NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Bleu

A given name derived from the French word for the color blue.

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.

Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 115 girls.

Bleu is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Bleu popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #857, with 37 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 45 births.

This profile covers 404 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. 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 82% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 416 living people in the UK are called Bleu. 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

  • Bleu ranked #857 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 37 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2022, when 45 boys were registered as Bleu.
  • Bleu ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
  • Bleu is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 416 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bleu as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 77.8% of Bleu registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#857

2024

Births in 2024

37

Latest year

Peak year

2022

45 births

Estimated living

416

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Bleu

In England and Wales birth records, Bleu has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 77.8% of registrations are for boys and 22.2% 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.

78% boys
22% girls
Boys404 (77.8%)Girls115 (22.2%)

Bleu registered for boys

  • Ranked #857 in 2024
  • 37 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2022 (45 births)

Bleu registered for girls

  • Ranked #3,318 in 2024
  • 7 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2020 (18 births)

Meaning

What does Bleu mean?

The given name Bleu finds its origins in the French language, deriving from the word "bleu" which means "blue" in English. This name emerged during the Middle Ages in France, where it was initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with blue eyes or someone who frequently wore blue clothing.

The earliest recorded use of Bleu as a given name dates back to the 13th century in various French historical records and documents. It was initially more common among the lower classes and peasantry, as it was a descriptive nickname rather than a traditional name from religious or noble origins.

One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the name Bleu was Bleu de Souvigny, a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 14th century. Another early figure was Bleu de Montauban, a 15th-century French poet and troubadour known for his contributions to the development of courtly love poetry.

In the 16th century, Bleu Baudoin, a French explorer and navigator, gained recognition for his expeditions and voyages to the Americas and the Caribbean. His travels and accounts of the new lands helped expand European knowledge of the Western Hemisphere during the Age of Exploration.

During the 17th century, Bleu de Gennes, a French mathematician and physicist, made significant contributions to the field of fluid mechanics and the study of surface tension phenomena. His work laid the foundation for modern understanding of capillary action and wetting phenomena.

In the 19th century, Bleu d'Aurevilly, a French novelist and literary critic, gained prominence for his avant-garde writings and his influential criticism of contemporary French literature. His works, such as "Les Diaboliques" and "L'Ensorcelée," explored themes of passion, violence, and the supernatural.

Throughout history, the name Bleu has remained a relatively uncommon given name, primarily used in French-speaking regions. While it has not achieved widespread popularity, it has maintained a distinct cultural and linguistic connection to its French origins and the color blue.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Bleu over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Bleu in England and Wales, from 1998 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 Bleu, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 37 births in 2024, compared with 45 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
014294357199820112024

Decades

Bleu by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bleu 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 #801 201 5
2010s #1603 168 10
2000s #2947 29 6
1990s #1821 6 1

Geography

Where Bleu is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Bleu. 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.

Bleu ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Bleu in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#727 in 2024

4 years of NRS records, 14 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Bleu

  • Bleu Landau

    television actor; actor

    British actor

    2005-

Related

Names similar to Bleu

FAQ

Bleu: questions and answers

How popular is the name Bleu in the UK right now?

In 2024, Bleu was ranked #857 for boys in England and Wales, with 37 births registered.

When was Bleu most popular?

The peak year on record was 2022, with 45 babies registered as Bleu in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Bleu?

A given name derived from the French word for the color blue.

How many people are called Bleu in the UK?

A total of 404 babies have been registered as Bleu across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 14 more in Scotland.

Where is Bleu most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Bleu ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #727 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.