UK name, mostly girls
Indie
A diminutive form of the word "independent", implying freedom of thought or action.
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.
Indie is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Indie popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #148, with 339 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 450 births.
This profile covers 3,873 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 4,388 living people in the UK are called Indie. 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
- • Indie ranked #148 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 339 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 450 girls were registered as Indie.
- • Indie ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #144 in 2024.
- • About 4,388 living people in the UK are estimated to have Indie as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 96.4% of Indie registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#148
2024
Births in 2024
339
Latest year
Peak year
2021
450 births
Estimated living
4,388
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Indie
In England and Wales birth records, Indie has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 3.6% of registrations are for boys and 96.4% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Indie registered for boys
- Ranked #2,443 in 2024
- 9 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2008 (11 births)
Indie registered for girls
- Ranked #148 in 2024
- 339 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (450 births)
Meaning
What does Indie mean?
The name Indie is a modern English name that emerged in the late 20th century. It is derived from the word "independent," which comes from the Latin word "independens," meaning "not depending on another." The name reflects a sense of individuality, freedom, and self-reliance.
While the name Indie itself does not have a long historical lineage, it has been influenced by the rise of independent music and film movements, particularly the indie rock and indie film genres. These artistic movements celebrate a DIY (do-it-yourself) spirit and a rejection of mainstream corporate culture.
The earliest recorded use of the name Indie dates back to the 1980s, coinciding with the emergence of the indie rock scene in the United States and the United Kingdom. One of the first notable individuals to bear the name was Indie Namal, a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter born in 1984.
Throughout history, there have been a few individuals with similar names or nicknames that may have influenced the popularity of Indie. For example, Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India (1917-1984), had a name derived from the Sanskrit word "Indu," meaning "moon."
Another notable figure was Indira Devi, a Nepali princess and writer (1915-1982), whose name also had Sanskrit roots. Additionally, there was Indiana Ellison, an American actress and singer (1932-1984), whose nickname "Indie" may have contributed to the name's recognition.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the name Indie are:
1. Indie Rock, an American singer-songwriter born in 1991. 2. Indie Chua, a Singaporean singer and songwriter born in 1992. 3. Indie Merrill, an American actress born in 1995. 4. Indie Anderson, an American model and social media personality born in 1997. 5. Indie Camingue, a Filipino actress born in 1999.
As the indie culture gained momentum in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the name Indie became increasingly popular as a way to express nonconformity, creativity, and a unique identity.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Indie over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Indie in England and Wales, 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 Indie, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 339 births in 2024, compared with 450 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Indie by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Indie 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 | #132 | 1,921 | 5 |
| 2010s | #313 | 1,771 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1617 | 174 | 10 |
| 1990s | #3469 | 7 | 2 |
Geography
Where Indie is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Indie. 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.
Indie ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #144 in 2024.
Across the UK
Indie in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#146 in 2024
17 years of NRS records, 431 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#144 in 2024
10 years of NISRA records, 103 total registered
Related
Names similar to Indie
- Isabella 58,822
- Isla 51,854
- Isabelle 46,163
- Imogen 33,758
- Ivy 23,306
- Isabel 20,895
- Isobel 19,706
- Iris 10,353
- India 8,371
- Iqra 4,452
- Iona 3,682
- Inaaya 3,591
FAQ
Indie: questions and answers
How popular is the name Indie in the UK right now?
In 2024, Indie was ranked #148 for girls in England and Wales, with 339 births registered.
When was Indie most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 450 babies registered as Indie in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Indie?
A diminutive form of the word "independent", implying freedom of thought or action.
How many people are called Indie in the UK?
A total of 3,873 babies have been registered as Indie across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 431 more in Scotland and 103 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Indie most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Indie ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #144 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.