UK name, mostly girls
Ocean
A name derived from the vast, salty body of water covering most of the Earth's surface.
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.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 493 boys.
Ocean is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Ocean popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #296, with 149 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 172 births.
This profile covers 1,811 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 87% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,861 living people in the UK are called Ocean. 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
- • Ocean ranked #296 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 149 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 172 girls were registered as Ocean.
- • Ocean ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #350 in 2021.
- • Ocean is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 1,861 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ocean as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 78.6% of Ocean registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#296
2024
Births in 2024
149
Latest year
Peak year
2023
172 births
Estimated living
1,861
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Ocean
In England and Wales birth records, Ocean has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 21.4% of registrations are for boys and 78.6% 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.
Ocean registered for boys
- Ranked #757 in 2024
- 45 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (45 births)
Ocean registered for girls
- Ranked #296 in 2024
- 149 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (172 births)
Meaning
What does Ocean mean?
The name Ocean is a relatively modern given name with origins in the English language. It is derived from the word "ocean," which comes from the Greek word "okeanos," meaning the great river or sea surrounding the earth's disk. The name grew in popularity in the late 20th century, reflecting a trend towards nature-inspired names.
While the name itself does not have a long historical lineage, the concept of the ocean has been central to many cultures throughout history. The ancient Greeks personified the ocean as the Titan Oceanus, who was the river that encircled the world. In Hinduism, the ocean is represented by the deity Varuna, the god of waters.
The earliest recorded use of Ocean as a given name dates back to the late 19th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Ocean Mound, an American baseball player born in 1867. However, the name did not gain widespread popularity until the latter half of the 20th century.
Some notable individuals with the first name Ocean include:
1. Ocean Vuong, born in 1988, a Vietnamese-American poet and essayist known for his works such as "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" and "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous."
2. Ocean Ramsey, born in 1987, an American ocean conservationist and shark researcher, known for her close interactions with sharks.
3. Ocean MacAdams, born in 1971, an American actress and model best known for her role in the film "Stargate."
4. Ocean Belcher, born in 1991, an American professional basketball player who has played in various leagues around the world.
5. Ocean Killion, born in 1990, an American singer and songwriter, known for being the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Surf Rock Is Dead.
While the name Ocean is relatively new, its connection to the vast and mysterious waters of the world's oceans has captured the imagination of many cultures throughout history. As a given name, it reflects a sense of wonder and respect for the natural world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ocean over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ocean 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 Ocean, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 149 births in 2024, compared with 172 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ocean by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ocean 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 | #328 | 699 | 5 |
| 2010s | #714 | 563 | 10 |
| 2000s | #732 | 437 | 10 |
| 1990s | #855 | 112 | 4 |
Geography
Where Ocean is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ocean. 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.
Ocean ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #350 in 2021.
Across the UK
Ocean in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2024
12 years of NRS records, 52 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#350 in 2021
2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Ocean
-
Ocean Rolandsen
association football player
English footballer
1998-
-
Ocean Navarro
model; cheerleader; actor
model and actress
Related
Names similar to Ocean
- Olivia 123,111
- Orla 10,799
- Olive 6,815
- Ophelia 4,939
- Ottilie 4,407
- Oliwia 2,608
- Orlaith 1,357
- Olivia-Rose 1,250
- Octavia 1,243
- Olivia-Grace 618
- Orlagh 608
- Oriana 592
FAQ
Ocean: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ocean in the UK right now?
In 2024, Ocean was ranked #296 for girls in England and Wales, with 149 births registered.
When was Ocean most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 172 babies registered as Ocean in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ocean?
A name derived from the vast, salty body of water covering most of the Earth's surface.
How many people are called Ocean in the UK?
A total of 1,811 babies have been registered as Ocean across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 52 more in Scotland and 7 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Ocean most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Ocean ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #350 in 2021. 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.