NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Toni

A diminutive of the name Antonia or Antonio, meaning "priceless one".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Toni is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Toni popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3598, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 400 births.

This profile covers 2,577 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. 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 2% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 3,953 living people in the UK are called Toni. 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 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Toni ranked #3598 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 400 girls were registered as Toni.
  • Toni ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.
  • About 3,953 living people in the UK are estimated to have Toni as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 98.7% of Toni registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3598

2023

Births in 2023

6

Latest year

Peak year

1996

400 births

Estimated living

3,953

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Toni

In England and Wales birth records, Toni has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 1.3% of registrations are for boys and 98.7% 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.

99% girls
Boys35 (1.3%)Girls2,577 (98.7%)

Toni registered for boys

  • Ranked #4,270 in 2024
  • 4 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2008 (5 births)

Toni registered for girls

  • Ranked #3,598 in 2023
  • 6 girls registered in 2023
  • Peak: 1996 (400 births)

Meaning

What does Toni mean?

The name Toni has its roots in the Latin language and is derived from the name Antonius, which itself is believed to have originated from the Etruscan name Antonu. The name Antonius was a prominent Roman family name, with the first recorded use dating back to the 1st century BC.

Toni is a diminutive form of the name Antonius, and its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the Middle Ages in various European regions. In Italy, Toni was a common nickname for Antonio, while in Germany and other Germanic regions, it was used as a diminutive for Anton.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Toni was Toni de Vivaldi, an Italian composer and violinist who lived from 1678 to 1741. He was a contemporary of the renowned composer Antonio Vivaldi and is known for his contributions to the development of the concerto grosso form.

In the literary world, Toni Morrison, born in 1931, was an American novelist, essayist, and professor who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. Her novels, such as "Beloved" and "The Bluest Eye," explored the experiences of African Americans and addressed themes of race, identity, and discrimination.

Toni Kroos, born in 1990, is a German professional football player who has played for clubs like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. He is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation and has won numerous titles, including the FIFA World Cup in 2014 with the German national team.

In the world of art, Toni Frissell, who lived from 1907 to 1988, was an American photographer renowned for her fashion photography and portraits. Her work appeared in publications like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and she was among the first women to be hired as a staff photographer for Life magazine.

Toni Cade Bambara, an African American writer, activist, and filmmaker, lived from 1939 to 1995. Her works, such as the short story collection "Gorilla, My Love," explored themes of racial injustice, feminism, and social change, and she was a prominent figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Toni over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Toni 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 Toni, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2023, compared with 400 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0101202302403199620102024

Decades

Toni by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Toni 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 #3016 32 4
2010s #2413 161 10
2000s #441 1,035 10
1990s #141 1,349 4

Geography

Where Toni is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Toni. 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.

Toni ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #432 in 2017.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Toni in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#790 in 2024

48 years of NRS records, 1,240 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#432 in 2017

18 years of NISRA records, 167 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Toni

  • Toni Shaw

    swimmer

    British swimmer

    2003-

  • Toni Woods

    badminton player

    Scottish badminton player (born 1998)

    1998-

  • Toni Murray

    figure skater

    figure skater

    1992-

  • Toni Alden

    association football player

    English footballer

    1991-

  • Toni Duggan

    association football player

    English association football player (born 1991)

    1991-

  • Toni Pearce

    trade unionist

    British union leader

    1990-

  • Toni Mason

    association football player

    1985-

  • Toni Halliday

    singer; musician; guitarist; vocalist

    British musician

    1964-

Related

Names similar to Toni

FAQ

Toni: questions and answers

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

In 2023, Toni was ranked #3598 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Toni most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 400 babies registered as Toni in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Toni?

A diminutive of the name Antonia or Antonio, meaning "priceless one".

How many people are called Toni in the UK?

A total of 2,577 babies have been registered as Toni across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,240 more in Scotland and 167 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Toni most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Toni 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.