UK boy's name
Ignacy
A masculine name of Polish origin derived from the Latin name Ignatius meaning "fiery one".
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.
Ignacy is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Ignacy popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1402, with 19 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 45 births.
This profile covers 441 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2007 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 42% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 469 living people in the UK are called Ignacy. 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
- • Ignacy ranked #1402 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 19 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 45 boys were registered as Ignacy.
- • Ignacy ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #590 in 2022.
- • About 469 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ignacy as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1402
2024
Births in 2024
19
Latest year
Peak year
2020
45 births
Estimated living
469
2026
Meaning
What does Ignacy mean?
The name Ignacy originated from the Latin name Ignatius, which itself derived from the Roman family name Egnatius. The name Ignatius is believed to have originated from the Latin word "ignis," meaning "fire." This connection to fire likely stems from an ancestor or early bearer of the name who had a fiery personality or temperament.
The name Ignacy gained popularity in Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland, where it became a well-established given name. It was widely used among both nobility and commoners, reflecting its widespread acceptance across social classes.
One of the earliest and most famous bearers of the name Ignacy was St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of the Jesuit order and a significant figure in the Counter-Reformation. His life and teachings contributed to the popularity of the name among Catholic communities.
Another notable figure was Ignacy Krasicki (1735-1801), a Polish poet, playwright, and Catholic bishop, who was renowned for his satirical and didactic works. His literary contributions helped solidify the name's association with intellectual and artistic pursuits.
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), a Polish pianist, composer, and statesman, was also a prominent bearer of the name. He gained international fame as a virtuoso pianist and later served as the Prime Minister of Poland, further enhancing the name's prestige.
Ignacy Lukasiewicz (1822-1882), a Polish pharmacist and inventor, is credited with constructing the first modern kerosene lamp and establishing the world's first oil refinery. His achievements in the field of petroleum technology contributed to the industrial development of the era.
Ignacy Feliks Dobrzynski (1807-1867), a Polish composer and pianist, was another notable figure who helped popularize the name. His works, which included operas, symphonies, and chamber music, gained widespread recognition and contributed to the cultural legacy associated with the name Ignacy.
These examples illustrate the diverse fields in which individuals named Ignacy have left their mark, including religion, literature, politics, science, and the arts. The name's rich history and association with notable figures have made it a respected and enduring name, particularly in Eastern European cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ignacy over time
The chart below shows babies named Ignacy registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 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 Ignacy, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 19 births in 2024, compared with 45 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ignacy by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ignacy 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 | #994 | 164 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1242 | 253 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2506 | 24 | 3 |
Geography
Where Ignacy is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ignacy. 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.
Ignacy ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #590 in 2022.
Across the UK
Ignacy in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#590 in 2022
7 years of NRS records, 31 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Ignacy
-
Ignacy Tłoczyński
tennis player
Polish tennis player (1911-2000)
1911-2000
-
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
politician; composer; foreign minister; music educator; pianist; diplomat; musicologist; head of government; classical composer
Polish pianist, composer, supporter of Poland's independence movements, politician, Prime Minister of reborn Poland (1860–1941)
1860-1941
Related
Names similar to Ignacy
- Isaac 49,129
- Ibrahim 14,115
- Ismail 4,679
- Isaiah 4,629
- Idris 3,810
- Ivan 3,146
- Isa 2,943
- Ian 2,805
- Ilyas 2,552
- Ieuan 2,515
- Ibraheem 2,384
- Ioan 2,295
FAQ
Ignacy: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ignacy in the UK right now?
In 2024, Ignacy was ranked #1402 for boys in England and Wales, with 19 births registered.
When was Ignacy most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 45 babies registered as Ignacy in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ignacy?
A masculine name of Polish origin derived from the Latin name Ignatius meaning "fiery one".
How many people are called Ignacy in the UK?
A total of 441 babies have been registered as Ignacy across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 31 more in Scotland.
Where is Ignacy most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Ignacy ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #590 in 2022. 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.