Magnus
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- MAG-nus
- Origin
- Latin
- UK rank, 2025
- #358 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #763 for boys
- Style
- Big in Scotland
Magnus is a boys' name of Latin origin, meaning “great”. In 2025 it ranked 358th for boys in the UK (132 babies) and 763rd for boys in the US (337 babies).
What does Magnus mean?
Latin: via Scandinavian
“great”
Latin for great, from Charlemagne's title Carolus Magnus; it reached Scandinavia through King Magnus the Good of Norway.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Magnus a girl's or a boy's name?
Magnus is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 132 boys in the UK and 337 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Magnus in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 358th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 132 about 1 in 2,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 2% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 132 boys in the UK were named Magnus, making it the 358th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 320th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 173 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Magnus than any year since 2016.
Half of all the boys named Magnus in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 432nd in England and Wales and 122nd in Scotland.
Magnus in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 132 | #358 |
| 2024 | 159 | #313 |
| 2023 | 166 | #305 |
| 2022 | 165 | #308 |
| 2021 | 173 | #305 |
| 2020 | 158 | #320 |
| 2019 | 141 | #359 |
| 2018 | 150 | #347 |
| 2017 | 154 | #350 |
| 2016 | 130 | #386 |
| 2015 | 137 | #372 |
| 2014 | 109 | #421 |
| 2013 | 91 | #481 |
| 2012 | 85 | #498 |
| 2011 | 70 | #561 |
| 2010 | 79 | #496 |
| 2009 | 65 | #572 |
| 2008 | 93 | #444 |
| 2007 | 70 | #522 |
| 2006 | 46 | #674 |
| 2005 | 46 | #632 |
| 2004 | 38 | #696 |
| 2003 | 39 | #636 |
| 2002 | 26 | #791 |
| 2001 | 31 | #656 |
| 2000 | 27 | #728 |
| 1999 | 31 | #633 |
| 1998 | 29 | #671 |
| 1997 | 20 | #840 |
| 1996 | 15 | #979 |
How popular is Magnus in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 763rd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 337 about 1 in 5,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 15% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 337 boys in the US were named Magnus, making it the 763rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 800th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 354 boys. It first appears in the records in 1890.
Half of all the boys named Magnus in the US since 1880 were born between 2008 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Magnus in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 337 | #763 |
| 2024 | 343 | #747 |
| 2023 | 338 | #763 |
| 2022 | 327 | #773 |
| 2021 | 354 | #729 |
| 2020 | 290 | #800 |
| 2019 | 299 | #779 |
| 2018 | 295 | #780 |
| 2017 | 335 | #719 |
| 2016 | 296 | #796 |
| 2015 | 263 | #853 |
| 2014 | 215 | #973 |
| 2013 | 209 | #955 |
| 2012 | 162 | #1,130 |
| 2011 | 154 | #1,159 |
| 2010 | 161 | #1,149 |
| 2009 | 125 | #1,367 |
| 2008 | 161 | #1,133 |
| 2007 | 143 | #1,229 |
| 2006 | 126 | #1,306 |
| 2005 | 114 | #1,322 |
| 2004 | 70 | #1,782 |
| 2003 | 87 | #1,489 |
| 2002 | 76 | #1,593 |
| 2001 | 79 | #1,523 |
| 2000 | 47 | #2,132 |
| 1999 | 48 | #1,992 |
| 1998 | 47 | #2,009 |
| 1997 | 28 | #2,746 |
| 1996 | 25 | #2,906 |
| 1995 | 14 | #4,274 |
| 1994 | 13 | #4,531 |
| 1993 | 8 | #6,221 |
| 1992 | 9 | #5,652 |
| 1991 | 7 | #6,511 |
| 1990 | 13 | #4,161 |
| 1989 | 8 | #5,608 |
| 1988 | 9 | #4,781 |
| 1987 | 6 | #6,083 |
| 1986 | 10 | #4,126 |
| 1985 | 7 | #5,142 |
| 1984 | 11 | #3,698 |
| 1983 | 6 | #5,481 |
| 1982 | 8 | #4,591 |
| 1981 | 9 | #4,151 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,401 |
| 1978 | 12 | #3,214 |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 5 | #4,905 |
| 1970 | 5 | #4,722 |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 5 | #4,038 |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 6 | #3,638 |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 7 | #3,335 |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 5 | #3,942 |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 5 | #3,940 |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 7 | #3,174 |
| 1953 | 6 | #3,423 |
| 1952 | 8 | #2,872 |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 8 | #2,769 |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 5 | #3,337 |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 6 | #3,229 |
| 1942 | 7 | #2,939 |
| 1941 | 5 | #3,504 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 8 | #2,609 |
| 1938 | 8 | #2,646 |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 8 | #2,628 |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 6 | #3,275 |
| 1933 | 7 | #3,003 |
| 1932 | 12 | #2,191 |
| 1931 | 7 | #3,094 |
| 1930 | 10 | #2,607 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 10 | #2,659 |
| 1927 | 13 | #2,298 |
| 1926 | 12 | #2,435 |
| 1925 | 12 | #2,434 |
| 1924 | 15 | #2,132 |
| 1923 | 20 | #1,752 |
| 1922 | 15 | #2,142 |
| 1921 | 14 | #2,264 |
| 1920 | 21 | #1,694 |
| 1919 | 11 | #2,510 |
| 1918 | 17 | #1,904 |
| 1917 | 21 | #1,586 |
| 1916 | 16 | #1,848 |
| 1915 | 17 | #1,706 |
| 1914 | 19 | #1,388 |
| 1913 | 15 | #1,364 |
| 1912 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 6 | #1,536 |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 7 | #1,155 |
| 1908 | 5 | #1,372 |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 6 | #1,090 |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 6 | #1,012 |
| 1901 | 5 | #1,057 |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 6 | #953 |
| 1893 | 5 | #1,034 |
| 1892 | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 5 | #962 |
| 1890 | 5 | #994 |
Nicknames for Magnus
- Mags
Names like Magnus
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Maximus, Luca, Milo, Marley, Ezra, Mason, Cooper, Hudson, Roman, Remy, Arlo, Enzo
More Latin names
Oliver, Olivia, Leo, Aurora, Emily, Florence, Mabel, Luna, Nora, Rosie, Emilia, Max, Nova, Lucy, Julian, Clara
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Magnus: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/magnus, updated 20 October 2026.