UK girl's name
Rosalyn
A feminine name of American origin meaning "pretty rose".
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.
Rosalyn is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rosalyn popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2115, with 13 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 20 births.
This profile covers 362 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 65% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 483 living people in the UK are called Rosalyn. 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
- • Rosalyn ranked #2115 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 13 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 20 girls were registered as Rosalyn.
- • Rosalyn ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
- • About 483 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rosalyn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2115
2024
Births in 2024
13
Latest year
Peak year
2015
20 births
Estimated living
483
2026
Meaning
What does Rosalyn mean?
The name Rosalyn is an English variant of the name Rosalind, which has its roots in the Latin name Rosalinda. The name is derived from the Latin words "rosa," meaning rose, and "linda," meaning beautiful or pretty. The rose has long been a symbol of love, beauty, and purity, and the name Rosalyn reflects these associations.
The earliest recorded use of the name Rosalind dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in the works of English playwright William Shakespeare. In his comedy "As You Like It," one of the main characters is named Rosalind. This literary reference played a significant role in popularizing the name in English-speaking countries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rosalyn or its variations. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Rosalyn Fairbank (1598-1668), an English Puritan and one of the founders of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts, in the early days of the American colonies.
Another notable Rosalyn was Rosalyn Tureck (1914-2003), an American pianist and harpsichordist celebrated for her interpretations of Bach's works. She was widely regarded as one of the greatest keyboard artists of the 20th century.
In the world of literature, Rosalyn Drexler (born 1926) is an American novelist and visual artist known for her Pop Art paintings and collages. Her novels, including "To Smithereens" and "Vulgar Lives," often explore themes of urban life and popular culture.
In the realm of politics, Rosalyn Yalow (1921-2011) was an American medical physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1977 for her work on developing the radioimmunoassay technique, which revolutionized the field of biochemistry.
Lastly, Rosalyn Higgins (born 1937) is a British barrister and academic who served as a Judge of the International Court of Justice from 1995 to 2009 and was its President from 2006 to 2009.
These are just a few examples of the notable individuals who have carried the name Rosalyn throughout history, each making their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of this name's legacy.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rosalyn over time
The chart below shows babies named Rosalyn 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 Rosalyn, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 13 births in 2024, compared with 20 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rosalyn by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rosalyn 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 | #2220 | 61 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1977 | 148 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2244 | 101 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1384 | 52 | 4 |
Geography
Where Rosalyn is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rosalyn. 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.
Rosalyn ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
Across the UK
Rosalyn in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#809 in 2018
26 years of NRS records, 125 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rosalyn
-
Rosalyn Landor
actor; film actor
British actress
1958-
-
Rosalyn Higgins
judge; politician; jurist; university teacher; barrister
British barrister, judge and scholar (born 1937)
1937-
-
Rosalyn Boulter
actor; film actor
British actress (1917-1997)
1917-1997
Related
Names similar to Rosalyn
- Ruby 60,551
- Rebecca 45,764
- Rosie 35,558
- Rachel 19,034
- Rose 18,043
- Robyn 14,556
- Rosa 6,236
- Rhiannon 6,180
- Rachael 4,702
- Rebekah 4,395
- Rhianna 4,177
- Ruth 4,118
FAQ
Rosalyn: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rosalyn in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rosalyn was ranked #2115 for girls in England and Wales, with 13 births registered.
When was Rosalyn most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 20 babies registered as Rosalyn in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rosalyn?
A feminine name of American origin meaning "pretty rose".
How many people are called Rosalyn in the UK?
A total of 362 babies have been registered as Rosalyn across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 125 more in Scotland.
Where is Rosalyn most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Rosalyn ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #809 in 2018. 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.