Methodology

Name Census UK combines published first-name records, surname records, meanings, and notable bearer data into one profile for each name. The aim is to make the useful parts easy to read without pretending the data says more than it does.

First names

First-name pages use baby-name registrations from England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland where those records are available. England and Wales records include historical decade snapshots and annual rankings for more recent years. Scotland and Northern Ireland are added as separate regional series.

Counts are births registered with a given first name. They are not a live estimate of every person in the UK with that name today. Charts show years where the name appears in published records, so rare names are not stretched across long empty periods.

Surnames

Surname pages use 1881 census surname records alongside origin notes, distribution maps, census details, meanings and notable bearers. Read the figures as historical evidence, not proof that every family line began in one place.

Ranks and regions

A lower rank means a name was more common in that year or place. Regional first-name tables use the latest published local record for each area, so different regions may show different years.

Known limits

Published name files suppress or omit some low-count names, and older records are less complete than modern records. Treat the figures as a strong public-data guide, not a full count of everyone who has ever used a name.