UK boy's name
Stellan
A Scandinavian name meaning "calm, still, or steady".
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.
Stellan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Stellan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 12 births.
This profile covers 98 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2008 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 100 living people in the UK are called Stellan. 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
- • Stellan ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 12 boys were registered as Stellan.
- • Stellan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2013.
- • About 100 living people in the UK are estimated to have Stellan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2023
12 births
Estimated living
100
2026
Meaning
What does Stellan mean?
The name Stellan is a Swedish masculine given name derived from the Old Norse word "stiǫrnu," meaning "star." The name's etymology can be traced back to the Viking Age, around the 8th to 11th centuries AD, when the Norse people inhabited Scandinavia and parts of Northern Europe.
Historically, the name Stellan was used among the Norse people, who were known for their seafaring and navigation skills. The reference to stars in the name's meaning likely reflects the importance of celestial bodies in navigation during that era. The earliest recorded instances of the name Stellan date back to the 13th century in Sweden.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Stellan was Stellan Arvidsson, a Swedish clergyman and writer who lived from 1455 to 1519. He is known for his work "Frihetsvisorna" (Songs of Freedom), which played a significant role in the Swedish struggle for independence from the Kalmar Union.
Another historical figure with the name Stellan was Stellan Pettersson, a Swedish pirate and naval commander who lived from 1624 to 1696. He is remembered for his daring exploits during the Scanian War, where he commanded a fleet of privateers against Danish and Dutch ships.
In more recent history, the name Stellan gained prominence through the Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård, born in 1951. He has appeared in numerous films, including "Good Will Hunting," "The Hunt for Red October," and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. Skarsgård's sons, Alexander, Bill, and Valter, have also become successful actors, carrying on the family's legacy in the entertainment industry.
Another notable individual with the name Stellan is Stellan Nilsson, a Swedish professional golfer born in 1936. He won the British Open in 1966 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009.
Lastly, Stellan Wollter, a Swedish politician and diplomat born in 1920, served as the Swedish Ambassador to the United Nations from 1977 to 1983 and played a crucial role in mediating conflicts and promoting international cooperation during his tenure.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Stellan over time
The chart below shows babies named Stellan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 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 Stellan, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 12 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Stellan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Stellan 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 | #2730 | 41 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3273 | 54 | 10 |
| 2000s | #4432 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Stellan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Stellan. 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.
Stellan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2013.
Across the UK
Stellan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#687 in 2013
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Stellan
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Stellan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Stellan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Stellan was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Stellan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 12 babies registered as Stellan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Stellan?
A Scandinavian name meaning "calm, still, or steady".
How many people are called Stellan in the UK?
A total of 98 babies have been registered as Stellan across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Stellan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Stellan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #687 in 2013. 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.