UK boy's name
Blane
Possibly derived from an English surname meaning "bare, bleak hill".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Blane is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Blane popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2960, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 15 births.
This profile covers 117 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 1996 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 40% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 155 living people in the UK are called Blane. 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 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Blane ranked #2960 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 15 boys were registered as Blane.
- • Blane ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #619 in 2024.
- • About 155 living people in the UK are estimated to have Blane as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2960
2020
Births in 2020
6
Latest year
Peak year
1997
15 births
Estimated living
155
2026
Meaning
What does Blane mean?
The name Blane is of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the word "bàn" meaning "white" or "fair." It has its roots in the ancient Celtic cultures of Scotland and Ireland, where it was likely used as a descriptive name for a person with fair hair or a pale complexion.
In ancient Scottish and Irish texts, the name Blane is often associated with notable historical figures and saints. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Saint Blane, a 6th-century Scottish missionary and bishop who established several churches and monasteries in the region. His feast day is celebrated on August 10th in the Catholic Church.
During the Middle Ages, the name Blane gained popularity among Scottish and Irish nobility. One notable bearer was Blane McDougall, a 13th-century Scottish nobleman and chief of the Clan MacDougall. He played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.
In the 16th century, a Scottish poet and satirist named Blane Willox gained recognition for his biting critiques of the Scottish nobility and clergy. His works were widely circulated and helped shape the literary culture of the time.
In more recent history, Blane Mukherjee was an influential Indian businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1917 to 2003. He founded several successful companies and was known for his charitable contributions to education and healthcare initiatives.
Another notable figure with the name Blane is Blane Muise, a Canadian ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1980s and 1990s. He was born in 1964 and played for several teams, including the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers.
While the name Blane is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the cultural heritage of Scotland and Ireland, reflecting the rich history and traditions of these regions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Blane over time
The chart below shows babies named Blane registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Blane, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2020, compared with 15 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Blane by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Blane 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 | #2960 | 6 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4209 | 18 | 5 |
| 2000s | #2335 | 58 | 8 |
| 1990s | #1534 | 35 | 4 |
Geography
Where Blane is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Blane. 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.
Blane ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #619 in 2024.
Across the UK
Blane in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#619 in 2024
11 years of NRS records, 40 total registered
Related
Names similar to Blane
- 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
Blane: questions and answers
How popular is the name Blane in the UK right now?
In 2020, Blane was ranked #2960 for boys in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Blane most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 15 babies registered as Blane in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Blane?
Possibly derived from an English surname meaning "bare, bleak hill".
How many people are called Blane in the UK?
A total of 117 babies have been registered as Blane across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 40 more in Scotland.
Where is Blane most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Blane ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #619 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.