NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Chiron

A Greek mythological centaur skilled in medicine and tutoring.

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.

Chiron is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Chiron popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 5 births.

This profile covers 15 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 15 living people in the UK are called Chiron. 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

  • Chiron ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2019, when 5 boys were registered as Chiron.
  • About 15 living people in the UK are estimated to have Chiron as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4270

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2019

5 births

Estimated living

15

2026

Meaning

What does Chiron mean?

The name Chiron originated from Greek mythology and has its roots in the Greek word "kheir" meaning hand. It was the name of a centaur, a half-man and half-horse creature, who was renowned for his knowledge of medicine, music, and archery.

Chiron was born to the nymph Philyra and the god Cronus, who had taken the form of a stallion. In Greek mythology, he was considered to be the wisest and most just of the centaurs, and was highly revered for his teachings.

The earliest recorded references to Chiron can be found in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, as well as in the works of other ancient Greek writers such as Hesiod and Pindar. He was often depicted as a teacher and mentor to many heroes, including Achilles, Jason, and Hercules.

One of the earliest known individuals named Chiron was a Greek sculptor who lived in the 5th century BC. He was renowned for his works in bronze and is credited with creating the statue of the Delian Apollo.

In the 2nd century AD, there was a Greek philosopher named Chiron who was a follower of the Stoic school of thought. He wrote several treatises on ethics and logic, but unfortunately, most of his works have been lost over time.

During the Renaissance period, Chiron was the name of an Italian painter and architect who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his frescoes and was commissioned to work on several churches and palaces in Rome and Florence.

In the 19th century, Chiron was the name of a French astronomer who discovered the first centaur object in the solar system, a minor planet that orbits between the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt. This object was named after the centaur from Greek mythology.

Another notable individual named Chiron was a Greek philosopher and mystic who lived in the early 20th century. He founded the Spiritual School of the Universal White Brotherhood, which promoted spiritual teachings and practices.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Chiron over time

The chart below shows babies named Chiron 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 Chiron, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Chiron
01345199620102024

Decades

Chiron by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Chiron 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 #4439 7 2
2010s #3411 5 1
1990s #2863 3 1

Related

Names similar to Chiron

FAQ

Chiron: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Chiron was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Chiron most popular?

The peak year on record was 2019, with 5 babies registered as Chiron in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Chiron?

A Greek mythological centaur skilled in medicine and tutoring.

How many people are called Chiron in the UK?

A total of 15 babies have been registered as Chiron across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.