UK girl's name
Miranda
A feminine name derived from the Latin word "mirandus" meaning "admirable" or "wonderful".
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.
Miranda is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Miranda popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2411, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 113 births.
This profile covers 1,241 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 10% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,399 living people in the UK are called Miranda. 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
- • Miranda ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 113 girls were registered as Miranda.
- • Miranda ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #666 in 2010.
- • About 1,399 living people in the UK are estimated to have Miranda as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2411
2024
Births in 2024
11
Latest year
Peak year
1996
113 births
Estimated living
1,399
2026
Meaning
What does Miranda mean?
The given name Miranda originated from the Latin word "mirandus", meaning "admirable" or "wonderful". It first appeared during the Middle Ages in Italy and Spain.
In literature, the name Miranda gained prominence through William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest", written in the early 17th century. In the play, Miranda is the daughter of Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Miranda dates back to the 13th century. Miranda de Ebro was a medieval Spanish noblewoman and the wife of King Ferdinand III of Castile.
Miranda Staunton (c. 1590-1665) was an English courtier during the reign of King James I. She served as a maid of honor to Anne of Denmark, the queen consort.
Miranda Barry (1659-1724) was an Irish philanthropist and the founder of the Barrymore family. She established several schools and charitable institutions in County Cork, Ireland.
Miranda Grosvenor (1693-1730) was a British aristocrat and the first Countess of Grosvenor. She was married to Sir Richard Grosvenor, the 4th Baronet of Eaton.
Miranda Neville (1719-1794) was an English writer and playwright. She is best known for her satirical plays and her involvement in the Bluestocking Circle, a literary society in London.
In the late 18th century, Miranda Peyser (1770-1839) was a prominent German actress and singer. She performed in various theaters across Europe and was renowned for her roles in operas and plays.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Miranda over time
The chart below shows babies named Miranda 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 Miranda, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 113 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Miranda by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Miranda 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 | #2942 | 45 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1529 | 227 | 10 |
| 2000s | #572 | 593 | 10 |
| 1990s | #357 | 376 | 4 |
Geography
Where Miranda is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Miranda. 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.
Miranda ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #666 in 2010.
Across the UK
Miranda in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#666 in 2010
28 years of NRS records, 169 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Miranda
-
Miranda Heath
psychologist; philosopher
British psychologist and philosopher
2000-
-
Miranda Lascelles
aristocrat
born 2000; youngest daughter of Hon. Mark Hubert Lascelles and Andrea Kershaw
2000-
-
Miranda Hawley
(born 1996)
1996-
-
Miranda Clare Kaufmann
historian; journalist
British historian (born 1982)
1982-
-
Miranda Sykes
singer; guitarist; double-bassist
English folk singer
1978-
-
Miranda Grell
politician
British politician (born 1978)
1978-
-
Miranda Raison
stage actor; film actor
British-French actress
1977-
-
Miranda Cooper
singer; record producer; songwriter
English singer, songwriter
1975-
Related
Names similar to Miranda
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Miranda: questions and answers
How popular is the name Miranda in the UK right now?
In 2024, Miranda was ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.
When was Miranda most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 113 babies registered as Miranda in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Miranda?
A feminine name derived from the Latin word "mirandus" meaning "admirable" or "wonderful".
How many people are called Miranda in the UK?
A total of 1,241 babies have been registered as Miranda across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 169 more in Scotland.
Where is Miranda most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Miranda ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #666 in 2010. 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.