NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Rosy

Of Latin origin, meaning "rose-colored" or "having a healthy, blush complexion".

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.

Rosy is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rosy popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2411, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 21 births.

This profile covers 338 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 52% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 339 living people in the UK are called Rosy. 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

  • Rosy ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2008, when 21 girls were registered as Rosy.
  • Rosy ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #765 in 2020.
  • About 339 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rosy as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2411

2024

Births in 2024

11

Latest year

Peak year

2008

21 births

Estimated living

339

2026

Meaning

What does Rosy mean?

The name Rosy is derived from the English word "rose," which itself comes from the Latin word "rosa." The rose is a symbolic flower that has been revered across many cultures for its beauty and fragrance. It is believed that the name Rosy originated in England during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Rosy can be found in the 14th-century Middle English poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." In this work, a character named Rosy is mentioned, though little is known about her beyond her name. This suggests that the name was already in use among the English people during that time.

In the 16th century, the name Rosy gained popularity in England, perhaps influenced by the rise of the Tudor dynasty and their association with the Tudor rose. During this period, several notable figures bore the name, including Rosy Penrose (1540-1615), a English noblewoman and courtier to Queen Elizabeth I.

As the name continued to spread throughout the English-speaking world, it also found its way into literary works. In the 18th century, the English poet Robert Burns included a character named Rosy in his poem "The Jolly Beggars." This helped to further popularize the name and solidify its association with beauty and charm.

Throughout history, several other notable figures have borne the name Rosy. These include Rosy Crampton (1822-1892), an English actress and singer; Rosy Boursnell (1869-1945), an English artist and embroiderer; and Rosy Sewell (1904-1994), an English actress and author.

In more recent times, the name Rosy has been associated with various public figures, such as Rosy Bingham (born 1951), an English actress and model; and Rosy Byrne (born 1979), an Australian actress known for her roles in films like "Bridesmaids" and "Neighbors."

While the name Rosy may have originated from the symbolic rose flower, it has taken on a life of its own throughout history, becoming a beloved and enduring name that evokes images of beauty, charm, and grace.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Rosy over time

The chart below shows babies named Rosy 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 Rosy, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 21 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Rosy
05111621199620102024

Decades

Rosy by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rosy 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 #2387 55 5
2010s #2373 112 10
2000s #1793 129 10
1990s #1667 42 4

Geography

Where Rosy is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rosy. 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.

Rosy ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #765 in 2020.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Rosy in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#765 in 2020

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Rosy

FAQ

Rosy: questions and answers

How popular is the name Rosy in the UK right now?

In 2024, Rosy was ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.

When was Rosy most popular?

The peak year on record was 2008, with 21 babies registered as Rosy in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Rosy?

Of Latin origin, meaning "rose-colored" or "having a healthy, blush complexion".

How many people are called Rosy in the UK?

A total of 338 babies have been registered as Rosy across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Rosy most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Rosy ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #765 in 2020. 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.