NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Tulip

A feminine name derived from the flower with the same name.

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.

Tulip is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Tulip popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 9 births.

This profile covers 87 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 2005 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 87 living people in the UK are called Tulip. 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

  • Tulip ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 9 girls were registered as Tulip.
  • About 87 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tulip as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5891

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2011

9 births

Estimated living

87

2026

Meaning

What does Tulip mean?

The given name Tulip is derived from the Persian word "tulipan," which refers to the popular flowering plant that originated in the Ottoman Empire, now modern-day Turkey. The tulip flower was highly prized in the 16th century and became a symbol of wealth and status during the Dutch Golden Age.

While the name Tulip is not commonly used as a first name, it has been recorded in various cultures and time periods. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the writings of the 17th-century Dutch botanist Carolus Clusius, who is credited with introducing the tulip to Western Europe.

In literature, the name Tulip appears in the novel "The Black Tulip" by Alexandre Dumas, published in 1850. The story revolves around a fictional tulip bulb and the obsession of horticulturists during the Dutch Tulip Mania in the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Tulip was Tulip Monteith, a Scottish woman born in 1856. She was a notable figure in the women's suffrage movement and campaigned for women's rights in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Another notable individual was Tulip Fever, an American painter and illustrator born in 1909. She was known for her vibrant and colorful paintings that often featured floral motifs, including the tulip flower.

In the world of music, Tulip Mania was the stage name of an American singer-songwriter born in 1968. She gained recognition for her unique blend of folk and alternative rock music, and her album "Tulip Fever" was critically acclaimed in the 1990s.

Tulip Mazumdar, born in 1922, was an Indian freedom fighter and political activist who fought against British colonial rule. She was a prominent member of the Indian National Congress and played a significant role in the struggle for India's independence.

Another noteworthy figure was Tulip Chishi, a Tibetan Buddhist nun and activist born in 1976. She advocated for the rights of Tibetan refugees and worked to preserve Tibetan culture and traditions in the face of Chinese oppression.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Tulip over time

The chart below shows babies named Tulip registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 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 Tulip, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 9 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Tulip
02579200520142024

Decades

Tulip by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tulip 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 #4568 23 5
2010s #3992 52 9
2000s #4462 12 3

Related

Names similar to Tulip

FAQ

Tulip: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Tulip was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Tulip most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 9 babies registered as Tulip in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Tulip?

A feminine name derived from the flower with the same name.

How many people are called Tulip in the UK?

A total of 87 babies have been registered as Tulip across the 17 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.