NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Motty

A diminutive of Mortimer, derived from French elements meaning "dead sea".

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.

Motty is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Motty popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1758, with 14 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 16 births.

This profile covers 135 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. 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 88% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 134 living people in the UK are called Motty. 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

  • Motty ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 14 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2020, when 16 boys were registered as Motty.
  • About 134 living people in the UK are estimated to have Motty as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1758

2024

Births in 2024

14

Latest year

Peak year

2020

16 births

Estimated living

134

2026

Meaning

What does Motty mean?

The name Motty has its origins in the Hebrew language and Jewish culture, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be a diminutive form of the name Mordechai, which means "warrior" or "servant of Marduk" in Akkadian. The name Marduk was the name of a prominent Babylonian deity, suggesting that Mordechai, and by extension Motty, may have been associated with the worship of this god in earlier eras.

One of the earliest and most notable references to the name Mordechai, from which Motty is derived, is found in the Biblical Book of Esther. Mordechai was the name of a Jewish courtier in the Persian empire who played a pivotal role in foiling a plot against the Jewish people. This account, which is believed to have taken place around the 5th century BCE, has made the name Mordechai, and its diminutive forms like Motty, a popular choice among Jewish families for centuries.

The earliest recorded example of the name Motty itself can be traced back to the 13th century CE, when it was used as a variant of Mordechai in various Jewish communities across Europe and the Middle East. One notable figure from this period was Rabbi Motty ben Yitzhak, a prominent Talmudic scholar who lived in Spain during the late 13th century.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Motty. One such figure was Motty Goldshteyyn, a Ukrainian-born American composer and conductor who lived from 1890 to 1955. He was known for his work in bringing Jewish and Yiddish music to wider audiences in the United States.

Another noteworthy individual was Motty Malka, an Israeli boxer who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Born in 1937, Malka was a middleweight boxer who represented Israel in the Olympic Games.

In the realm of literature, Motty Rosenthal was a renowned Israeli author and poet who lived from 1919 to 2005. His works, which explored themes of identity, exile, and the human condition, earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Israel Prize for Literature in 1988.

Motty Berkowitz was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist, born in 1928. He co-founded the successful clothing company Garan Inc. and was known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting Jewish causes and educational institutions.

Lastly, Motty Steinmetz was an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) who served from 1981 to 1988. He was a member of the Likud party and held various ministerial positions during his political career.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Motty over time

The chart below shows babies named Motty registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 Motty, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 14 births in 2024, compared with 16 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Motty
0481216199720102024

Decades

Motty by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Motty 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 #1858 63 5
2010s #2862 57 8
2000s #3556 12 3
1990s #2859 3 1

Related

Names similar to Motty

FAQ

Motty: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Motty was ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales, with 14 births registered.

When was Motty most popular?

The peak year on record was 2020, with 16 babies registered as Motty in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Motty?

A diminutive of Mortimer, derived from French elements meaning "dead sea".

How many people are called Motty in the UK?

A total of 135 babies have been registered as Motty across the 17 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.