UK boy's name
Dacre
Of unknown origin, a variant of the surname meaning.
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.
Dacre is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Dacre popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 5 births.
This profile covers 17 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2012 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 17 living people in the UK are called Dacre. 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
- • Dacre ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 5 boys were registered as Dacre.
- • About 17 living people in the UK are estimated to have Dacre as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5119
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2022
5 births
Estimated living
17
2026
Meaning
What does Dacre mean?
The name Dacre is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dæc" and "cræftig," which together mean "a skilled or crafty person." This name was likely given to individuals who were skilled in a particular trade or craft.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dacre can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a place name in Cumberland, England. This suggests that the name was already in use as a surname or location name during the Norman Conquest.
In the 12th century, the Dacre family rose to prominence in England, with their ancestral seat located in the village of Dacre, near Penrith, Cumbria. This family played an important role in the Wars of the Roses, with members supporting both the Yorkist and Lancastrian causes.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Dacre was Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre (c. 1468-1544), who served as Lord Warden of the West Marches and fought against the Scots during the Anglo-Scottish Wars. His grandson, Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre (c. 1527-1566), was a renowned poet and patron of the arts.
Another famous individual with the name Dacre was Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine (1640-1718), a mistress of King Charles II of England. She was born Barbara Palmer and took the surname Villiers after her marriage to Roger Palmer, but she was also known as Lady Dacre, as her family held the feudal barony of Dacre.
In the literary world, the name Dacre is associated with Charlotte Dacre (1771-1825), an English novelist and poet who wrote Gothic novels such as "Zofloya, or The Moor" and "The Confessions of the Nun of St. Omer."
Lastly, Randal Dacre (1782-1843) was a British Army officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament for Gatton.
While the name Dacre has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the English heritage and medieval era.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Dacre over time
The chart below shows babies named Dacre registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2012 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 Dacre, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dacre by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Dacre 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 | #4520 | 11 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4754 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Dacre
- Daniel 120,900
- Dylan 60,836
- David 37,852
- Dominic 20,480
- Declan 11,657
- Dexter 11,627
- Danny 8,434
- Dean 5,329
- Dillon 4,113
- Douglas 3,773
- Dominik 3,494
- Damian 3,486
FAQ
Dacre: questions and answers
How popular is the name Dacre in the UK right now?
In 2024, Dacre was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Dacre most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 5 babies registered as Dacre in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Dacre?
Of unknown origin, a variant of the surname meaning.
How many people are called Dacre in the UK?
A total of 17 babies have been registered as Dacre across the 5 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.