UK name, mostly boys
Bertie
A diminutive form of the Germanic name "Bertram", meaning "bright raven".
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.
Bertie is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Bertie popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #257, with 182 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 246 births.
This profile covers 2,725 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 74% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,780 living people in the UK are called Bertie. 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
- • Bertie ranked #257 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 182 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 246 boys were registered as Bertie.
- • Bertie ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #305 in 2024.
- • About 2,780 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bertie as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.5% of Bertie registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#257
2024
Births in 2024
182
Latest year
Peak year
2021
246 births
Estimated living
2,780
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Bertie
In England and Wales birth records, Bertie has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.5% of registrations are for boys and 0.5% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Bertie registered for boys
- Ranked #257 in 2024
- 182 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (246 births)
Bertie registered for girls
- Ranked #4,192 in 2024
- 5 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (5 births)
Meaning
What does Bertie mean?
The name Bertie is an English diminutive form of the Germanic name Bertram or Bertrand, which is derived from the Old Germanic roots bert, meaning "bright" or "illustrious", and ram, meaning "raven". It was a popular name among the Frankish nobility during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded use of the name Bertie dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in English and Norman records. In the 13th century, a Bertie de Bulmer was listed as a landholder in Yorkshire, England.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Bertie was Edward VII (1841-1910), King of the United Kingdom from 1901 until his death. He was known as Bertie among family and friends before his accession to the throne.
Another famous Bertie was Bertie Wooster, the fictional character created by P.G. Wodehouse in his Jeeves and Wooster stories. The character first appeared in the 1917 novel "The Man with Two Left Feet".
In the world of sports, Bertie Mee (1918-2001) was an English football player and manager who led Arsenal F.C. to the double of the Football League and FA Cup in 1971.
Bertie Higgins (born 1944) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his 1981 hit single "Key Largo".
Bertie Ahern (born 1951) was the former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, serving from 1997 to 2008.
The name Bertie has a long and rich history, with its origins rooted in the Germanic languages and its popularity spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. While it may have fallen out of fashion in recent times, it remains a distinctive and memorable name with a strong historical legacy.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Bertie over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Bertie in England and Wales, 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 Bertie, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 182 births in 2024, compared with 246 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bertie by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bertie 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 | #227 | 1,105 | 5 |
| 2010s | #382 | 1,334 | 10 |
| 2000s | #979 | 242 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1355 | 44 | 4 |
Geography
Where Bertie is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Bertie. 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.
Bertie ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #305 in 2024.
Across the UK
Bertie in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#727 in 2024
8 years of NRS records, 33 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#305 in 2024
7 years of NISRA records, 38 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Bertie
-
Bertie Lutton
association football player
Professional footballer (born 1950)
1950-
-
Bertie Miller
association football player
British footballer (born 1949)
1949-
-
Bertie Smalls
British criminal and supergrass
1935-2008
-
Bertie Peacock
association football coach; association football player
Northern Irish association football player and manager (1928-2004)
1928-2004
-
Bertie McConnell
politician
Northern Irish politician (born 1921)
1921-1994
-
Bertie Mee
association football coach; association football player
English footballer and manager (1918-2001)
1918-2001
-
Bertie Shardlow
carpenter; cricketer
English cricketer (1909-1976)
1909-1976
-
Bertie Williams
association football coach; association football player
Welsh footballer (1907-1968)
1907-1968
Related
Names similar to Bertie
- Benjamin 90,412
- Ben 36,356
- Bradley 30,230
- Brandon 26,411
- Billy 18,608
- Bobby 16,904
- Blake 16,337
- Bailey 16,014
- Brody 7,230
- Beau 6,722
- Barnaby 5,284
- Brodie 4,801
FAQ
Bertie: questions and answers
How popular is the name Bertie in the UK right now?
In 2024, Bertie was ranked #257 for boys in England and Wales, with 182 births registered.
When was Bertie most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 246 babies registered as Bertie in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Bertie?
A diminutive form of the Germanic name "Bertram", meaning "bright raven".
How many people are called Bertie in the UK?
A total of 2,725 babies have been registered as Bertie across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 33 more in Scotland and 38 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Bertie most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Bertie ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #305 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.