Fern is a distinctive choice, ranked #311 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Fern in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#311
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 distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Fern
Unlikely. With around 139 UK babies named Fern per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Fern in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Fern is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 49 places over the last five years to #311 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
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 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 Brady — Fern Marie Brady is a Scottish comedian, podcaster and writer.; Fern Mallis — 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....
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.
139
UK babies named Fern (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↑ 49 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
Likely around 1 other Fern in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
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 Leona Holland was an American lawyer who was killed in the Iraq conflict that began in 2003. Holland died on March 9, 2004, while working for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq.
Fern Marie Brady is a Scottish comedian, podcaster and writer. She achieved fame as a stand-up comedian at competitions such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
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. She was also senior vice president of IMG Fashion from 2001 to 2010.
Fern Yvette Hunt is an African American mathematician known for her work in applied mathematics and mathematical biology. She currently works as a researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where she conducts research on the ergodic theory of dynamical systems.