UK name, mostly girls
Wren
A diminutive form of a word meaning "small bird".
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.
Wren is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Wren popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #128, with 377 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 387 births.
This profile covers 2,824 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1999 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 97% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 3,041 living people in the UK are called Wren. 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
- • Wren ranked #128 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 377 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 387 girls were registered as Wren.
- • Wren ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #117 in 2024.
- • About 3,041 living people in the UK are estimated to have Wren as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 86.6% of Wren registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#128
2024
Births in 2024
377
Latest year
Peak year
2023
387 births
Estimated living
3,041
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Wren
In England and Wales birth records, Wren has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 13.4% of registrations are for boys and 86.6% 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.
Wren registered for boys
- Ranked #602 in 2024
- 63 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (64 births)
Wren registered for girls
- Ranked #128 in 2024
- 377 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (387 births)
Meaning
What does Wren mean?
The name Wren has its origins in Old English, derived from the word "wrenna," which means a small songbird of the same name. This name's history can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD.
In the early days, the name was likely used as a nickname or a surname for someone who was associated with the small brown bird or perhaps had a resemblance to its lively and energetic nature. Over time, it transitioned into a given name, particularly for girls.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wren can be found in the famous Domesday Book, a manuscript record of a great survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. It lists an individual named "Wrenna" as a landowner in Lincolnshire, England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Wren. One of the most famous was Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723), the renowned English architect who played a significant role in rebuilding London after the Great Fire of 1666. His most iconic work is St. Paul's Cathedral, which still stands as a landmark in London.
Another notable figure was Wren Bunting Nevin (1836-1935), an American painter and author known for her illustrations in children's books and her works depicting scenes from the American Civil War.
In literature, the name Wren appears in the novel "The House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton, where one of the characters is named Wren Gersen. The character's name is a nod to the small, lively bird.
During the Tudor period, there was a woman named Wren Hoskyns (c. 1508-1558), who was the mistress of King Henry VIII and the mother of one of his illegitimate children.
Another historical figure with the name Wren was Wren Brent (1943-2003), an American actress known for her roles in television shows like "The Waltons" and "Little House on the Prairie."
While the name Wren has its roots in Old English and was initially used as a surname or nickname, it has evolved into a charming and unique given name, particularly for girls, carrying with it the imagery of a lively and free-spirited songbird.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Wren over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Wren in England and Wales, from 1999 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 Wren, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 377 births in 2024, compared with 387 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wren by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Wren 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 | #162 | 1,588 | 5 |
| 2010s | #694 | 1,166 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3044 | 67 | 8 |
| 1990s | #3900 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Wren is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Wren. 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.
Wren ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #117 in 2024.
Across the UK
Wren in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#117 in 2024
12 years of NRS records, 191 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#212 in 2024
6 years of NISRA records, 39 total registered
Related
Names similar to Wren
- Willow 24,627
- 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
- Willow-Grace 315
FAQ
Wren: questions and answers
How popular is the name Wren in the UK right now?
In 2024, Wren was ranked #128 for girls in England and Wales, with 377 births registered.
When was Wren most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 387 babies registered as Wren in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Wren?
A diminutive form of a word meaning "small bird".
How many people are called Wren in the UK?
A total of 2,824 babies have been registered as Wren across the 24 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 191 more in Scotland and 39 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Wren most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Wren ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #117 in 2024. 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.