UK name, mostly girls
Sian
A Welsh feminine name meaning "splendid", "brilliant" or "dazzling".
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.
Sian is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Sian popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3318, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 760 births.
This profile covers 6,016 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 1% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6,778 living people in the UK are called Sian. 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
- • Sian ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 760 girls were registered as Sian.
- • Sian ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.
- • About 6,778 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sian as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.6% of Sian registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3318
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
1997
760 births
Estimated living
6,778
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Sian
In England and Wales birth records, Sian has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 0.4% of registrations are for boys and 99.6% 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.
Sian registered for boys
- Ranked #3,449 in 2022
- 5 boys registered in 2022
- Peak: 2022 (5 births)
Sian registered for girls
- Ranked #3,318 in 2024
- 7 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 1997 (760 births)
Meaning
What does Sian mean?
The name Sian originated in Wales, a country in the United Kingdom. It is a Welsh feminine name derived from the Welsh word "sian," which means "charm" or "blessing." The name has been in use since the Middle Ages, with records dating back to the 13th century.
Sian is a variant spelling of the more common Welsh name Siân, which is pronounced similarly to the English name "Shahn." The name was originally a diminutive form of the name Jane or Janne, which was derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious."
In Welsh mythology, there are references to a character named Sian who was a beautiful and enchanting fairy or goddess associated with nature and fertility. This connection to folklore and mythology may have contributed to the name's popularity in Wales.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sian can be found in the 14th-century Welsh manuscript known as the "Black Book of Carmarthen," where a character named Sian ap Gwilym is mentioned. Another notable historical figure with the name Sian was Sian Siencyn (c. 1500-1568), a Welsh poet and writer who lived during the Renaissance period.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Sian. Sian Williams (born 1964) is a British television presenter and journalist who has worked for BBC News and Radio 4. Sian Phillips (born 1933) is a Welsh actress known for her roles in films such as "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" and "Dune."
Sian Brooke (born 1980) is an English actress who has appeared in various television shows and films, including "Sherlock" and "Good Omens." Sian Massey (born 1985) is an English professional football referee who became the first woman to officiate a match in the Premier League in 2010.
Sian Berry (born 1974) is a British politician and the co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. She has been a member of the London Assembly since 2016 and has advocated for environmental issues and sustainable urban development.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sian over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Sian in England and Wales, 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 Sian, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 760 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sian by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sian 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 | #2260 | 65 | 5 |
| 2010s | #978 | 554 | 10 |
| 2000s | #213 | 2,721 | 10 |
| 1990s | #82 | 2,676 | 4 |
Geography
Where Sian is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Sian. 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.
Sian ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.
Across the UK
Sian in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#564 in 2013
39 years of NRS records, 630 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#432 in 2017
19 years of NISRA records, 181 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sian
-
Sian Jones
rugby union player
Welsh rugby union player
2004-
-
Sian Johnson
association football player
English footballer
1998-
-
Sian Rogers
association football player
English footballer
1998-
-
Sian Williams
rugby union player
Welsh rugby union player
1990-
-
Sian Gordon
bowls player
British bowls player
1988-
-
Sian Charlesworth
singer
British singer
1987-
-
Sian Massey
association football assistant referee; association football referee
Soccer official
1985-
-
Sian Clifford
actor; television producer; stage actor; film producer; film actor; television actor
English actress
1982-
Related
Names similar to Sian
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Skye 13,654
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
FAQ
Sian: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sian in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sian was ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Sian most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 760 babies registered as Sian in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sian?
A Welsh feminine name meaning "splendid", "brilliant" or "dazzling".
How many people are called Sian in the UK?
A total of 6,016 babies have been registered as Sian across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 630 more in Scotland and 181 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Sian most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Sian ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #432 in 2017. 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.