Fern is a distinctive choice, ranked #301 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Fern in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#301
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About the Name Fern
Fern is steadily gaining in popularity, up 49 places over the past five years. Its best recorded rank was #233 in 1996, and it currently sits at #311. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Fern is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Fern in their class.
⭐ Famous People Named Fern
Fern Sutherland — Fern Sutherland is a New Zealand actress, best known for her roles as Dawn in The Almighty Johnsons, and Detective Sims in The Brokenwood Mysteries.
Fern Holland — Fern Leona Holland was an American lawyer who was killed in the Iraq conflict that began in 2003.
Fern Brady — Fern Marie Brady is a Scottish comedian, podcaster and writer.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Fern
Unlikely. With around 149 UK babies named Fern per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Fern in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Fern has been fairly steady, ranked #301 in 2025 against #360 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #233 in 1996.
Fern is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Fern include: Fern Sutherland, Fern Brady and Fern Mallis. Short summaries for each appear below.
Fern does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Ferns in the wild.
149
UK babies named Fern (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↑ 59 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Fern
Almost certainly the only Fern in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Fern
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Fern Mallis is an American fashion director, who was the executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) from 1991 to 2001, and created 7th on Sixth productions or New York Fashion Week as it is known today.