NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Miles

A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "soldier" or "merciful".

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.

Miles is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Miles popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #104, with 507 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 533 births.

This profile covers 9,160 England and Wales registrations across 29 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 95% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 9,517 living people in the UK are called Miles. 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

  • Miles ranked #104 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 507 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 533 boys were registered as Miles.
  • Miles ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #114 in 2024.
  • About 9,517 living people in the UK are estimated to have Miles as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#104

2024

Births in 2024

507

Latest year

Peak year

2021

533 births

Estimated living

9,517

2026

Meaning

What does Miles mean?

The name Miles has its origins in the Latin language and dates back to ancient Roman times. It is derived from the Latin word "miles" which means "soldier" or "warrior". This name was likely given to baby boys in Roman families with military connections or traditions.

In medieval times, the name Miles was relatively common among the English nobility and upper classes. It was sometimes spelled Myles or Myles in old records from this period. The name gained popularity after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, as Norman-French names became fashionable among the ruling classes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Miles is from the 12th century. Miles of Gloucester was a renowned English soldier and landowner who lived from around 1115 to 1143. He fought in the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda.

Another significant figure was Miles Coverdale, an English Bible translator who lived from 1488 to 1569. He was the first to publish a complete printed translation of the Bible into English in 1535.

In the 16th century, Sir Miles Hobart was an English politician and member of parliament. He lived from around 1538 to 1598 and served under Queen Elizabeth I.

During the 17th century, Miles Syndercombe was an English theologian and academic who lived from 1584 to 1628. He served as a fellow and lecturer at Queen's College, Oxford.

A more recent notable bearer of the name was Miles Davis, the legendary American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He was born in 1926 and passed away in 1991, leaving an indelible mark on the world of modern jazz music.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Miles over time

The chart below shows babies named Miles 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 Miles, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 507 births in 2024, compared with 533 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Miles
0133267400533199620102024

Decades

Miles by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Miles 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 #115 2,414 5
2010s #176 3,205 10
2000s #172 2,527 10
1990s #143 1,014 4

Geography

Where Miles is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Miles. 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.

Miles ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #114 in 2024.

Scotland
45
Northern Ireland
8

Across the UK

Miles in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#114 in 2024

33 years of NRS records, 366 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#239 in 2024

12 years of NISRA records, 59 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Miles

  • Miles Welch-Hayes

    association football player

    English association football player

    1996-

  • Miles Storey

    association football player

    English footballer (born 1994)

    1994-

  • Miles Tunnicliff

    golfer

    professional golfer

    1968-

  • Miles Russell

    archaeologist

    British archaeologist

    1967-

  • Miles Taylor

    scientist; professor

    British historian

    1961-

  • Miles Tredinnick

    screenwriter; songwriter

    British writer

    1955-

  • Miles Young

    entrepreneur; business executive

    British businessman

    1954-

  • Miles Walker

    businessperson; politician

    Manx politician and businessman (born 1940)

    1940-

Related

Names similar to Miles

FAQ

Miles: questions and answers

How popular is the name Miles in the UK right now?

In 2024, Miles was ranked #104 for boys in England and Wales, with 507 births registered.

When was Miles most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 533 babies registered as Miles in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Miles?

A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "soldier" or "merciful".

How many people are called Miles in the UK?

A total of 9,160 babies have been registered as Miles across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 366 more in Scotland and 59 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Miles most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Miles ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #114 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.