UK name, mostly girls
Monroe
From the French word "Monroë" meaning "hill by the river mouth".
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.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 203 boys.
Monroe is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Monroe popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #722, with 52 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 52 births.
This profile covers 418 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2011 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.
Monroe is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 451 living people in the UK are called Monroe. 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
- • Monroe ranked #722 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 52 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 52 girls were registered as Monroe.
- • Monroe ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #384 in 2024.
- • Monroe is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 451 living people in the UK are estimated to have Monroe as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 67.3% of Monroe registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#722
2024
Births in 2024
52
Latest year
Peak year
2024
52 births
Estimated living
451
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Monroe
In England and Wales birth records, Monroe has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 32.7% of registrations are for boys and 67.3% 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.
Monroe registered for boys
- Ranked #1,675 in 2024
- 15 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (22 births)
Monroe registered for girls
- Ranked #722 in 2024
- 52 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (52 births)
Meaning
What does Monroe mean?
The given name Monroe has its origins in the Gaelic language, derived from the Scottish surname "Munro" or "Monro". The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in Scotland.
The name Munro is thought to be a combination of two Gaelic words, "munn" meaning "hill" or "mountain", and "rath" meaning "circle" or "fort". This suggests that the name may have originated from a geographic location or a fortified settlement on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Monroe can be found in the 14th century, with Sir Donald Munro, a Scottish knight who fought in the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333. Another notable historical figure bearing this name was Robert Munro, a Scottish soldier and military writer who lived in the 17th century (1633-1704).
In the United States, the name Monroe gained prominence due to the fifth President of the United States, James Monroe (1758-1831). His presidency, known as the "Era of Good Feelings," was marked by significant territorial expansion and the proclamation of the Monroe Doctrine, which became a cornerstone of American foreign policy.
Another famous individual with the name Monroe was Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), an American actress, model, and singer who became a major pop culture icon of the 20th century. Her glamorous persona and tragic life story have made her one of the most recognizable figures in Hollywood history.
Other notable individuals with the name Monroe include: 1. Bill Monroe (1911-1996), an American singer-songwriter and mandolin player, known as the "Father of Bluegrass Music". 2. Vaughn Monroe (1911-1973), an American singer, trumpeter, and actor, best known for his hit song "Ghost Riders in the Sky". 3. Harriet Monroe (1860-1936), an American poet and editor, known for founding the influential literary magazine "Poetry". 4. Golda Meir (born Golda Mabovitch, 1898-1978), an Israeli politician and the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, who was born with the first name Monroe.
The name Monroe has been used across various cultures and time periods, reflecting its Scottish origins and its adoption in other parts of the world, particularly in the United States, where it gained prominence through historical figures and cultural icons.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Monroe over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Monroe in England and Wales, from 2008 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 Monroe, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 52 births in 2024, compared with 52 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Monroe by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Monroe 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 | #856 | 211 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1709 | 207 | 9 |
Geography
Where Monroe is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Monroe. 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.
Monroe ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #384 in 2024.
Across the UK
Monroe in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#384 in 2024
6 years of NRS records, 32 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#432 in 2017
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Monroe
-
Monroe Robertson
television actor; film actor
1984-
-
Monroe Palmer, Baron Palmer of Childs Hill
politician
British politician (born 1938)
1938-
Related
Names similar to Monroe
- 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
Monroe: questions and answers
How popular is the name Monroe in the UK right now?
In 2024, Monroe was ranked #722 for girls in England and Wales, with 52 births registered.
When was Monroe most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 52 babies registered as Monroe in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Monroe?
From the French word "Monroë" meaning "hill by the river mouth".
How many people are called Monroe in the UK?
A total of 418 babies have been registered as Monroe across the 14 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 32 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Monroe most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Monroe ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #384 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.