UK boy's name
Fotis
A masculine given name of Greek origin meaning "light" or "brilliant".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Fotis is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Fotis popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4991, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2023 to 2023. 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.
Fotis is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Fotis. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Fotis ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 3 boys were registered as Fotis.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Fotis as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4991
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2023
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Fotis mean?
The name Fotis is derived from the Greek word "phos" or "photos", meaning light. It is a masculine given name that originated in ancient Greece and has been in use for thousands of years. The name may have been inspired by the Greek god Apollo, who was associated with the sun and light.
Fotis was a relatively common name among ancient Greeks, and it can be found in various historical texts and records from that time period. One of the earliest known references to the name is in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC.
In the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Fotis gained further popularity among Greek Christians. It was often given to children as a symbol of the light of Christianity and the hope for enlightenment.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Fotis was Fotis of Constantinople, a 9th-century Byzantine scholar and theologian. He was known for his contributions to the study of canon law and his defense of the use of icons in religious worship.
Another notable bearer of the name was Fotis Kontoglou, a Greek painter and writer who lived from 1895 to 1965. He is renowned for his Byzantine-inspired iconography and his efforts to revive traditional Greek art forms.
In the 20th century, Fotis Rizos (1919-1997) was a prominent Greek actor and comedian, known for his roles in numerous films and theatrical productions. He was widely regarded as one of the most talented comedians of his time in Greece.
Fotis Kouvelis (born 1948) is a Greek lawyer and politician who served as the leader of the Democratic Left party from 2010 to 2014. He played a significant role in the formation of coalition governments during the Greek government-debt crisis.
Fotis Gennimatas (1938-2021) was a Greek politician and journalist who served as the Minister of National Defense and the Minister of the Interior in the 1980s. He was also a member of the European Parliament and a prominent figure in the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Fotis by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Fotis 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 | #4991 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Fotis
- 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
Fotis: questions and answers
How popular is the name Fotis in the UK right now?
In 2023, Fotis was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Fotis most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 3 babies registered as Fotis in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Fotis?
A masculine given name of Greek origin meaning "light" or "brilliant".
How many people are called Fotis in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Fotis 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.