UK girl's name
Kinga
Queen or ruler in Polish origin.
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.
Kinga is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kinga popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4709, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 48 births.
This profile covers 403 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 2003 to 2023. 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 8% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 428 living people in the UK are called Kinga. 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
- • Kinga ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 48 girls were registered as Kinga.
- • Kinga ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #363 in 2011.
- • About 428 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kinga as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4709
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2009
48 births
Estimated living
428
2026
Meaning
What does Kinga mean?
The name Kinga has its origins in the Polish language and culture, dating back to the medieval period. It is a feminine form of the name Kinga, which is derived from the Old Polish word "kęga," meaning "a book or scroll." This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with education, learning, or literacy in its early historical usage.
One of the earliest and most prominent historical figures to bear the name Kinga was Saint Kinga of Poland (1224-1292), a Polish princess and a member of the Hungarian royal family. She is renowned for her piety, charitable works, and her role in the establishment of the Salt Mines of Wieliczka, which became an important economic and cultural center in Poland.
Another notable Kinga from history is Kinga of Saxony (1516-1563), who was a Polish princess and a member of the House of Wettin. She played a significant role in the Reformation in Poland, actively supporting the spread of Protestantism and advocating for religious tolerance.
In the realm of literature, one of the earliest known uses of the name Kinga can be found in the Polish epic poem "Pan Tadeusz" by Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855), where a character named Kinga is mentioned.
Moving into the modern era, a famous bearer of the name Kinga was Kinga Dunikowska (1936-2004), a Polish actress and theater director. She was widely celebrated for her performances on stage and in film, and received numerous awards and honors throughout her career.
Another noteworthy Kinga was Kinga Baranowska (1935-2011), a Polish writer and journalist. She was known for her novels, short stories, and essays, which often explored themes of history, identity, and the human condition.
Throughout its history, the name Kinga has maintained a strong connection to Polish culture and heritage, while also gaining recognition and popularity in other parts of the world. Its origins and associations with education, religion, and the arts have contributed to its enduring legacy and significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kinga over time
The chart below shows babies named Kinga registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 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 Kinga, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 48 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kinga by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kinga 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 | #3941 | 23 | 4 |
| 2010s | #1419 | 242 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2214 | 138 | 7 |
Geography
Where Kinga is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kinga. 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.
Kinga ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #363 in 2011.
Across the UK
Kinga in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#531 in 2022
4 years of NRS records, 14 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#363 in 2011
3 years of NISRA records, 13 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Kinga
-
Kinga Olah
jewelry designer; artist
Contemporary jewelry artist, designer and maker
Related
Names similar to Kinga
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Kinga: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kinga in the UK right now?
In 2023, Kinga was ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Kinga most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 48 babies registered as Kinga in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kinga?
Queen or ruler in Polish origin.
How many people are called Kinga in the UK?
A total of 403 babies have been registered as Kinga across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 14 more in Scotland and 13 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Kinga most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kinga ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #363 in 2011. 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.