UK girl's name
Signe
A feminine given name of French origin meaning "sign" or "mark".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Signe is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Signe popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4763, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2001 to 2016. 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.
Signe is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Signe. 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 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Signe ranked #4763 for girls in England and Wales in 2016, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 4 girls were registered as Signe.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Signe as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4763
2016
Births in 2016
4
Latest year
Peak year
2016
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Signe mean?
The name Signe originates from the Old Norse language, spoken by the Norse people of Scandinavia during the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old Norse word "signa," which means "to bless" or "to consecrate." The name was likely used as a reference to the pagan practice of making the sign of the hammer, a sacred symbol in Norse mythology, over newborn babies to bless them.
In the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems dating back to the 13th century, the name Signe appears in the form of "Signý," referring to a valkyrie, one of the female figures who chose which warriors would die in battle and bring them to Valhalla. This suggests that the name had a strong association with Norse mythology and the warrior culture of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Signe can be found in the Icelandic Landnámabók (Book of Settlements), a medieval text that chronicles the settlement of Iceland by Norse people in the 9th and 10th centuries. The book mentions a woman named Signe who was among the first settlers in the country.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Signe. One of the most famous was Signe Ingermarie Rasmussen (1910-1998), a Danish sculptor and painter known for her modernist works. Another notable Signe was Signe Toksvig (1919-2007), a Danish writer and journalist who played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and gender equality.
In the world of literature, Signe Ekblad-Eldh (1866-1953) was a Swedish author and poet who wrote extensively about the lives of women in rural Sweden. Signe Lorsbach (1844-1915) was a Norwegian writer and feminist who campaigned for women's education and suffrage in Norway.
Signe Salomonsen (1840-1915) was a Danish artist and one of the first women to be admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, paving the way for future female artists in Denmark.
The name Signe has a rich history rooted in Norse mythology and the Viking culture of Scandinavia. It has been borne by several notable figures throughout history, particularly in the arts, literature, and feminist movements, reflecting the strength and resilience often associated with this name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Signe over time
The chart below shows babies named Signe registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Signe, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2016, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Signe by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Signe 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 | #4763 | 4 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3998 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Signe
- 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
Signe: questions and answers
How popular is the name Signe in the UK right now?
In 2016, Signe was ranked #4763 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Signe most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 4 babies registered as Signe in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Signe?
A feminine given name of French origin meaning "sign" or "mark".
How many people are called Signe in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Signe across the 2 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.