UK girl's name
Freja
A feminine name of Norse origin meaning "Lady" or "Mistress".
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.
Freja is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Freja popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1128, with 30 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 40 births.
This profile covers 780 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 830 living people in the UK are called Freja. 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
- • Freja ranked #1128 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 30 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 40 girls were registered as Freja.
- • Freja ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #541 in 2024.
- • About 830 living people in the UK are estimated to have Freja as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1128
2024
Births in 2024
30
Latest year
Peak year
2005
40 births
Estimated living
830
2026
Meaning
What does Freja mean?
The name Freja has its origins in Norse mythology and Old Norse language. It is derived from the name of the Norse goddess Freyja, who was associated with love, beauty, fertility, and war. The name Freyja is believed to be related to the Old Norse word "fröa" or "frōvun," which means "lady" or "mistress."
In Norse mythology, Freyja was one of the most revered deities, known for her beauty, charm, and her ability to bestow fertility and wealth. She was also associated with the afterlife and was believed to welcome half of those slain in battle to her celestial hall, Folkvangr.
The earliest recorded use of the name Freja dates back to the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries AD, when the Norse people inhabited Scandinavia and parts of northern Europe. It was a popular name among Norse women, particularly in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
One of the earliest and most notable historical figures bearing the name Freja was Freja Eriksdotter, a Swedish noblewoman who lived in the 13th century. She was the daughter of Erik Knutsson, King of Sweden, and played a significant role in Swedish politics and diplomacy during her lifetime.
In the 16th century, Freja Bielke was a Swedish courtier and lady-in-waiting to Queen Kristina of Sweden. She was known for her influence and involvement in the political and cultural life of the Swedish court during the reign of Kristina.
Another notable figure was Freja Corinne von Cölln, a German painter and illustrator who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was renowned for her portraits and mythological paintings inspired by Norse legends and folklore.
In the 20th century, Freja Aktuell was a Swedish actress and singer who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. She appeared in several films and musicals and was known for her versatile talent and captivating performances.
More recently, Freja Beha Erichsen, born in 1987, is a Danish fashion model who has graced the covers of numerous international magazines and walked the runways for prestigious fashion houses. Her unique features and striking presence have made her a renowned figure in the fashion industry.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Freja over time
The chart below shows babies named Freja 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 Freja, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 30 births in 2024, compared with 40 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Freja by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Freja 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 | #1060 | 162 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1236 | 272 | 10 |
| 2000s | #960 | 287 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1339 | 59 | 4 |
Geography
Where Freja is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Freja. 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.
Freja ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #541 in 2024.
Across the UK
Freja in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#541 in 2024
13 years of NRS records, 54 total registered
Related
Names similar to Freja
- Freya 50,564
- Florence 32,908
- Francesca 18,752
- Faith 14,325
- Fatima 11,112
- Faye 8,999
- Felicity 8,554
- Frankie 6,977
- Ffion 6,115
- Flora 3,499
- Frances 3,417
- Fatimah 3,065
FAQ
Freja: questions and answers
How popular is the name Freja in the UK right now?
In 2024, Freja was ranked #1128 for girls in England and Wales, with 30 births registered.
When was Freja most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 40 babies registered as Freja in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Freja?
A feminine name of Norse origin meaning "Lady" or "Mistress".
How many people are called Freja in the UK?
A total of 780 babies have been registered as Freja across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 54 more in Scotland.
Where is Freja most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Freja ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #541 in 2024. 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.