NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Guido

A masculine Italian name, perhaps derived from Germanic guides meaning "guidance".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Guido is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Guido popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 3 births.

This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2003 to 2021. 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 9 living people in the UK are called Guido. 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 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Guido ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2003, when 3 boys were registered as Guido.
  • Guido ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #294 in 1976.
  • About 9 living people in the UK are estimated to have Guido as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4789

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

2003

3 births

Estimated living

9

2026

Meaning

What does Guido mean?

The name Guido originated from the Italian language and culture, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to derive from the Germanic name Wido or Wito, which means "wood" or "forest." The name Guido gained widespread popularity in Italy during the medieval period and has remained a common given name in the country ever since.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Guido can be found in the 12th century, with the Italian mathematician and astronomer Guido Bonatti (c. 1210-1296). Bonatti was a prominent figure in the field of astrology and wrote several influential works on the subject.

Another notable figure with the name Guido was the Italian painter and architect Guido Reni (1575-1642). Reni was a prominent figure in the Baroque art movement and is best known for his religious and mythological paintings, such as the famous "Ecce Homo" and "Aurora."

In the realm of music, Guido d'Arezzo (c. 991-1050) was a Benedictine monk and music theorist who is credited with the invention of modern musical notation. His innovations, including the use of staff lines and the placement of notes on a scale, laid the foundation for modern music notation.

Moving forward in history, Guido Gozzano (1883-1916) was an Italian poet and writer who was a leading figure in the Crepuscolari literary movement. His poetic works, such as "La via del rifugio" and "I colloqui," explored themes of melancholy and introspection.

Another notable figure with the name Guido is the Italian cyclist Guido Bontempi (1888-1926). Bontempi was a successful professional cyclist in the early 20th century, winning multiple editions of the prestigious Giro d'Italia and setting several world records.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Guido. The name has a rich cultural heritage and has been carried by individuals from various fields, including mathematics, art, music, literature, and sports.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Guido over time

The chart below shows babies named Guido registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Guido, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 3 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Guido
01223200320122021

Decades

Guido by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Guido 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 #4789 3 1
2000s #3467 3 1

Geography

Where Guido is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Guido. 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.

Guido ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #294 in 1976.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Guido in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#294 in 1976

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Guido

  • Guido Busuttil

    2004-

  • Guido Almansi

    writer; translator; university teacher; scholar of English; literary critic

    Italian writer and translator (1931–2001)

    1931-2001

  • Guido Galletti

    sculptor

    Italian sculptor (1893-1977)

    1893-1977

  • Guido Semenza

    electrical engineer

    (1868-1929) Italian inventor and engineer

    1868-1929

Related

Names similar to Guido

FAQ

Guido: questions and answers

How popular is the name Guido in the UK right now?

In 2021, Guido was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Guido most popular?

The peak year on record was 2003, with 3 babies registered as Guido in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Guido?

A masculine Italian name, perhaps derived from Germanic guides meaning "guidance".

How many people are called Guido in the UK?

A total of 6 babies have been registered as Guido across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Guido most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Guido ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #294 in 1976. 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.