Noel
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- NOH-el
- Origin
- Latin
- UK rank, 2025
- #609 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #478 for boys
Noel is a boys' name of Latin origin, meaning “Christmas”. In 2025 it ranked 609th for boys in the UK (69 babies) and 478th for boys in the US (635 babies).
What does Noel mean?
Latin: French Noel, Christmas, from Latin natalis, birthday
“Christmas”
Traditionally given to children born at Christmas; the playwright and songwriter Noel Coward is a famous bearer.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Noel a girl's or a boy's name?
Noel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 69 boys in the UK and 157 girls and 635 boys in the US.
How popular is Noel in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 609th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 69 about 1 in 4,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 24% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 69 boys in the UK were named Noel, making it the 609th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 528th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 137 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Noel than any year since 2008.
Half of all the boys named Noel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2008 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 593rd in England and Wales and 647th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1934 (#96).
Noel in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 69 | #609 |
| 2024 | 71 | #597 |
| 2023 | 95 | #458 |
| 2022 | 81 | #533 |
| 2021 | 79 | #548 |
| 2020 | 80 | #528 |
| 2019 | 96 | #469 |
| 2018 | 132 | #376 |
| 2017 | 137 | #380 |
| 2016 | 115 | #420 |
| 2015 | 135 | #378 |
| 2014 | 125 | #377 |
| 2013 | 106 | #437 |
| 2012 | 101 | #437 |
| 2011 | 75 | #532 |
| 2010 | 76 | #512 |
| 2009 | 74 | #521 |
| 2008 | 62 | #592 |
| 2007 | 54 | #619 |
| 2006 | 77 | #463 |
| 2005 | 61 | #511 |
| 2004 | 50 | #565 |
| 2003 | 33 | #720 |
| 2002 | 33 | #658 |
| 2001 | 36 | #591 |
| 2000 | 24 | #785 |
| 1999 | 31 | #633 |
| 1998 | 30 | #657 |
| 1997 | 43 | #498 |
| 1996 | 34 | #548 |
How popular is Noel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 478th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 635 about 1 in 2,700 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 11% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 635 boys in the US were named Noel, making it the 478th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 416th. Its busiest year was 2014, with 901 boys. 157 girls were also named Noel in 2025 (1,388th for girls).
2025 had fewer boys named Noel than any year since 2011.
Half of all the boys named Noel in the US since 1880 were born between 1956 and 2008, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 20% of the babies named Noel in the US were girls.
Noel in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 635 | #478 |
| 2024 | 731 | #434 |
| 2023 | 686 | #451 |
| 2022 | 743 | #425 |
| 2021 | 787 | #397 |
| 2020 | 714 | #416 |
| 2019 | 791 | #395 |
| 2018 | 789 | #405 |
| 2017 | 832 | #386 |
| 2016 | 846 | #381 |
| 2015 | 862 | #375 |
| 2014 | 901 | #356 |
| 2013 | 778 | #383 |
| 2012 | 682 | #417 |
| 2011 | 587 | #456 |
