UK name, mostly boys
Noah
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "rest" or "repose".
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.
Noah is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Noah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2, with 4,139 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 4,586 births.
This profile covers 72,596 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 90% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 80,132 living people in the UK are called Noah. 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
- • Noah ranked #2 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4,139 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 4,586 boys were registered as Noah.
- • Noah ranks best in East of England in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2024.
- • About 80,132 living people in the UK are estimated to have Noah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.9% of Noah registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2
2024
Births in 2024
4,139
Latest year
Peak year
2022
4,586 births
Estimated living
80,132
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Noah
In England and Wales birth records, Noah has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.9% of registrations are for boys and 0.1% 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.
Noah registered for boys
- Ranked #2 in 2024
- 4,139 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (4,586 births)
Noah registered for girls
- Ranked #1,743 in 2024
- 17 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (17 births)
Meaning
What does Noah mean?
The name Noah has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, traced back to biblical times. It derives from the Hebrew word "noach," meaning "rest" or "repose." The name is most famously associated with the biblical figure Noah, the righteous man who built an ark to save his family and a pair of every animal species during the Great Flood, as recounted in the Book of Genesis.
In the Old Testament, Noah is portrayed as a patriarch who found favor with God due to his righteousness. He is celebrated for his obedience and faith in following divine instructions to construct the ark, which ultimately preserved life on Earth after the devastating flood. The name Noah has thus become a symbol of salvation, perseverance, and new beginnings.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Noah can be traced back to ancient Hebrew texts, including the Torah and other biblical scriptures. Throughout history, the name has been embraced by various cultures and religions, particularly within the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, where Noah is revered as a significant prophet.
Several notable historical figures have borne the name Noah. One of the earliest was Noah Webster (1758-1843), an American lexicographer renowned for publishing the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language. Another prominent Noah was Noah Haynes Swayne (1804-1884), an American jurist who served as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the realm of literature, Noah Gordon (1926-2021) was an American novelist best known for his historical fiction works, including "The Physician" and "The Last Jew." Noah Lukeman (born 1975) is a contemporary American author and literary agent, celebrated for his books on the craft of writing.
In the field of music, Noah Kalina (born 1980) is an American photographer and video artist, renowned for his innovative time-lapse self-portrait project spanning over a decade. Noah Preminger (born 1986) is a contemporary American saxophonist and composer who has gained recognition for his contributions to the jazz genre.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Noah over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Noah in England and Wales, 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 Noah, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 4,139 births in 2024, compared with 4,586 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Noah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Noah 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 | #2 | 21,674 | 5 |
| 2010s | #10 | 39,296 | 10 |
| 2000s | #78 | 10,747 | 10 |
| 1990s | #167 | 879 | 4 |
Geography
Where Noah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Noah. 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.
Noah ranks best in East of England in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2024.
Across the UK
Noah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#1 in 2024
29 years of NRS records, 4,899 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#3 in 2024
27 years of NISRA records, 3,117 total registered
Related
Names similar to Noah
- Nathan 46,860
- Nicholas 15,983
- Nathaniel 12,151
- Niall 5,746
- Nicolas 3,825
- Nico 3,532
- Nate 2,029
- Nikodem 1,872
- Noel 1,865
- Ned 1,614
- Neo 1,563
- Neil 1,457
FAQ
Noah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Noah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Noah was ranked #2 for boys in England and Wales, with 4,139 births registered.
When was Noah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 4,586 babies registered as Noah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Noah?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "rest" or "repose".
How many people are called Noah in the UK?
A total of 72,596 babies have been registered as Noah across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4,899 more in Scotland and 3,117 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Noah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Noah ranks best in East of England, where it placed #1 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.