UK boy's name
Norman
A masculine name of Scandinavian origin meaning "northman" or "norseman".
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.
Norman is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Norman popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2443, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 16 births.
This profile covers 181 England and Wales registrations across 24 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 56% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 594 living people in the UK are called Norman. 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
- • Norman ranked #2443 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 16 boys were registered as Norman.
- • Norman ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #398 in 2014.
- • About 594 living people in the UK are estimated to have Norman as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2443
2024
Births in 2024
9
Latest year
Peak year
2015
16 births
Estimated living
594
2026
Meaning
What does Norman mean?
The name Norman has its origins in the Old Norse language, spoken by Scandinavian peoples during the Viking Age. It is derived from the words "norðr" meaning "north" and "maðr" meaning "man." The name was originally a descriptive epithet used to refer to Norsemen or Vikings who had ventured and settled in regions to the north.
In the 9th century, Norman Vikings from present-day Denmark and Norway began to raid and eventually settle in the region of northwestern France known as Normandy. The name Norman came to be associated with these Norse settlers and their descendants, who adopted French culture and language while retaining aspects of their Viking heritage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Norman can be found in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, written by the Venerable Bede in the 8th century. Here, Bede refers to "Normannic" pirates who raided the coast of Gaul (modern-day France) in the 6th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Norman became widespread in regions influenced by the Normans, particularly in England, where it was introduced after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Some notable historical figures bearing the name Norman include:
1. Norman Leveille (1923-2005), Canadian ice hockey player and coach. 2. Norman Mailer (1923-2007), American novelist, journalist, and playwright. 3. Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), American painter and illustrator known for his depictions of American culture. 4. Norman Schwarzkopf (1934-2012), American military leader who commanded coalition forces during the Gulf War. 5. Norman Borlaug (1914-2009), American agronomist and humanitarian who is credited with saving over a billion lives through his work in developing high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat varieties.
Over time, the name Norman has spread across various cultures and languages, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, its roots can be traced back to the Viking Age and the Norman conquest of parts of Europe, a legacy that continues to be reflected in its enduring use as a given name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Norman over time
The chart below shows babies named Norman 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 Norman, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 16 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Norman by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Norman 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 | #2295 | 47 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3001 | 70 | 9 |
| 2000s | #2681 | 35 | 6 |
| 1990s | #1624 | 29 | 4 |
Geography
Where Norman is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Norman. 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.
Norman ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #398 in 2014.
Across the UK
Norman in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2010
25 years of NRS records, 424 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#398 in 2014
2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Norman
-
Norman Wood
golfer
professional golfer
1947-2023
-
Norman van de Vater
equestrian
Irish equestrian
1946-
-
Norman Worker
comics artist
British comic book writer
1927-2005
-
Norman Wooding
businessperson
British businessman
1927-2005
-
Norman Wylie, Lord Wylie
judge; politician
Scottish Conservative and Unionist politician (1923-2005)
1923-2005
-
Norman Yardley
cricketer
Amateur cricketer (1915-1989)
1915-1989
-
Norman Wooland
stage actor; film actor
British character actor (1905-1989)
1910-1989
-
Norman Wright
association football player
association football player (1908-1974)
1908-1974
Related
Names similar to Norman
- Noah 72,596
- 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
FAQ
Norman: questions and answers
How popular is the name Norman in the UK right now?
In 2024, Norman was ranked #2443 for boys in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.
When was Norman most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 16 babies registered as Norman in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Norman?
A masculine name of Scandinavian origin meaning "northman" or "norseman".
How many people are called Norman in the UK?
A total of 181 babies have been registered as Norman across the 24 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 424 more in Scotland and 7 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Norman most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Norman ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #398 in 2014. 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.