English
From Old English, meaning "of or pertaining to the Angles".
Name Census estimates that about 300 living Americans carry the first name English. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.8% of registrations being female. The average person named English today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of English births was 1983 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for English. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • English started out as a boys' name but over the decades crossed over and is now given to girls far more often.
People living today
300
~ 1 in 1,142,514 Americans
Peak year
1983
22 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1992 SSA rank
#8,839
Tracked since 1889
Gender
Gender distribution for English
English is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 451 total registrations, 186 (41.2%) were male and 265 (58.8%) were female.
English as a male name
- Ranked #8,839 in 1992
- 5 male births in 1992
- Peak: 1917 (9 births)
English as a female name
- Ranked #17,354 in 2014
- 5 female births in 2014
- Peak: 1983 (22 births)
Popularity
English: popularity over time
The SSA tracks English from the 1880s through to the 2010s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 116 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
English by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name English during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Englishs live
Origin
Meaning and history of English
The given name English is a relatively modern name that originated in the late 19th or early 20th century. Its origins can be traced back to the English language itself, as it is derived from the word "English" which refers to the language spoken in England and by English people.
The name English was likely first used as a way to celebrate or commemorate one's heritage or connection to English culture and history. It may have been given to children of English immigrants or those with strong ties to England, serving as a way to honor their roots and identity.
While the name itself does not have a long historical lineage, it reflects the growing prominence and influence of the English language and culture during the colonial era and the subsequent spread of the British Empire. As English became a global language, it is possible that some families adopted the name as a way to embrace their mastery of the language or their affiliation with English-speaking communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name English being used as a first name dates back to the late 19th century. For example, English Buchanan (1865-1926) was an American politician who served as a Representative from Illinois.
Another notable figure with the first name English is English Woodworth (1897-1962), an American artist and illustrator known for his work in the Golden Age of American illustration.
English Wendell (1925-2008) was a British architect and academic who made significant contributions to the field of sustainable architecture and urban design.
English Maguire (1904-1985) was an Irish-American mobster and racketeer who was active in the New York City organized crime scene during the mid-20th century.
English Pearcy (1942-2021) was a British singer-songwriter and musician best known as the founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Greta Van Fleet.
While the name English may not have a long historical tradition, its emergence reflects the cultural exchange and influence of the English language and English-speaking societies throughout the modern era. It serves as a unique and distinctive name that celebrates one's connection to English heritage and the global reach of the English language.
People
English + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with English as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
English: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named English?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 300 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for English going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,142,514 US residents.
Is English a common name?
We classify English as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 451 babies have been registered with this name.
When was English most popular?
The single biggest year for English was 1983, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living English is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is English a female name?
Yes, 58.8% of people registered as English in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.