| 2010 | 545 | #477 |
| 2009 | 555 | #490 |
| 2008 | 592 | #467 |
| 2007 | 636 | #439 |
| 2006 | 607 | #446 |
| 2005 | 591 | #442 |
| 2004 | 572 | #454 |
| 2003 | 514 | #483 |
| 2002 | 548 | #449 |
| 2001 | 583 | #422 |
| 2000 | 616 | #406 |
| 1999 | 562 | #419 |
| 1998 | 495 | #453 |
| 1997 | 544 | #423 |
| 1996 | 517 | #435 |
| 1995 | 521 | #437 |
| 1994 | 503 | #447 |
| 1993 | 495 | #443 |
| 1992 | 510 | #434 |
| 1991 | 536 | #422 |
| 1990 | 588 | #393 |
| 1989 | 561 | #390 |
| 1988 | 488 | #406 |
| 1987 | 463 | #403 |
| 1986 | 473 | #388 |
| 1985 | 445 | #407 |
| 1984 | 478 | #368 |
| 1983 | 462 | #376 |
| 1982 | 469 | #370 |
| 1981 | 476 | #367 |
| 1980 | 458 | #376 |
| 1979 | 494 | #357 |
| 1978 | 413 | #384 |
| 1977 | 445 | #368 |
| 1976 | 438 | #365 |
| 1975 | 501 | #340 |
| 1974 | 506 | #343 |
| 1973 | 484 | #348 |
| 1972 | 537 | #332 |
| 1971 | 643 | #304 |
| 1970 | 674 | #299 |
| 1969 | 601 | #311 |
| 1968 | 639 | #298 |
| 1967 | 571 | #309 |
| 1966 | 469 | #346 |
| 1965 | 387 | #399 |
| 1964 | 372 | #418 |
| 1963 | 384 | #411 |
| 1962 | 419 | #395 |
| 1961 | 432 | #380 |
| 1960 | 390 | #401 |
| 1959 | 448 | #373 |
| 1958 | 446 | #366 |
| 1957 | 377 | #399 |
| 1956 | 390 | #379 |
| 1955 | 338 | #393 |
| 1954 | 351 | #379 |
| 1953 | 336 | #376 |
| 1952 | 338 | #369 |
| 1951 | 317 | #381 |
| 1950 | 305 | #382 |
| 1949 | 342 | #365 |
| 1948 | 331 | #371 |
| 1947 | 382 | #348 |
| 1946 | 334 | #355 |
| 1945 | 318 | #335 |
| 1944 | 360 | #317 |
| 1943 | 397 | #311 |
| 1942 | 368 | #319 |
| 1941 | 335 | #320 |
| 1940 | 374 | #290 |
| 1939 | 396 | #276 |
| 1938 | 425 | #266 |
| 1937 | 375 | #280 |
| 1936 | 325 | #297 |
| 1935 | 339 | #297 |
| 1934 | 329 | #299 |
| 1933 | 318 | #297 |
| 1932 | 300 | #317 |
| 1931 | 277 | #330 |
| 1930 | 214 | #392 |
| 1929 | 241 | #369 |
| 1928 | 265 | #350 |
| 1927 | 229 | #395 |
| 1926 | 205 | #422 |
| 1925 | 198 | #426 |
| 1924 | 196 | #436 |
| 1923 | 187 | #446 |
| 1922 | 207 | #415 |
| 1921 | 181 | #457 |
| 1920 | 206 | #413 |
| 1919 | 165 | #459 |
| 1918 | 186 | #430 |
| 1917 | 192 | #408 |
| 1916 | 181 | #414 |
| 1915 | 223 | #360 |
| 1914 | 136 | #408 |
| 1913 | 128 | #370 |
| 1912 | 80 | #434 |
| 1911 | 43 | #446 |
| 1910 | 44 | #396 |
| 1909 | 45 | #348 |
| 1908 | 47 | #326 |
| 1907 | 32 | #396 |
| 1906 | 33 | #363 |
| 1905 | 39 | #319 |
| 1904 | 22 | #452 |
| 1903 | 28 | #360 |
| 1902 | 22 | #440 |
| 1901 | 16 | #487 |
| 1900 | 18 | #578 |
| 1899 | 21 | #402 |
| 1898 | 23 | #409 |
| 1897 | 13 | #584 |
| 1896 | 12 | #641 |
| 1895 | 17 | #491 |
| 1894 | 23 | #387 |
| 1893 | 11 | #615 |
| 1892 | 16 | #497 |
| 1891 | 9 | #635 |
| 1890 | 10 | #629 |
| 1889 | 13 | #525 |
| 1888 | 13 | #554 |
| 1887 | 5 | #921 |
| 1886 | 6 | #845 |
| 1885 | 8 | #700 |
| 1884 | 12 | #547 |
| 1883 | 5 | #891 |
| 1882 | 10 | #611 |
| 1881 | 13 | #487 |
| 1880 | 10 | #600 |
Names like Noel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Vincent, Austin, Roman, Noah, Nathaniel, Sonny, Leo, Abel, Frankie, Felix, Eric, Abdul
Names related to Noel
More Latin names
Oliver, Olivia, Aurora, Emily, Florence, Mabel, Luna, Nora, Rosie, Emilia, Max, Nova, Lucy, Julian, Clara, Anthony
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, “Noel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/noel, updated 20 October 2026.