UK name, mostly girls
Wing
A unisex name of English origin meaning "feathered appendage of a bird or insect".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2013. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 45 boys.
Wing is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Wing popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2013 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4050, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 11 births.
This profile covers 98 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 1996 to 2013. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 45% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 125 living people in the UK are called Wing. 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 2014 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Wing ranked #4050 for girls in England and Wales in 2013, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 11 girls were registered as Wing.
- • Wing ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #558 in 1998.
- • Wing is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 125 living people in the UK are estimated to have Wing as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 68.5% of Wing registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4050
2013
Births in 2013
5
Latest year
Peak year
1997
11 births
Estimated living
125
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Wing
In England and Wales birth records, Wing has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 31.5% of registrations are for boys and 68.5% 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.
Wing registered for boys
- Ranked #5,119 in 2024
- 3 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 1996 (8 births)
Wing registered for girls
- Ranked #4,050 in 2013
- 5 girls registered in 2013
- Peak: 1997 (11 births)
Meaning
What does Wing mean?
The name Wing has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "wing," which referred to the appendage used for flight by birds and insects. It was initially used as a descriptive name, possibly given to someone with a distinctive gait or movement reminiscent of a wing's motion.
In ancient Anglo-Saxon texts, the word "wing" appears frequently, often in poetic descriptions of battles and warriors, likening their swift movements to the beating of wings. Some scholars suggest the name may have been bestowed upon individuals known for their agility or prowess in combat.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wing can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in medieval England. It lists several individuals with the name, including Wing of Taunton and Wing of Huntingdon.
Throughout history, the name Wing has been borne by notable figures across various fields. In the 12th century, Wing of Thorpe was a prominent English landowner and knight who fought in the Crusades. In the 16th century, Wing Anderson was a renowned Danish navigator and explorer who charted vast expanses of the Arctic regions.
In the literary realm, Wing Tsun was a legendary Chinese martial artist and master of the Wing Chun style of Kung Fu, believed to have lived in the late 18th century. His teachings and techniques are still widely practiced today.
More recently, Wing Ding was a famous Chinese-American vaudeville performer and acrobat in the early 20th century, known for his daring aerial acts and comedic routines. He gained widespread popularity and is considered a pioneer in the world of vaudeville entertainment.
Another notable bearer of the name was Wing Tsit Chan, a renowned philosopher and scholar of Chinese thought, born in 1901. He made significant contributions to the understanding and translation of classical Chinese texts and played a pivotal role in introducing Eastern philosophies to the Western world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Wing over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Wing 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 Wing, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2013, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wing by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Wing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4671 | 17 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3489 | 46 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2165 | 35 | 4 |
Geography
Where Wing is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Wing. 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.
Wing ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #558 in 1998.
Across the UK
Wing in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#558 in 1998
8 years of NRS records, 28 total registered
Related
Names similar to Wing
- Willow 24,627
- Wren 2,824
- Winnie 2,339
- Wiktoria 1,725
- Winter 1,458
- Winifred 1,113
- Wynter 965
- Whitney 880
- Weronika 811
- Willa 548
- Wendy 509
- Willow-Rose 470
FAQ
Wing: questions and answers
How popular is the name Wing in the UK right now?
In 2013, Wing was ranked #4050 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Wing most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 11 babies registered as Wing in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Wing?
A unisex name of English origin meaning "feathered appendage of a bird or insect".
How many people are called Wing in the UK?
A total of 98 babies have been registered as Wing across the 17 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 28 more in Scotland.
Where is Wing most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Wing ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #558 in 1998. 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.