NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Shinji

A masculine Japanese name associated with the ideas of truth and faith.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2014. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Shinji is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Shinji popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2014 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4632, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 3 births.

This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2014 to 2014. 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.

Shinji is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Shinji. 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 2015 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Shinji ranked #4632 for boys in England and Wales in 2014, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2014, when 3 boys were registered as Shinji.
  • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shinji as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4632

2014

Births in 2014

3

Latest year

Peak year

2014

3 births

Estimated living

3

2026

Meaning

What does Shinji mean?

The name Shinji originates from Japanese culture and has been in use for centuries. It is composed of two kanji characters: "shin" meaning "true" or "genuine," and "ji" meaning "child" or "second son." The name can be interpreted as "true child" or "genuine second son."

In ancient Japanese texts, the name Shinji is mentioned as early as the 8th century AD. It appears in historical records and documents from the Heian period (794-1185 AD), indicating its usage among the aristocratic and samurai classes of that era.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Shinji was Shinji no Tamenaka, a poet and scholar who lived during the late Heian period in the 12th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of Japanese literature and poetry.

In the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), there was a notable samurai named Shinji Munenaga, who served under the Minamoto clan. He was known for his military prowess and loyalty to his lord.

During the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), a prominent figure named Shinji Yoshitaka was a daimyo (feudal lord) who ruled over the Fukui Domain in present-day Fukui Prefecture. He was recognized for his leadership and contribution to the development of his domain.

In the 19th century, Shinji Shuzo was a Japanese scholar and translator who played a significant role in introducing Western literature and philosophy to Japan. He was instrumental in the country's modernization during the Meiji Restoration.

Another historical figure was Shinji Sokan, a Buddhist monk and calligrapher who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was renowned for his mastery of the Japanese art of calligraphy and his contributions to preserving traditional Japanese culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Decades

Shinji by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shinji 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
2010s #4632 3 1

Related

Names similar to Shinji

FAQ

Shinji: questions and answers

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

In 2014, Shinji was ranked #4632 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Shinji most popular?

The peak year on record was 2014, with 3 babies registered as Shinji in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Shinji?

A masculine Japanese name associated with the ideas of truth and faith.

How many people are called Shinji in the UK?

A total of 3 babies have been registered as Shinji across the 1 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.