UK girl's name
Gypsy
A name believed to come from the ethnic slur "Gypsy" for the Romani people.
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.
Gypsy is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Gypsy popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 22 births.
This profile covers 198 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 1998 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.
The latest count is about 14% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 197 living people in the UK are called Gypsy. 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
- • Gypsy ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 22 girls were registered as Gypsy.
- • About 197 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gypsy as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5687
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2004
22 births
Estimated living
197
2026
Meaning
What does Gypsy mean?
The name Gypsy is derived from the word "Gypsy," which refers to the Romani people, an ethnic group that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The Romani people were nomadic and migrated to Europe and other parts of the world in the Middle Ages.
The term "Gypsy" is believed to have originated from the mistaken belief that the Romani people came from Egypt. The name Gypsy is not a traditional Romani name but rather a term assigned to them by others.
The use of the name Gypsy as a given name became popular in the 19th century, particularly in English-speaking countries. It was often associated with a romanticized view of the Romani lifestyle and culture.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Gypsy was in the 1806 novel "The Gypsy" by George Walker. The novel featured a character named Gypsy who was a Romani woman.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Gypsy. One of the most famous was Gypsy Rose Lee (1911-1970), an American burlesque entertainer and author. Her memoir, "Gypsy: A Memoir," was later adapted into the Broadway musical "Gypsy."
Another notable figure was Gypsy Petulengro (1903-1990), an English Romani woman who was a celebrated writer and storyteller. She wrote several books about Romani culture and traditions, including "Gypsy, the Romany" (1935).
In the world of music, Gypsy Boots (1914-2004) was an American singer and actress who performed in Broadway musicals and Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s.
Gypsy Davy (1953-2014) was a Scottish traveller and writer known for her memoirs, including "The Faraway Traveller" (1989), which documented her experiences growing up in a Scottish traveller community.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard (born 1992) gained notoriety for her involvement in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, in 2015. The case gained widespread media attention and was the subject of several documentaries and a television series.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gypsy over time
The chart below shows babies named Gypsy registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gypsy, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 22 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gypsy by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gypsy 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 | #5371 | 13 | 4 |
| 2010s | #4351 | 32 | 6 |
| 2000s | #1843 | 131 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1648 | 22 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Gypsy
- Grace 79,208
- Georgia 48,838
- Gracie 18,387
- Georgina 15,599
- Gabriella 10,902
- Gemma 8,350
- Gabrielle 7,154
- Georgie 4,883
- Gabriela 3,300
- Genevieve 2,393
- Gracie-Mae 1,727
- Greta 1,283
FAQ
Gypsy: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gypsy in the UK right now?
In 2023, Gypsy was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Gypsy most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 22 babies registered as Gypsy in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gypsy?
A name believed to come from the ethnic slur "Gypsy" for the Romani people.
How many people are called Gypsy in the UK?
A total of 198 babies have been registered as Gypsy across the 22 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.