NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Tiger

A name symbolizing power, strength, and fierceness in many cultures.

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.

Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 151 girls.

Tiger is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Tiger popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1859, with 13 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 21 births.

This profile covers 308 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. 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.

The latest count is about 62% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 306 living people in the UK are called Tiger. 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

  • Tiger ranked #1859 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 13 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2010, when 21 boys were registered as Tiger.
  • Tiger is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 306 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tiger as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 67.1% of Tiger registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1859

2024

Births in 2024

13

Latest year

Peak year

2010

21 births

Estimated living

306

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Tiger

In England and Wales birth records, Tiger has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 67.1% of registrations are for boys and 32.9% 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.

67% boys
33% girls
Boys308 (67.1%)Girls151 (32.9%)

Tiger registered for boys

  • Ranked #1,859 in 2024
  • 13 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2010 (21 births)

Tiger registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,056 in 2023
  • 5 girls registered in 2023
  • Peak: 2001 (18 births)

Meaning

What does Tiger mean?

The name Tiger is believed to have originated from the English word "tiger," which itself comes from the ancient Greek word "tigris." The word "tigris" refers to the Tigris River, which flows through modern-day Iraq and was once home to tigers in the region.

The name Tiger is thought to have first appeared in the English-speaking world during the 16th century, as Europeans began exploring and colonizing parts of Asia and encountering tigers for the first time. The name was likely given to children to symbolize strength, power, and courage, characteristics associated with the majestic big cat.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Tiger can be found in William Shakespeare's play, "Henry VI, Part 1," written around 1591. In the play, a character named Tiger is mentioned, though it is unclear whether this was a real person or a fictional character.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Tiger. One of the earliest was Tiger Dunlap (1794-1857), an American frontiersman and trapper who lived in the American West during the 19th century.

Another famous Tiger was Tiger Flowers (1895-1927), an American blues musician from Arkansas who helped popularize the Delta blues style in the 1920s.

In the realm of sports, Tiger Woods (born 1975) is undoubtedly the most famous bearer of the name. Woods is a professional golfer who has won numerous major championships and is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time.

Tiger Muñoz (1947-2022) was a Mexican-American artist and activist known for his vibrant murals and advocacy for Chicano rights in Los Angeles.

Tiger Mask (born 1958) is the ring name of Satoru Sayama, a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist who popularized the Tiger Mask character in the 1980s.

While the name Tiger is not as common as some other English names, its unique and powerful connotations have ensured its enduring appeal across various cultures and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Tiger over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Tiger 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 Tiger, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 13 births in 2024, compared with 21 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
07152229199720102024

Decades

Tiger by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tiger 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 #1627 75 5
2010s #2158 108 10
2000s #1661 104 10
1990s #1875 21 3

Related

Names similar to Tiger

FAQ

Tiger: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Tiger was ranked #1859 for boys in England and Wales, with 13 births registered.

When was Tiger most popular?

The peak year on record was 2010, with 21 babies registered as Tiger in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Tiger?

A name symbolizing power, strength, and fierceness in many cultures.

How many people are called Tiger in the UK?

A total of 308 babies have been registered as Tiger across the 28 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.