UK boy's name
Art
A masculine name derived from the Middle English word signifying a skilful trade or craft.
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.
Art is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Art popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1758, with 14 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 19 births.
This profile covers 284 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales 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 74% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 291 living people in the UK are called Art. 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
- • Art ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 14 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 19 boys were registered as Art.
- • Art ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #404 in 2024.
- • About 291 living people in the UK are estimated to have Art as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1758
2024
Births in 2024
14
Latest year
Peak year
2020
19 births
Estimated living
291
2026
Meaning
What does Art mean?
The name Art is an English diminutive form of the name Arthur, which has its origins in the Celtic British tradition. The name Arthur is derived from the Brittonic words 'arth' meaning 'bear' and 'ur' meaning 'man' or 'warrior'. Together, these words form the meaning 'bear-man' or 'bear-warrior'.
Art as a given name emerged as a shortened version of Arthur during the Middle Ages, particularly in England. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Art dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230.
The name Art gained significant prominence due to its association with the legendary King Arthur of Britain, a figure whose exploits were widely celebrated in medieval literature and folklore. The Arthurian legends, which began to circulate in the 12th century, popularized the name and contributed to its widespread use.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Art. One of the earliest recorded figures was Art mac Cuinn, a 7th-century King of Munster in Ireland, who reigned from 620 to 625 AD. In the literary realm, Art Buchwald (1925-2007) was an American humorist and satirist who gained fame for his witty and insightful columns in The Washington Post.
In the world of sports, Art Shires (1923-2008) was an American professional baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox in the 1940s and 1950s. Art Modell (1925-2012) was an influential American businessman and former owner of the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens football teams.
Another notable figure was Art Tatum (1909-1956), an American jazz pianist who was widely regarded as one of the greatest virtuoso performers in the history of jazz. His innovative and technically brilliant playing had a profound influence on the development of modern jazz piano.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Art, a diminutive form of the venerable Arthur, with roots in the Celtic tradition and a rich legacy spanning centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Art over time
The chart below shows babies named Art registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 Art, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 14 births in 2024, compared with 19 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Art by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Art 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 | #1837 | 67 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1887 | 121 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2115 | 77 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1783 | 19 | 3 |
Geography
Where Art is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Art. 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.
Art ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #404 in 2024.
Across the UK
Art in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#404 in 2024
2 years of NISRA records, 9 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Art
-
Art Malik
actor; stage actor; television actor; film actor
British actor
1952-
-
Art Themen
physician; surgeon; saxophonist; jazz musician
English saxophonist
1939-
-
Art Green
ice hockey player
British ice hockey player
1921-2003
-
Art Halliwell
association football coach; association football player
Canadian soccer player
1897-1964
-
Art Satherley
composer; record producer; talent management
American record producer (1889-1986)
1889-1986
-
Art O'Connor
judge; architect; engineer; politician; barrister
Irish politician (1888-1950)
1888-1950
-
Art Wilkinson
Australian rules football player
Australian rules footballer
1888-1969
-
Art MacBaron O'Neill
soldier
(died 1618)
?-1618
Related
Names similar to Art
- 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
Art: questions and answers
How popular is the name Art in the UK right now?
In 2024, Art was ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales, with 14 births registered.
When was Art most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 19 babies registered as Art in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Art?
A masculine name derived from the Middle English word signifying a skilful trade or craft.
How many people are called Art in the UK?
A total of 284 babies have been registered as Art across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 9 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Art most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Art ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #404 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.