NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Naomi

A Hebrew feminine name meaning "pleasant, lovely, delightful".

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.

Naomi is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Naomi popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #204, with 244 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 766 births.

This profile covers 12,199 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 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.

The latest count is about 32% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 15,040 living people in the UK are called Naomi. 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

  • Naomi ranked #204 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 244 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 766 girls were registered as Naomi.
  • Naomi ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #176 in 2024.
  • About 15,040 living people in the UK are estimated to have Naomi as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#204

2024

Births in 2024

244

Latest year

Peak year

1996

766 births

Estimated living

15,040

2026

Meaning

What does Naomi mean?

The name Naomi is a Hebrew name that originated in ancient biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "noam," which means "pleasantness" or "delightfulness." The name first appeared in the Old Testament of the Bible, where it was given to the mother-in-law of Ruth.

In the Book of Ruth, Naomi was a woman from Bethlehem who, along with her husband and two sons, moved to Moab due to famine. After the death of her husband and sons, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth. The story of Naomi and Ruth's loyalty and devotion to each other has become a celebrated example of filial piety and faithfulness.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Naomi is found in the Book of Ruth, which is believed to have been written around the 6th century BCE. The name also appears in other ancient Hebrew texts and inscriptions from the same time period.

Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Naomi. One of the earliest was Naomi, the wife of the biblical prophet Hosea, who lived in the 8th century BCE. Another famous Naomi was the wife of the Jewish scholar and philosopher Moses Maimonides, who lived in the 12th century CE.

In more recent times, Naomi Shemer (1930-2004) was a renowned Israeli poet and songwriter who composed several popular songs that became anthems for the Israeli people. Naomi Watts (born 1968) is an acclaimed Australian actress known for her roles in films such as "Mulholland Drive" and "The Impossible."

Naomi Campbell (born 1970) is a British supermodel and actress who has been a prominent figure in the fashion industry for decades. Naomi Klein (born 1970) is a Canadian author and social activist known for her critiques of corporate globalization and capitalism.

Naomi Osaka (born 1997) is a Japanese professional tennis player who has won several Grand Slam titles and is widely recognized as one of the best players in the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Naomi over time

The chart below shows babies named Naomi 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 Naomi, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 244 births in 2024, compared with 766 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Naomi
0192383575766199620102024

Decades

Naomi by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Naomi 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 #183 1,385 5
2010s #154 3,592 10
2000s #110 4,728 10
1990s #87 2,494 4

Geography

Where Naomi is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Naomi. 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.

Naomi ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #176 in 2024.

Scotland
23
Northern Ireland
6

Across the UK

Naomi in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#176 in 2024

51 years of NRS records, 2,147 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#253 in 2024

28 years of NISRA records, 790 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Naomi

  • Naomi Metzger

    triple jumper

    British triple jumper

    1998-

  • Naomi Safran-Hon

    photographer

    Israeli Contemporary Artist

    1984-

  • Naomi Riches

    rower

    British rower

    1983-

  • Naomi Wood

    writer

    UK author (1983- )

    1983-

  • Naomi Ryan

    actor

    British actress

    1977-

  • Naomi Wilkinson

    television presenter

    English television presenter

    1974-

  • Naomi Radcliffe

    actor

    British actress

    1971-

  • Naomi Long

    politician; civil engineer

    Northern Irish politician (born 1971)

    1971-

Related

Names similar to Naomi

FAQ

Naomi: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Naomi was ranked #204 for girls in England and Wales, with 244 births registered.

When was Naomi most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 766 babies registered as Naomi in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Naomi?

A Hebrew feminine name meaning "pleasant, lovely, delightful".

How many people are called Naomi in the UK?

A total of 12,199 babies have been registered as Naomi across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 2,147 more in Scotland and 790 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Naomi most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Naomi ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #176 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.