UK girl's name
Pippa
Diminutive of Philippa, a feminine name derived from the Greek meaning "lover of horses".
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.
Pippa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Pippa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #136, with 371 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 470 births.
This profile covers 6,346 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 79% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6,876 living people in the UK are called Pippa. 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
- • Pippa ranked #136 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 371 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 470 girls were registered as Pippa.
- • Pippa ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #127 in 2024.
- • About 6,876 living people in the UK are estimated to have Pippa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#136
2024
Births in 2024
371
Latest year
Peak year
2018
470 births
Estimated living
6,876
2026
Meaning
What does Pippa mean?
The name Pippa is a diminutive form of the name Philippa, which is derived from the Greek name Philipp??. Philipp?? is the feminine form of the masculine name Philippos, which means "lover of horses" or "friend of horses". The name Philippos comes from the Greek words philos, meaning "beloved" or "loving", and hippos, meaning "horse".
The name Philippa was first introduced to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066, brought by the Norman nobles who had adopted it from the French form Philippine. It quickly gained popularity among the aristocracy and royalty of medieval England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pippa dates back to the 13th century, when it was used as a diminutive for Philippa. In the historical records of the time, there are references to a woman named Pippa de Beaumont, who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Pippa. One of the most famous is Pippa Middleton (born 1983), the younger sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Another well-known Pippa is Pippa Guard (born 1958), an English model and actress.
In the realm of literature, Pippa is the name of a character in Robert Browning's dramatic poem "Pippa Passes" (1841). The poem follows a young silk-winder named Pippa as she passes through the streets of Asolo, Italy, on her way to work.
Another historical figure named Pippa was Pippa Bacca (1974-2008), an Italian performance artist and activist. She gained international recognition for her participation in the "Brides on Tour" project, which aimed to raise awareness about the rights of women and minorities.
Finally, in the world of sports, Pippa Mann (born 1983) is a British racing driver who has competed in the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Pippa throughout history, showcasing the enduring appeal and versatility of this diminutive form of Philippa.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Pippa over time
The chart below shows babies named Pippa 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 Pippa, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 371 births in 2024, compared with 470 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pippa by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Pippa 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 | #131 | 1,902 | 5 |
| 2010s | #169 | 3,559 | 10 |
| 2000s | #493 | 772 | 10 |
| 1990s | #802 | 113 | 4 |
Geography
Where Pippa is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Pippa. 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.
Pippa ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #127 in 2024.
Across the UK
Pippa in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#230 in 2024
22 years of NRS records, 296 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#127 in 2024
16 years of NISRA records, 266 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Pippa
-
Pippa Bennett-Warner
actor; stage actor; film actor
British actress
1988-
-
Pippa Wilson
sailor; skipper
English sailor
1986-
-
Pippa Evans
comedian; improviser
British comedian
1982-
-
Pippa Duffy
actor
English actress
1981-
-
Pippa Nixon
actor; film actor
actress
1980-
-
Pippa Handley
sport cyclist
British cyclist
1978-
-
Pippa Taylor
radio producer
English radio producer
1977-
-
Pippa Maslin
politician
Green Party candidate in the 2019 United Kingdom General Election
1976-
Related
Names similar to Pippa
- Poppy 52,802
- Phoebe 47,609
- Paige 24,717
- Penelope 13,109
- Polly 5,678
- Philippa 4,446
- Penny 4,394
- Paris 4,372
- Piper 3,961
- Pearl 3,516
- Paisley 3,419
- Primrose 2,967
FAQ
Pippa: questions and answers
How popular is the name Pippa in the UK right now?
In 2024, Pippa was ranked #136 for girls in England and Wales, with 371 births registered.
When was Pippa most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 470 babies registered as Pippa in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Pippa?
Diminutive of Philippa, a feminine name derived from the Greek meaning "lover of horses".
How many people are called Pippa in the UK?
A total of 6,346 babies have been registered as Pippa across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 296 more in Scotland and 266 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Pippa most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Pippa ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #127 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.