NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Buster

A playful nickname originating from slang meaning "something large".

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.

Buster is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Buster popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2088, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 40 births.

This profile covers 431 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 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 28% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 431 living people in the UK are called Buster. 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

  • Buster ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2014, when 40 boys were registered as Buster.
  • Buster ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
  • About 431 living people in the UK are estimated to have Buster as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2088

2024

Births in 2024

11

Latest year

Peak year

2014

40 births

Estimated living

431

2026

Meaning

What does Buster mean?

The name Buster originated as a nickname derived from the word "burster," which referred to someone who broke things or was destructive. It first emerged in the early 19th century, likely in the United States or Britain. The earliest known use of the name dates back to 1834, when it was used as a character's name in a British novel.

One of the most famous individuals with the name Buster was the American actor and filmmaker Buster Keaton (1895-1966). Known for his deadpan expression and physical comedy, Keaton was a pioneer of early cinema and starred in numerous silent films during the 1920s.

Another notable figure with the name Buster was Buster Crabbe (1908-1983), an American athlete and actor who won a gold medal in swimming at the 1932 Olympics. He later portrayed popular characters like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers in various film serials.

In the realm of music, Buster Poindexter (born 1951) is the stage name of American singer and songwriter Robert Reinhold Velline, known for his energetic performances and blending of various musical styles, including rock, pop, and calypso.

The name Buster also has historical connections to World War II. Buster Crabb (1909-1956) was a British Royal Navy diver who went missing during a secret reconnaissance mission in 1956, leading to speculation about his fate.

Another notable figure was Buster Brown, a fictional character created by Richard F. Outcault in 1902 for a popular comic strip of the same name. The character, along with his dog Tige, became a cultural icon and inspired various merchandising products.

While the name Buster initially carried connotations of rambunctiousness or mischievousness, it has evolved over time to become a more commonly accepted given name, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its association with notable individuals and its distinctive, playful sound.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Buster over time

The chart below shows babies named Buster registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Buster, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 40 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Buster
010203040199620102024

Decades

Buster by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Buster 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 #2026 60 5
2010s #1177 260 10
2000s #2063 86 10
1990s #1770 25 4

Geography

Where Buster is most common

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

Buster ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Buster in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#704 in 2018

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Buster

  • Buster Howes

    military personnel

    Royal Marines general

    1960-

  • Buster Mottram

    tennis player

    English tennis player

    1955-

  • Buster Edwards

    British criminal (1931–1994)

    1931-1994

  • Buster Merryfield

    association football player; bank manager; television actor; comedian

    English actor (1920-1999)

    1920-1999

  • Buster Martin

    singer; marathon runner

    British marathon runner (1906-2011)

    1906-2011

Related

Names similar to Buster

FAQ

Buster: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Buster was ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.

When was Buster most popular?

The peak year on record was 2014, with 40 babies registered as Buster in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Buster?

A playful nickname originating from slang meaning "something large".

How many people are called Buster in the UK?

A total of 431 babies have been registered as Buster across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Buster most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Buster ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #704 in 2018. 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.