UK boy's name
Edwin
A masculine name of Anglo-Saxon origin meaning "wealthy friend".
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.
Edwin is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Edwin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #434, with 93 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 93 births.
This profile covers 1,898 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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.
Edwin is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 2,037 living people in the UK are called Edwin. 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
- • Edwin ranked #434 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 93 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 93 boys were registered as Edwin.
- • Edwin ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #398 in 2014.
- • About 2,037 living people in the UK are estimated to have Edwin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#434
2024
Births in 2024
93
Latest year
Peak year
2024
93 births
Estimated living
2,037
2026
Meaning
What does Edwin mean?
The name Edwin has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the elements "ead" meaning prosperity or fortune, and "wine" meaning friend. It was a popular name among the Anglo-Saxons in England during the Middle Ages, with the earliest recorded spelling appearing as "Eadwine" in the 7th century.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Edwin, King of Northumbria from 616 to 633 AD. He was a powerful ruler who played a significant role in the conversion of Northumbria to Christianity. The Venerable Bede, an English monk and historian, wrote about Edwin's life and reign in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People.
Another early bearer of the name was Edwin of Northumbria, a prince who lived in the late 7th century and was considered a saint in the Christian church. He was known for his piety and charitable works, and his feast day is celebrated on October 12th in the Catholic Church.
During the Middle Ages, the name Edwin was widely used among the English nobility and aristocracy. One notable example is Edwin the Grammarian, a 12th-century English scholar and author of several works on grammar and rhetoric.
In the 19th century, the name gained popularity again, with several notable figures bearing it. Edwin Forrest (1806-1872) was an American actor renowned for his performances in Shakespearean tragedies, while Edwin Booth (1833-1893) was another famous American actor, best known for his portrayal of Hamlet.
Another significant bearer of the name was Edwin Hubble (1889-1953), the American astronomer who made groundbreaking discoveries about the universe, including the existence of other galaxies beyond the Milky Way. His observations and theories revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.
Throughout history, the name Edwin has been borne by various individuals from different walks of life, including artists, writers, politicians, and scholars. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its strong Anglo-Saxon roots and its association with prosperity and friendship.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Edwin over time
The chart below shows babies named Edwin 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 Edwin, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 93 births in 2024, compared with 93 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Edwin by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Edwin 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 | #469 | 428 | 5 |
| 2010s | #483 | 807 | 10 |
| 2000s | #547 | 481 | 10 |
| 1990s | #463 | 182 | 4 |
Geography
Where Edwin is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Edwin. 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.
Edwin ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #398 in 2014.
Across the UK
Edwin in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#614 in 2023
30 years of NRS records, 147 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#398 in 2014
3 years of NISRA records, 9 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Edwin
-
Edwin Hunt
military personnel
British army officer, Queen's Bargemaster
1920-2022
-
Edwin Keating
politician
New Zealand politician
1910-1987
-
Edwin Lee Neil
businessperson
(1872-1934) businessman
1872-1934
-
Edwin Stanley Gange
politician
British politician (1871-1944)
1871-1944
-
Edwin Palmer
Anglican priest
Anglican bishop
1869-1954
Related
Names similar to Edwin
- Ethan 77,394
- Edward 53,212
- Elliot 23,450
- Elijah 22,369
- Ellis 19,358
- Elliott 16,964
- Evan 14,535
- Ezra 11,838
- Ewan 10,685
- Eli 8,126
- Elias 7,049
- Eric 6,654
FAQ
Edwin: questions and answers
How popular is the name Edwin in the UK right now?
In 2024, Edwin was ranked #434 for boys in England and Wales, with 93 births registered.
When was Edwin most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 93 babies registered as Edwin in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Edwin?
A masculine name of Anglo-Saxon origin meaning "wealthy friend".
How many people are called Edwin in the UK?
A total of 1,898 babies have been registered as Edwin across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 147 more in Scotland and 9 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Edwin most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Edwin ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #398 in 2014. 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.