UK boy's name
Warren
A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "enclosure guardian".
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.
Warren is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Warren popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1199, with 23 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 240 births.
This profile covers 2,787 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 10% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 3,169 living people in the UK are called Warren. 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
- • Warren ranked #1199 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 23 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 240 boys were registered as Warren.
- • Warren ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #392 in 2022.
- • About 3,169 living people in the UK are estimated to have Warren as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1199
2024
Births in 2024
23
Latest year
Peak year
2008
240 births
Estimated living
3,169
2026
Meaning
What does Warren mean?
The name Warren originates from the Old English word "wearn" or "waerna," meaning a gamekeeper or a person responsible for overseeing and protecting the game animals in a specific area. It was commonly used in England during the Middle Ages, particularly among those employed as wardens or gamekeepers for noble estates or royal hunting grounds.
Warren is derived from the Old French word "warenne," which also meant a game reserve or a place where rabbits and hares were bred and kept for hunting purposes. The name was often associated with individuals who held positions as overseers or caretakers of these warrens or game reserves.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Warren can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and property values in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions several individuals with the name Warren, indicating its usage during the Norman period.
In the 12th century, a prominent figure named William de Warenne held the title of Earl of Surrey and played a significant role in English history during the reign of King Henry II. He was a powerful nobleman and a close ally of the king, renowned for his military prowess and loyalty.
Another notable bearer of the name was Earl Warren (1891-1974), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969. His tenure was marked by landmark decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed racial segregation in public schools.
In the world of literature, Warren Edward Austin (1877-1962) was an American playwright and screenwriter best known for his plays "The Bride of the Lamb" and "The Whiteheaded Boy." He was also a co-founder of the renowned Provincetown Players theater company.
Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) was the 29th President of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. His presidency was characterized by economic prosperity and the establishment of new policies, but it was also tainted by scandals involving members of his administration.
Warren Beatty (born 1937) is an acclaimed American actor, director, and producer known for his roles in films such as "Bonnie and Clyde," "Shampoo," and "Reds." He has been nominated for numerous Academy Awards and has left a lasting impact on the entertainment industry.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Warren over time
The chart below shows babies named Warren registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Warren, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 23 births in 2024, compared with 240 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Warren by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Warren 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 | #1065 | 141 | 5 |
| 2010s | #585 | 709 | 10 |
| 2000s | #265 | 1,407 | 10 |
| 1990s | #234 | 530 | 4 |
Geography
Where Warren is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Warren. 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.
Warren ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #392 in 2022.
Across the UK
Warren in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#392 in 2022
48 years of NRS records, 357 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#398 in 2013
12 years of NISRA records, 55 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Warren
-
Warren O’Hora
association football player
Irish association football player
1999-
-
Warren Thompson
rugby league player
British rugby league player
1990-
-
Warren Lee
cricketer
English cricketer (born 1987)
1987-
-
Warren Moon
association football coach; association football player
Australian footballer and manager (born 1982)
1982-
-
Warren Spragg
rugby union player
English rugby union footballer
1982-
-
Warren Waugh
association football player
association football player
1980-
-
Warren Stacey
singer-songwriter
British singer-songwriter
1979-
-
Warren Peyton
association football player
English footballer (born 1979)
1979-
Related
Names similar to Warren
- William 117,982
- Wilfred 5,302
- Will 3,185
- Wyatt 2,604
- Wesley 2,513
- Woody 1,951
- Walter 1,918
- Wiktor 1,354
- Wayne 979
- Wilbur 975
- Wade 902
- Wilson 893
FAQ
Warren: questions and answers
How popular is the name Warren in the UK right now?
In 2024, Warren was ranked #1199 for boys in England and Wales, with 23 births registered.
When was Warren most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 240 babies registered as Warren in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Warren?
A masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "enclosure guardian".
How many people are called Warren in the UK?
A total of 2,787 babies have been registered as Warren across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 357 more in Scotland and 55 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Warren most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Warren ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #392 in 2022. 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.