UK boy's name
Monty
A diminutive form of the French name Montague, meaning "mountain settlement".
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.
Monty is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Monty popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #294, with 153 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 191 births.
This profile covers 2,880 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 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,886 living people in the UK are called Monty. 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
- • Monty ranked #294 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 153 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 191 boys were registered as Monty.
- • Monty ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #435 in 2023.
- • About 2,886 living people in the UK are estimated to have Monty as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#294
2024
Births in 2024
153
Latest year
Peak year
2017
191 births
Estimated living
2,886
2026
Meaning
What does Monty mean?
The name Monty is an English diminutive form of the name Montague, which is derived from the French word "mont" meaning "mountain". The name Montague itself comes from the Norman French place name "Mont Aigu", meaning "sharp mountain". This name was likely brought to England by the Normans after the Norman conquest in 1066.
The name Monty gained popularity in the Middle Ages, particularly among the English nobility. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Montague Plantagenet, the son of King Henry III of England, who lived from 1231 to 1292. Another notable historical figure with the name was Montague Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey, an English nobleman who lived from 1608 to 1666 and fought for the Royalists during the English Civil War.
In literature, the name Monty is famously associated with the character Monty Python, the Python character from the Monty Python comedy troupe, which was formed in 1969. This character's name was likely chosen as a humorous play on words and a reference to the reptile python.
One of the most famous individuals with the name Monty is Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, the British military commander who played a crucial role in the Allied victory in World War II. Montgomery, who lived from 1887 to 1976, was known for his leadership during the Battle of El Alamein and the Normandy Campaign.
Another notable Monty was Monty Woolley, an American actor who lived from 1888 to 1963. He was best known for his roles in films such as "The Man Who Came to Dinner" and "Since You Went Away".
Monty Python, the legendary British comedy group formed in 1969, is another famous example of the name Monty. The group's members included John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.
Overall, the name Monty has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, with connections to English nobility, literature, and military figures. It has remained a popular name throughout the centuries, particularly due to its association with the Monty Python comedy troupe.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Monty over time
The chart below shows babies named Monty 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 Monty, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 153 births in 2024, compared with 191 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Monty by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Monty 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 | #283 | 814 | 5 |
| 2010s | #327 | 1,413 | 10 |
| 2000s | #553 | 619 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1459 | 34 | 4 |
Geography
Where Monty is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Monty. 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.
Monty ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #435 in 2023.
Across the UK
Monty in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#435 in 2023
5 years of NRS records, 24 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Monty
-
Monty Panesar
cricketer
English cricketer
1982-
-
Monty Adkins
composer
composer, lecturer, performer
1972-
-
Monty Wright
boxer
British boxer
1969-
-
Monty Halls
photographer; marine biologist; soldier; explorer
English television personality and explorer
1966-
-
Monty Munford
actor; journalist
British actor and journalist
1961-
-
Monty Oxy Moron
keyboardist
British musician
1961-
-
Monty Don
writer; gardener; television presenter; horticulturist
British writer, broadcaster, gardener and farmer
1955-
-
Monty Gopallawa
politician
Sri Lankan politician
1941-2005
Related
Names similar to Monty
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Monty: questions and answers
How popular is the name Monty in the UK right now?
In 2024, Monty was ranked #294 for boys in England and Wales, with 153 births registered.
When was Monty most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 191 babies registered as Monty in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Monty?
A diminutive form of the French name Montague, meaning "mountain settlement".
How many people are called Monty in the UK?
A total of 2,880 babies have been registered as Monty across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 24 more in Scotland.
Where is Monty most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Monty ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #435 in 2023. 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.