NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Cash

Middle English word meaning "money" or "currency".

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.

Cash is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Cash popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1322, with 20 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 29 births.

This profile covers 323 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1999 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 69% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 327 living people in the UK are called Cash. 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

  • Cash ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 20 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2018, when 29 boys were registered as Cash.
  • Cash ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
  • About 327 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cash as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1322

2024

Births in 2024

20

Latest year

Peak year

2018

29 births

Estimated living

327

2026

Meaning

What does Cash mean?

The name Cash is an English name derived from the Old French word "casse," which means a case or a coffer for storing money or valuables. This term ultimately traces its roots back to the Late Latin word "capsa," meaning a box or container.

The earliest recorded use of Cash as a given name dates back to the late 16th century in England. It was likely initially used as a nickname or surname for individuals involved in financial or monetary professions, such as tax collectors, bankers, or money lenders.

One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Cash was Sir William Cash (1592-1673), an English landowner and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and supported King Charles I against the Parliamentarian forces led by Oliver Cromwell.

Another notable figure was John Cash (1715-1778), an American colonial leader and politician from Virginia. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and was a delegate to the Virginia Conventions of 1775 and 1776, which helped pave the way for American independence.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the name Cash was Johnny Cash (1932-2003), the iconic American singer-songwriter and musician. Known as the "Man in Black," he was a defining figure in country music and is recognized as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Another prominent figure was James Cash Penney (1875-1971), the American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the renowned J.C. Penney department store chain. His company, initially called the Golden Rule Store, grew to become one of the largest retailers in the United States.

In the field of literature, Wilbur Joseph Cash (1900-1941) was an American writer and historian best known for his influential work "The Mind of the South," a seminal study of the Southern culture and psyche published in 1941.

While the name Cash is not as common as some other English names, it has a long and varied history, with notable figures spanning politics, business, music, and literature. Its origins as a term associated with money and value have contributed to its enduring appeal and significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Cash over time

The chart below shows babies named Cash registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 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 Cash, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 20 births in 2024, compared with 29 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Cash
07152229199920112024

Decades

Cash by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cash 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 #1201 115 5
2010s #1509 167 10
2000s #2261 38 4
1990s #2943 3 1

Geography

Where Cash is most common

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

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

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Cash in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#727 in 2024

2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Related

Names similar to Cash

FAQ

Cash: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Cash was ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales, with 20 births registered.

When was Cash most popular?

The peak year on record was 2018, with 29 babies registered as Cash in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Cash?

Middle English word meaning "money" or "currency".

How many people are called Cash in the UK?

A total of 323 babies have been registered as Cash across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Cash most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Cash 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.