UK boy's name
Mortimer
Old French name meaning "dead sea" or "still waters".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mortimer is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Mortimer popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4702, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 7 births.
This profile covers 51 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 1996 to 2019. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 51 living people in the UK are called Mortimer. 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 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mortimer ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales in 2019, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 7 boys were registered as Mortimer.
- • About 51 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mortimer as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4702
2019
Births in 2019
3
Latest year
Peak year
2018
7 births
Estimated living
51
2026
Meaning
What does Mortimer mean?
The given name Mortimer has its origins in Norman French and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the old French words "morte" meaning dead and "mer" meaning sea or lake. Thus, the name Mortimer can be interpreted as "dead sea" or "still water".
This name was particularly popular among the Norman aristocracy in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is believed that the name was first introduced to England by Norman settlers and nobility who accompanied William the Conqueror.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mortimer can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Mortimer de Burgo" who held lands in Berkshire.
During the Middle Ages, the Mortimer family became one of the most prominent and influential noble families in England. The most notable member of this family was Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March (1287-1330), who played a key role in the deposition of King Edward II and the installation of Edward III as king.
Another famous bearer of the name was John Mortimer (1923-2009), an English novelist and playwright best known for the Rumpole of the Bailey series of novels and television adaptations. His birth name was John Mortimer Armirage.
In the 16th century, Mortimer Wilson (1567-1619) was an English composer and lutenist who served as a musician at the court of King James I.
Mortimer Granville (1825-1892) was a British physician credited with the invention of the first modern vibrator, initially used for medical purposes to treat "female hysteria".
Mortimer J. Adler (1902-2001) was an American philosopher, educator, and popular author who is best known for his work on the Great Books of the Western World project and for his efforts to promote liberal education.
The name Mortimer has been consistently used throughout history, albeit with varying popularity over different periods and regions. Its unique origin and connection to the Norman nobility of England have contributed to its enduring presence as a given name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mortimer over time
The chart below shows babies named Mortimer registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mortimer, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2019, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mortimer by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mortimer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3619 | 24 | 5 |
| 2000s | #3207 | 12 | 3 |
| 1990s | #2560 | 15 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Mortimer
- 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
Mortimer: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mortimer in the UK right now?
In 2019, Mortimer was ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Mortimer most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 7 babies registered as Mortimer in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mortimer?
Old French name meaning "dead sea" or "still waters".
How many people are called Mortimer in the UK?
A total of 51 babies have been registered as Mortimer across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.