UK name, mostly girls
Bronte
Of English origin, derived from the town of Brontë in Yorkshire.
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.
Bronte is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Bronte popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #526, with 74 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 86 births.
This profile covers 1,221 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 86% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,251 living people in the UK are called Bronte. 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
- • Bronte ranked #526 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 74 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 86 girls were registered as Bronte.
- • Bronte ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #446 in 2021.
- • About 1,251 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bronte as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.8% of Bronte registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#526
2024
Births in 2024
74
Latest year
Peak year
1997
86 births
Estimated living
1,251
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Bronte
In England and Wales birth records, Bronte has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 0.2% of registrations are for boys and 99.8% 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.
Bronte registered for boys
- Ranked #4,608 in 2020
- 3 boys registered in 2020
- Peak: 2020 (3 births)
Bronte registered for girls
- Ranked #526 in 2024
- 74 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 1997 (86 births)
Meaning
What does Bronte mean?
The name Bronte is derived from the ancient Greek word "brontē," which means "thunder." It is believed to have originated as a surname in the 19th century, likely in England or Italy. The name's connection to thunder suggests a powerful and resonant quality.
The earliest recorded use of the name Bronte can be traced back to the famous Brontë family of writers in the 19th century. The three Brontë sisters, Charlotte (1816-1855), Emily (1818-1848), and Anne (1820-1849), were renowned authors who made significant contributions to English literature. Their works, such as "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte, "Wuthering Heights" by Emily, and "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Anne, are considered literary classics.
Another notable figure with the name Bronte was Bronte Woodard (1903-1975), an American actress and dancer who appeared in several films during the 1920s and 1930s. She is best known for her roles in the movies "The Unholy Three" (1925) and "The Sin Ship" (1931).
In the field of art, Bronte Arbuthnot (1895-1978) was a British artist and sculptor known for her portraiture and figurative works. She was a member of the Royal Academy of Arts and received several commissions for public sculptures throughout her career.
Bronte Howard (1865-1956) was an Australian politician and activist who fought for women's rights and suffrage. She played a significant role in the women's movement in Australia during the early 20th century and served as the president of the National Council of Women of Victoria.
Finally, Bronte Parsonage is a notable literary landmark in Haworth, England, where the Brontë family lived and wrote their famous works. It has been preserved as a museum and attracts visitors from around the world who are interested in the lives and works of the Brontë sisters.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Bronte over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Bronte 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 Bronte, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 74 births in 2024, compared with 86 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bronte by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bronte 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 | #920 | 214 | 5 |
| 2010s | #991 | 368 | 10 |
| 2000s | #819 | 362 | 10 |
| 1990s | #443 | 277 | 4 |
Geography
Where Bronte is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Bronte. 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.
Bronte ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #446 in 2021.
Across the UK
Bronte in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#476 in 2024
8 years of NRS records, 34 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#446 in 2021
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Bronte
-
Bronte Dooley
politician
politician and Labor organiser
1867-1913
Related
Names similar to Bronte
- Bethany 43,226
- Brooke 18,370
- Bella 14,112
- Bonnie 12,149
- Beatrice 11,306
- Bethan 7,968
- Beth 6,440
- Betsy 5,065
- Beatrix 4,317
- Billie 4,220
- Beau 3,231
- Bryony 3,167
FAQ
Bronte: questions and answers
How popular is the name Bronte in the UK right now?
In 2024, Bronte was ranked #526 for girls in England and Wales, with 74 births registered.
When was Bronte most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 86 babies registered as Bronte in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Bronte?
Of English origin, derived from the town of Brontë in Yorkshire.
How many people are called Bronte in the UK?
A total of 1,221 babies have been registered as Bronte across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 34 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Bronte most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Bronte ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #446 in 2021. 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.