UK boy's name
Wolfgang
A German masculine name meaning "traveling wolf".
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.
Wolfgang is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Wolfgang popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2443, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 15 births.
This profile covers 136 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2003 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 135 living people in the UK are called Wolfgang. 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
- • Wolfgang ranked #2443 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 15 boys were registered as Wolfgang.
- • About 135 living people in the UK are estimated to have Wolfgang as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2443
2024
Births in 2024
9
Latest year
Peak year
2018
15 births
Estimated living
135
2026
Meaning
What does Wolfgang mean?
The name Wolfgang originates from the Germanic languages, specifically Old High German. It is a compound name, formed by combining the elements "wolf" (meaning wolf) and "gang" (meaning path or journey). The name can be interpreted as "traveling wolf" or "wolf path."
In ancient Germanic cultures, wolves were revered for their strength, cunning, and hunting skills. The wolf symbolized qualities such as loyalty, perseverance, and protection. Naming a child Wolfgang was seen as bestowing these desirable traits upon them.
The earliest recorded use of the name Wolfgang dates back to the 8th century AD. One of the first notable individuals with this name was Wolfgang of Regensburg, a 10th-century German bishop and saint. Born around 934 AD, he was renowned for his missionary work in modern-day Austria and Hungary.
Another prominent figure named Wolfgang was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the renowned 18th-century Austrian composer. Born in 1756, Mozart is widely considered one of the greatest composers of all time, renowned for his operas, concertos, and symphonies.
In the realm of literature, Wolfgang von Goethe, born in 1749, was a German writer, poet, and statesman. He is best known for his seminal work "Faust," a tragic play that explores themes of human existence and the pursuit of knowledge.
Moving into the 20th century, Wolfgang Pauli, born in 1900, was an influential Austrian physicist and Nobel laureate. He made significant contributions to quantum mechanics and is renowned for the Pauli exclusion principle, which explains the behavior of fermions.
Lastly, Wolfgang Puck, born in 1949, is an Austrian-American celebrity chef and restaurateur. He is credited with popularizing California-style cuisine and has built a successful culinary empire, including his flagship restaurant Spago in Los Angeles.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Wolfgang throughout history, each leaving their mark in fields ranging from religion and music to literature, science, and culinary arts.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Wolfgang over time
The chart below shows babies named Wolfgang registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 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 Wolfgang, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 15 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wolfgang by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Wolfgang 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 | #2348 | 49 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2852 | 71 | 9 |
| 2000s | #3525 | 16 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Wolfgang
- William 117,982
- Wilfred 5,302
- Will 3,185
- Warren 2,787
- Wyatt 2,604
- Wesley 2,513
- Woody 1,951
- Walter 1,918
- Wiktor 1,354
- Wayne 979
- Wilbur 975
- Wade 902
FAQ
Wolfgang: questions and answers
How popular is the name Wolfgang in the UK right now?
In 2024, Wolfgang was ranked #2443 for boys in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.
When was Wolfgang most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 15 babies registered as Wolfgang in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Wolfgang?
A German masculine name meaning "traveling wolf".
How many people are called Wolfgang in the UK?
A total of 136 babies have been registered as Wolfgang across the 18 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.