Andy as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1108
2024
Births in 2024
26
Latest year
Peak year
2006
55 births
Estimated living
1,134
2026
Meaning
What does Andy mean?
The given name Andy is a diminutive form of the Greek name Andreas, which originated from the word "aner" meaning man. It is derived from the Ancient Greek word "andros," meaning manly or virile. The name Andreas has been in use since the 4th century BC and was popular among early Christians, as it was the name of one of the Twelve Apostles, St. Andrew.
Andy gained popularity as a diminutive form of Andrew in the English-speaking world during the Middle Ages. It was commonly used as a nickname or pet name for those named Andrew. The earliest recorded use of Andy as a standalone name can be traced back to the 16th century in Scotland.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Andy was Andy Milne, a Scottish poet and writer who lived from 1637 to 1667. He is best known for his satirical works and his contributions to the Scottish Renaissance.
Another famous Andy in history was Andy Warhol, the iconic American artist, filmmaker, and leading figure in the pop art movement. He was born in 1928 and passed away in 1987. Warhol's art and cultural influence were significant, and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
In the world of sports, Andy Murray, the Scottish professional tennis player, has made a name for himself. Born in 1987, Murray has won three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic gold medals in his career. He was also the World No. 1 in men's singles tennis for 41 weeks.
Andy Gibb, the youngest member of the famous Bee Gees musical group, was a successful solo artist in the late 1970s. He was born in 1958 and died tragically at the age of 30 in 1988. Some of his hit songs include "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" and "Shadow Dancing."
In the literary world, Andy Weir, an American novelist and software engineer, gained widespread recognition for his debut novel "The Martian," published in 2011. The book was adapted into a critically acclaimed film in 2015, starring Matt Damon.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Andy over time
The chart below shows babies named Andy 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 Andy, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 26 births in 2024, compared with 55 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Andy by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Andy 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 | #908 | 172 | 5 |
| 2010s | #818 | 381 | 10 |
| 2000s | #655 | 377 | 10 |
| 1990s | #675 | 110 | 4 |
Geography
Where Andy is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Andy. 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.
Andy ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #418 in 2019.
Across the UK
Andy in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#727 in 2024
21 years of NRS records, 88 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#418 in 2019
4 years of NISRA records, 14 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Andy
-
Andy Winter
association football player
Scottish association football player
2002-
-
Andy Yiadom
association football player
Ghanese association football player (born 1991)
1991-
-
Andy Chan
politician
Hong Kong politician
1990-
-
Andy Yates
rugby league player
English rugby league player
1990-
-
Andy Akinwolere
television presenter
British TV personality
1982-
-
Andy Williams
rugby union player
Welsh rugby union player
1981-
-
Andy Wilmot
racing driver; racing automobile driver
British racing driver
1980-
-
Andy Wright
association football player
association football player
1978-
Related
Names similar to Andy
- 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
Andy: questions and answers
How popular is the name Andy in the UK right now?
In 2024, Andy was ranked #1108 for boys in England and Wales, with 26 births registered.
When was Andy most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 55 babies registered as Andy in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Andy?
A masculine diminutive of Andrew of Greek origin, meaning "manly".
How many people are called Andy in the UK?
A total of 1,040 babies have been registered as Andy across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 88 more in Scotland and 14 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Andy most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Andy ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #418 in 2019. 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.