UK name, mostly boys
Fion
A Gaelic Irish feminine name meaning "fair" or "vine".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 1998. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 3 girls.
Fion is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Fion popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 1998 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2901, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 1998 to 1998. 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.
Fion is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Fion. 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 1999 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Fion ranked #2901 for boys in England and Wales in 1998, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 3 boys were registered as Fion.
- • Fion is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Fion as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 50.0% of Fion registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2901
1998
Births in 1998
3
Latest year
Peak year
1998
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Fion
In England and Wales birth records, Fion has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 50.0% of registrations are for boys and 50.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Fion registered for boys
- Ranked #2,901 in 1998
- 3 boys registered in 1998
- Peak: 1998 (3 births)
Fion registered for girls
- Ranked #3,998 in 2001
- 3 girls registered in 2001
- Peak: 2001 (3 births)
Meaning
What does Fion mean?
The name Fion is derived from the Irish Gaelic language and has its origins in ancient Celtic culture. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th or 6th century AD, during the early medieval period in Ireland. The name is thought to be a variant spelling of the Irish name Fionn, which means "fair-haired" or "white".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fion can be found in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, where it appears as the name of the legendary hero Fion mac Cumhaill (also known as Finn McCool). This figure, who is said to have lived in the 3rd century AD, was a leader of the Fianna, a group of elite warrior-hunters in ancient Irish folklore.
During the Middle Ages, the name Fion was relatively uncommon but was occasionally used by Irish families. One notable historical figure with this name was Fion Mac Aedha (born around 1590), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Kilmore from 1629 until his death in 1653.
In the 18th century, the name Fion appeared in the writings of the Irish poet and songwriter Seán Ó Neachtain (1650-1728), who composed a number of poems and songs featuring characters with this name.
In more recent times, the name Fion has been used by several notable individuals, including Fion Gunn (1901-1988), a Scottish artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraits, and Fion Murah (born 1976), a Malaysian writer and activist who has authored several books on human rights and social justice issues.
Other historical figures who bore the name Fion include Fion O'Donnell (1532-1601), an Irish chieftain and Lord of Tír Chonaill (modern-day County Donegal), and Fion MacCormick (1906-1994), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1957 to 1962.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Fion over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Fion in England and Wales, from 1998 to 2001. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Fion, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 1998, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fion by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Fion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | #2901 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Fion
- Freddie 46,945
- Finley 42,410
- Frederick 19,866
- Finlay 17,879
- Frankie 17,528
- Finn 14,413
- Felix 14,361
- Fraser 6,470
- Flynn 6,170
- Frank 5,992
- Filip 5,876
- Francis 5,744
FAQ
Fion: questions and answers
How popular is the name Fion in the UK right now?
In 1998, Fion was ranked #2901 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Fion most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 3 babies registered as Fion in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Fion?
A Gaelic Irish feminine name meaning "fair" or "vine".
How many people are called Fion in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Fion across the 1 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.