NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

True

Asserting or implying sincerity, honesty, or authenticity as a desired trait.

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 boys' name in the UK, with 9 boys.

True is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for True popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 10 births.

This profile covers 25 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 1996 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 40% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 25 living people in the UK are called True. 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

  • True ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 10 girls were registered as True.
  • True is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 25 living people in the UK are estimated to have True as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 73.5% of True registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4843

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2021

10 births

Estimated living

25

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for True

In England and Wales birth records, True has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 26.5% of registrations are for boys and 73.5% 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.

26% boys
74% girls
Boys9 (26.5%)Girls25 (73.5%)

True registered for boys

  • Ranked #5,119 in 2024
  • 3 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2022 (6 births)

True registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,843 in 2024
  • 4 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2021 (10 births)

Meaning

What does True mean?

The name True is an English word name derived from the Old English word "treowe", meaning faithful, loyal, or steadfast. It's believed to have originated as a nickname or descriptive term during the Middle Ages, referring to someone who was perceived as honest, trustworthy, or true to their word.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name True can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Truwi is listed. This name is thought to be a variant spelling of True, indicating the name's use in England during the 11th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name True became more widespread in English-speaking regions, particularly among Puritan and Quaker communities. These religious groups often favored virtue names, and True was seen as a name that embodied the value of honesty and truthfulness.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name True was True Brewster, born in 1592 in England. He was a son of Mayflower passenger William Brewster and immigrated to the Plymouth Colony in 1620. Another early bearer of the name was True Robinson, born in 1608 in England and later settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the 18th century, True Selden (1735-1820) was a notable American lawyer and jurist from Virginia. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and played a role in drafting the first Virginia Constitution.

True Worthy White (1789-1854) was an American missionary and teacher who established several schools in Hawaii, helping to promote literacy and education among the Native Hawaiian population.

True Whittier (1836-1924) was an American artist and writer, best known for her paintings depicting scenes from New England life. She was also a distant cousin of the renowned poet John Greenleaf Whittier.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the name True remained relatively uncommon but continued to be used, particularly in the United States. Notable individuals from this period include True Boardman (1837-1918), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Connecticut, and True Williams (1888-1970), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

True over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as True 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 True, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 10 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
035810199620102024

Decades

True by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether True 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 #3996 18 3
2000s #4798 3 1
1990s #3126 4 1

Related

Names similar to True

FAQ

True: questions and answers

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

In 2024, True was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was True most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 10 babies registered as True in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of True?

Asserting or implying sincerity, honesty, or authenticity as a desired trait.

How many people are called True in the UK?

A total of 25 babies have been registered as True across the 5 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.