UK girl's name
Chantell
A feminine name of French origin meaning "singer".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Chantell is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Chantell popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5785, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 15 births.
This profile covers 133 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1996 to 2016. 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 20% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 144 living people in the UK are called Chantell. 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 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Chantell ranked #5785 for girls in England and Wales in 2016, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 15 girls were registered as Chantell.
- • Chantell ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #663 in 2004.
- • About 144 living people in the UK are estimated to have Chantell as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5785
2016
Births in 2016
3
Latest year
Peak year
2003
15 births
Estimated living
144
2026
Meaning
What does Chantell mean?
The name Chantell is a variant of the French name Chantal, which is derived from the Latin word "cantus," meaning "song." This name has its roots in medieval France and was likely first used as a surname.
Chantal was originally a masculine name, but over time, it transitioned into a feminine name. The earliest recorded use of Chantal as a first name dates back to the 12th century. In the 13th century, the name gained popularity among the French nobility, particularly in the regions of Burgundy and Champagne.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Chantal was Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, who lived from 1572 to 1641. She was a prominent figure in the Catholic Church and co-founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary with Saint Francis de Sales.
Another historical figure was Chantal Akerman, a Belgian filmmaker born in 1950 and died in 2015. She was known for her influential experimental films and was a pioneer in the avant-garde cinema movement.
In the literary world, Chantal Chawaf, a French writer born in 1943, gained recognition for her poetic and philosophical works exploring themes of feminism and sexuality.
The name Chantell, with its variant spelling, gained popularity in the English-speaking world in the 20th century. One notable figure with this spelling was Chantell Devine, an American singer and actress born in 1977, known for her roles in musicals and television shows.
Chantell Roser, born in 1987, is a South African professional wrestler and former model who has competed in various wrestling promotions around the world.
While the name Chantell has its roots in French culture, it has transcended linguistic and cultural boundaries, with variations in spelling and pronunciation found in different regions and communities around the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Chantell over time
The chart below shows babies named Chantell registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Chantell, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2016, compared with 15 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chantell by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Chantell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5237 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | #2929 | 78 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1467 | 48 | 4 |
Geography
Where Chantell is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Chantell. 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.
Chantell ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #663 in 2004.
Across the UK
Chantell in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#663 in 2004
4 years of NRS records, 12 total registered
Related
Names similar to Chantell
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Chantell: questions and answers
How popular is the name Chantell in the UK right now?
In 2016, Chantell was ranked #5785 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Chantell most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 15 babies registered as Chantell in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Chantell?
A feminine name of French origin meaning "singer".
How many people are called Chantell in the UK?
A total of 133 babies have been registered as Chantell across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 12 more in Scotland.
Where is Chantell most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Chantell ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #663 in 2004. 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.