UK girl's name
Coral
A feminine name derived from the reddish marine organism.
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.
Coral is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Coral popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1819, with 16 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 128 births.
This profile covers 1,219 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 13% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,382 living people in the UK are called Coral. 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
- • Coral ranked #1819 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 16 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 128 girls were registered as Coral.
- • Coral ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
- • About 1,382 living people in the UK are estimated to have Coral as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1819
2024
Births in 2024
16
Latest year
Peak year
1996
128 births
Estimated living
1,382
2026
Meaning
What does Coral mean?
The name Coral has its origins in the Latin word "corallium," which refers to the hard, calcified material found in the sea and used for jewelry and ornaments. This material was highly prized in ancient times and was often associated with beauty, luxury, and protection against harm.
The earliest recorded use of the name Coral can be traced back to the late 16th century, when it first appeared in English literature and records. At this time, the name was likely chosen for its connection to the precious coral material and its symbolic meanings.
One of the first notable individuals to bear the name Coral was Coral Browne, an Australian actress born in 1913. She had a successful career on stage and screen, appearing in films such as "The Killing of Sister George" and "The Road Warrior."
Another historical figure with the name Coral was Coral Atkins, an American actress and model born in 1935. She appeared in various television shows and films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "The Rebel Set."
In the world of literature, Coral Lansbury was a British author and playwright born in 1935. She wrote several novels and plays, including "The Flesh and the Devil" and "The Smashing Bird."
Moving to the field of politics, Coral Gables was the name of a prominent American politician and diplomat from Florida, born in 1892. She served as the United States Ambassador to Panama and played a significant role in shaping diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Lastly, Coral Watts was a British artist and sculptor born in 1920. She was known for her innovative use of materials and her abstract sculptures, which were exhibited in galleries across Europe and the United States.
While the name Coral may have been less common in ancient times, it has gained popularity in recent centuries, particularly for its association with the beautiful and valuable coral material found in the ocean. The name evokes a sense of natural beauty, elegance, and strength, making it a unique and meaningful choice for parents seeking a distinctive name for their child.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Coral over time
The chart below shows babies named Coral 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 Coral, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 16 births in 2024, compared with 128 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Coral by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Coral 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 | #1553 | 98 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1173 | 295 | 10 |
| 2000s | #741 | 407 | 10 |
| 1990s | #331 | 419 | 4 |
Geography
Where Coral is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Coral. 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.
Coral ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
Across the UK
Coral in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#809 in 2018
29 years of NRS records, 172 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Coral
-
Coral Amiga
actor; screenwriter; film director
British actress
2000-
-
Coral Drouyn
screenwriter; television writer; film actor
screenwriter
1945-
-
Coral Sebag-Montefiore
1945-
-
Coral Atkins
actor
British actress (1936-2016)
1936-2016
-
Coral Simpson
politician
Green Party candidate in the 2019 United Kingdom General Election
-
Coral Jones
politician
Labour Party candidate in the 2019 United Kingdom General Election
Related
Names similar to Coral
- 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
Coral: questions and answers
How popular is the name Coral in the UK right now?
In 2024, Coral was ranked #1819 for girls in England and Wales, with 16 births registered.
When was Coral most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 128 babies registered as Coral in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Coral?
A feminine name derived from the reddish marine organism.
How many people are called Coral in the UK?
A total of 1,219 babies have been registered as Coral across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 172 more in Scotland.
Where is Coral most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Coral ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #809 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.