UK boy's name
Jarvis
English name of uncertain origin, likely a medieval surname turned given name.
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.
Jarvis is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jarvis popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2443, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 37 births.
This profile covers 538 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 24% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 537 living people in the UK are called Jarvis. 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
- • Jarvis ranked #2443 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 37 boys were registered as Jarvis.
- • Jarvis ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #425 in 1996.
- • About 537 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jarvis as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2443
2024
Births in 2024
9
Latest year
Peak year
1996
37 births
Estimated living
537
2026
Meaning
What does Jarvis mean?
The name Jarvis is of English origin, believed to have derived from the French name Gervais or Gervase, which itself originated from the Germanic name Gervas. The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages and is thought to have been introduced to England by the Normans after the conquest in 1066.
The name Jarvis is a diminutive form of the Old French name Gerveis, which means "brave spear" or "spear bearer." It is derived from the Germanic elements "ger," meaning spear, and "wais," meaning brave or strong. This name likely originated as a descriptive name for a skilled warrior or soldier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jarvis can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land and landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Gervaise," indicating its early presence in England after the Norman conquest.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Jarvis. One of the earliest was Jarvis Matcham (c. 1565-1636), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Aldborough, East Yorkshire, during the reign of King James I.
Another noteworthy figure was Jarvis Handlen (c. 1710-1776), an American pioneer and early settler in Virginia. He played a significant role in the colonization of the Shenandoah Valley and was a prominent figure in the region's early history.
In the world of literature, Jarvis Lorry is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' novel "A Tale of Two Cities," published in 1859. He is a banker and one of the main protagonists in the story.
Jarvis Cocker (born 1963) is a contemporary English musician, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the band Pulp. He has had a successful career in the music industry and is widely recognized for his distinctive vocals and songwriting.
Lastly, Jarvis Trahair (1839-1924) was an Australian politician and businessman. He served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and played a crucial role in the development of the coal mining industry in the region.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Jarvis, highlighting its longevity and diverse cultural presence across various fields and eras.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jarvis over time
The chart below shows babies named Jarvis 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 Jarvis, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 37 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jarvis by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jarvis 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 | #2197 | 49 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1210 | 224 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1201 | 169 | 10 |
| 1990s | #808 | 96 | 4 |
Geography
Where Jarvis is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jarvis. 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.
Jarvis ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #425 in 1996.
Across the UK
Jarvis in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#425 in 1996
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jarvis
-
Jarvis Cocker
singer; composer; singer-songwriter; guitarist; musician; lyricist
English singer and musician (born 1963)
1963-
Related
Names similar to Jarvis
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Jarvis: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jarvis in the UK right now?
In 2024, Jarvis was ranked #2443 for boys in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.
When was Jarvis most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 37 babies registered as Jarvis in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jarvis?
English name of uncertain origin, likely a medieval surname turned given name.
How many people are called Jarvis in the UK?
A total of 538 babies have been registered as Jarvis across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Jarvis most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jarvis ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #425 in 1996. 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.