Ignatius is a distinctive choice, ranked #2089 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Ignatius in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#2089
About the Name Ignatius
Ignatius has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 264 places in five years. It was most popular in 2020 at #1825 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a regular feature in UK records since 1997.
Ignatius 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 Ignatius
Unlikely. With around 11 UK babies named Ignatius per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ignatius in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Ignatius has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 264 places in the last five years. Its peak was #1825 in 2020. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Ignatius 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 Ignatius include: Ignatius Aphrem II — Mor Ignatius Aphrem II is a Syrian–American Christian prelate who has served as the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church since 29 May 2014.; Ignatius Makumbe — Ignatius Makumbe is an Anglican bishop in Zimbabwe: he succeeded Bishop Ishmael Mukuwanda as Bishop of Central Zimbabwe in 2018..
Ignatius does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Ignatiuss in the wild.
11
UK babies named Ignatius (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 264 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ignatius
Likely around 1 other Ignatius in the class
UK Popularity (1997–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Ignatius
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Mor Ignatius Aphrem II is a Syrian–American Christian prelate who has served as the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church since 29 May 2014. Born and raised in Qamishili, Syria, Karim became a monk in 1985 and was later ordained as a deacon and then as a priest.
Ignatius Huang Shou-cheng was a Chinese Catholic bishop. Ordained to the priesthood in 1949, Huang Shou-cheng was clandestinely ordained a bishop in 1985 and then served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Funing, China.
Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas (Syriac: ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܙܟܝ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܥܝܘܐܨ; Arabic: إغناطيوس زكا الأول عيواص; Ignatios Zakkà ‘Īwāṣ, born Sanharib Iwas, 21 April 1931 – 21 March 2014) was the 122nd reigning Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and, as such, Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. Also known by his traditional episcopal name, Severios, he was enthroned as patriarch on 14 September 1980 in St.
Ignatius Kutu Acheampong was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who was the military head of state of Ghana from 13 January 1972 to 5 July 1978, when he was deposed in a palace coup. He was executed by firing squad on 16 June 1979.
Ignatius Basile Moses I Daoud (or Moussa Daoud) (Syriac: ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܡܘܫܐ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܕܐܘܕ) was Patriarch of Antioch for the Syrian Catholic Church, a cardinal-bishop (because he was an Eastern patriarch elevated to the cardinalate), and Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Catholic Church.
Ignatius Makumbe is an Anglican bishop in Zimbabwe: he succeeded Bishop Ishmael Mukuwanda as Bishop of Central Zimbabwe in 2018. Makumbe was a teacher before his ordination in 2000.
Mor Ignatius Jacob (Yaʿqub) III was the 121st Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church 1957–1980. He was skilled in and knowledgeable in Syriac sacral music or Beth Gazo.
Ignatius of Antioch (; Ancient Greek: Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, romanized: Ignátios Antiokheías; died c. 108/140), also known as Ignatius Theophorus (Ἰγνάτιος ὁ Θεοφόρος, Ignátios ho Theophóros, 'the God-bearing'), was an early Christian writer and the Patriarch of Antioch.
Ignatius Christianus Fridericus Fortuna was a court servant prominent in the court of Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach, an abbess at Essen Abbey in Essen, Germany. Fortuna's military elite family migrated to South America when he was a child, and he was given to the abbess by Essen businessman Franz Adam Schiffer in 1735.