UK name, mostly boys
Rune
Secret wisdom, drawn from the ancient runic alphabet symbols.
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.
Rune is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Rune popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1460, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 18 births.
This profile covers 108 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1999 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.
Rune is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 107 living people in the UK are called Rune. 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
- • Rune ranked #1460 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 18 boys were registered as Rune.
- • About 107 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rune as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 93.9% of Rune registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1460
2024
Births in 2024
18
Latest year
Peak year
2024
18 births
Estimated living
107
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Rune
In England and Wales birth records, Rune has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 93.9% of registrations are for boys and 6.1% 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.
Rune registered for boys
- Ranked #1,460 in 2024
- 18 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (18 births)
Rune registered for girls
- Ranked #4,843 in 2024
- 4 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (4 births)
Meaning
What does Rune mean?
The name Rune has its origins in Old Norse, an ancient North Germanic language spoken by the Scandinavian people during the Viking Age. It is derived from the word "rún," which means a letter or character of the runic alphabet used for writing in ancient Germanic languages. The runic alphabet was widely used for inscriptions, charms, and divination practices by the Norse people.
Runes were believed to possess mystical powers and were often associated with magic, wisdom, and the ability to foretell the future. The name Rune may have been given to individuals with a connection to runic knowledge or those believed to possess special abilities or insights.
The earliest known reference to the name Rune can be traced back to the 9th century, when it was mentioned in the Old Norse sagas and Icelandic literature. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rune is found in the Landnámabók, an Icelandic book describing the settlement of Iceland in the 9th and 10th centuries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rune. One of the earliest examples is Rune the Old, a Norwegian chieftain and one of the first settlers of Iceland in the late 9th century. Another notable figure is Rune Jonsson, a Swedish archbishop and statesman who lived from 1180 to 1251 and played a significant role in the politics of medieval Sweden.
In the realm of literature, Rune Christensen was a Danish author and poet born in 1891, known for his works exploring themes of nature and rural life. Rune Lindblad, born in 1923, was a renowned Swedish astronomer and pioneer in the study of stellar atmospheres.
Rune Gustafsson, a Swedish athlete born in 1919, won two Olympic gold medals in the javelin throw at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics, making him one of the most celebrated Scandinavian athletes of his era.
While the name Rune may have originated in ancient Norse culture, it has transcended its historical roots and continues to be used as a given name in various parts of the world, particularly in Scandinavian countries and among those with Nordic heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rune over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Rune in England and Wales, from 1999 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 Rune, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 18 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rune by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rune 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 | #1844 | 65 | 5 |
| 2010s | #4168 | 30 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3637 | 10 | 3 |
| 1990s | #2943 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Rune
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Rory 21,870
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
FAQ
Rune: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rune in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rune was ranked #1460 for boys in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.
When was Rune most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 18 babies registered as Rune in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rune?
Secret wisdom, drawn from the ancient runic alphabet symbols.
How many people are called Rune in the UK?
A total of 108 babies have been registered as Rune across the 16 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.