NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Scout

A unisex given name referring to a scout or explorer.

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.

Scout is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Scout popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1672, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 23 births.

This profile covers 305 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1997 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 78% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 315 living people in the UK are called Scout. 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

  • Scout ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2017, when 23 girls were registered as Scout.
  • Scout ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #652 in 2021.
  • About 315 living people in the UK are estimated to have Scout as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 91.9% of Scout registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1672

2024

Births in 2024

18

Latest year

Peak year

2017

23 births

Estimated living

315

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Scout

In England and Wales birth records, Scout has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 8.1% of registrations are for boys and 91.9% 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.

92% girls
Boys27 (8.1%)Girls305 (91.9%)

Scout registered for boys

  • Ranked #3,688 in 2024
  • 5 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2023 (6 births)

Scout registered for girls

  • Ranked #1,672 in 2024
  • 18 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2017 (23 births)

Meaning

What does Scout mean?

The name Scout originated as an English word derived from the Old French word "escouter", meaning "to listen" or "to look out". It was first used as a name in the early 20th century, likely inspired by the scouting movement and the idea of exploration and adventure.

Scout was initially more common as a nickname or a middle name, but gradually gained popularity as a gender-neutral first name in the United States and other English-speaking countries. One of the earliest recorded uses of Scout as a first name was in the 1935 novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, where the character Scout Finch was named after her real-life namesake, the writer's childhood friend.

While the name Scout does not have any direct historical or religious references, it does evoke a sense of curiosity, bravery, and a spirit of discovery. Some notable individuals named Scout throughout history include Scout Finch, the fictional character from "To Kill a Mockingbird"; Scout Bingo, an American actress and model born in 1990; Scout Tafoya, an American film critic and writer born in 1985; Scout Willis, the daughter of actors Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, born in 1991; and Scout Masterson, an American singer and songwriter born in 1996.

While the name Scout has been more widely adopted in recent decades, its origins can be traced back to the early 20th century and the scouting movement, which emphasized values of exploration, adventure, and being observant. The name's unique and gender-neutral nature has contributed to its appeal and enduring popularity.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Scout over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Scout in England and Wales, from 1997 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 Scout, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 23 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
07142027199720102024

Decades

Scout by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Scout 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 #1602 93 5
2010s #2221 138 10
2000s #2877 71 10
1990s #3824 3 1

Geography

Where Scout is most common

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

Scout ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #652 in 2021.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Scout in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#652 in 2021

3 years of NRS records, 11 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Scout

  • Scout Adkin

    runner

    Scottish long-distance runner (born 1993)

    1993-

Related

Names similar to Scout

FAQ

Scout: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Scout was ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.

When was Scout most popular?

The peak year on record was 2017, with 23 babies registered as Scout in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Scout?

A unisex given name referring to a scout or explorer.

How many people are called Scout in the UK?

A total of 305 babies have been registered as Scout across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11 more in Scotland.

Where is Scout most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Scout ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #652 in 2021. 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.