UK boy's name
Pharrell
A masculine given name derived from the French phrase "par el", meaning "through the nobility".
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.
Pharrell is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Pharrell popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 69 births.
This profile covers 444 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 2002 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 7% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 441 living people in the UK are called Pharrell. 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
- • Pharrell ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 69 boys were registered as Pharrell.
- • About 441 living people in the UK are estimated to have Pharrell as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3688
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2003
69 births
Estimated living
441
2026
Meaning
What does Pharrell mean?
The name Pharrell is a variant of the French name Ferrol or Farrell, which is derived from the Gaelic name Somhairle. This name can be traced back to the 12th century and the medieval kingdom of Dál Riata, which spanned parts of western Scotland and northeastern Ireland.
Somhairle is believed to have originated from the Old Norse name Sumarliði, meaning "summer traveler" or "summer warrior." The name was brought to Scotland and Ireland by Norse-Gaelic settlers and was later Anglicized to forms like Sorley and Farrell.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pharrell can be found in the writings of the medieval Scottish historian John of Fordun, who mentioned a man named Pharrell mac Gillebride in the late 13th century.
In the 16th century, a Scottish nobleman named Pharrell Stewart was documented as having fought alongside Mary, Queen of Scots, during the Scottish Reformation. He was born around 1540 and died in battle in 1568.
Another notable figure with the name Pharrell was an Irish poet and bard named Pharrell Ó Duibhgeannáin, who lived in the late 17th century and was known for his satirical works criticizing English rule in Ireland.
In the 18th century, a French explorer named Pharrell Delisle was one of the first Europeans to map the Pacific Northwest region of North America, including parts of present-day British Columbia and Alaska.
During the American Revolutionary War, a soldier named Pharrell Fitzpatrick served in the Continental Army and was present at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, which effectively ended the war.
While the name Pharrell has been more commonly used in modern times, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval era, with connections to Scotland, Ireland, France, and the exploration of North America.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Pharrell over time
The chart below shows babies named Pharrell registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 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 Pharrell, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 69 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pharrell by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Pharrell 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 | #4150 | 16 | 4 |
| 2010s | #2077 | 129 | 10 |
| 2000s | #970 | 299 | 8 |
Notable bearers
Famous people named Pharrell
-
Pharrell Wallace-Steele
basketball player
British basketball player (born 2003)
2003-
Related
Names similar to Pharrell
- Patrick 17,559
- Peter 13,150
- Paul 8,542
- Philip 4,997
- Parker 4,664
- Phoenix 3,865
- Preston 3,370
- Prince 1,782
- Patryk 1,763
- Phillip 1,697
- Percy 1,395
- Perry 1,015
FAQ
Pharrell: questions and answers
How popular is the name Pharrell in the UK right now?
In 2024, Pharrell was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Pharrell most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 69 babies registered as Pharrell in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Pharrell?
A masculine given name derived from the French phrase "par el", meaning "through the nobility".
How many people are called Pharrell in the UK?
A total of 444 babies have been registered as Pharrell across the 22 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.