London Unisex

Popularity: #396 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: LUN-dən //ˈlʌndən//

Origin: English; Old English

Meaning: From the great river; a place name

Historical & Cultural Background

The name London has its roots in the ancient Celtic language, derived from the word "Londinios," which is believed to refer to a settlement in the region. This term is thought to have meant "the place of the bold one" or "the place of the river," reflecting the geographical significance of the River Thames.

The name evolved through various forms as the Romans established Londinium around the 1st century AD, integrating it into Latin as "Londinium." Following the Roman withdrawal in the 5th century, the name continued to be used in various forms through Old English and Middle English, eventually solidifying as "London" in modern English. Historically, London has been a significant city since its founding, serving as a center of trade, culture, and governance.

It became the capital of England and has been referenced in numerous historical texts. The name London appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of annals in Old English, which documents the history of the English people from the 5th century onward.

The city has also been immortalized in literature, such as Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" in the 14th century, which reflects its importance during the medieval period. Culturally, London has been associated with various symbolic meanings, including resilience and innovation, particularly following events like the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz during World War II.

The name has also been adopted in various contexts, such as in literature and music, symbolizing a cosmopolitan spirit. While diminutive forms are less common, the name "Londy" has occasionally been used informally.

Overall, the name London carries a rich historical and cultural significance, reflecting its enduring legacy as a major urban center.

Famous people named London

In this section, you will find notable people named London. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named London who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named London who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

London Grammar is a British band best known for their albums If You Wait, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, and Californian Soil.

London Hughes is a comedian and actress best known for her work on The Stand Up Sketch Show, The Last Leg, and her Netflix special To Catch a Dick.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with London, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

SavannahChloeMadisonHarperBrooklynAvery

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with London. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

LandonLilaLunaLydiaLeilaLoren

U.S. Historical Usage

The name London was first seen in the United States in 1886.

London has ranked as high as #176 nationally, which occurred in 2013, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, and New York.

In the past 5 years the name London has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name London is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when London was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for London.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 863 144 719
2024 1,044 168 876
2023 1,195 206 989
2022 1,296 222 1,074
2021 1,572 212 1,360
2020 1,760 263 1,497
2019 2,004 273 1,731
2018 1,924 276 1,648
2017 2,248 275 1,973
2016 2,708 351 2,357
2015 3,370 448 2,922
2014 3,726 436 3,290
2013 3,879 417 3,462
2012 3,687 485 3,202
2011 3,619 451 3,168
2010 3,383 511 2,872
2009 3,152 520 2,632
2008 2,638 478 2,160
2007 1,560 364 1,196
2006 1,310 366 944
2005 842 304 538
2004 613 202 411
2003 505 191 314
2002 465 187 278
2001 455 185 270
2000 445 174 271
1999 352 122 230
1998 304 110 194
1997 311 123 188
1996 301 118 183
1995 249 96 153
1994 295 106 189
1993 240 108 132
1992 237 96 141
1991 241 114 127
1990 209 96 113
1989 181 95 86
1988 143 72 71
1987 113 47 66
1986 89 37 52
1985 60 28 32
1984 58 33 25
1983 54 27 27
1982 34 19 15
1981 40 17 23
1980 35 20 15
1979 27 14 13
1978 30 13 17
1977 45 22 23
1976 35 14 21
1975 28 19 9
1974 28 14 14
1973 36 20 16
1972 41 26 15
1971 50 37 13
1970 43 23 20
1969 53 32 21
1968 47 29 18
1967 34 22 12
1966 39 28 11
1965 20 15 5
1964 20 15 5
1963 15 9 6
1962 13 13 0
1961 10 10 0
1960 7 7 0
1959 8 8 0
1958 7 7 0
1957 6 6 0
1956 6 6 0
1955 7 7 0
1954 6 6 0
1953 11 11 0
1952 11 11 0
1950 8 8 0
1949 10 10 0
1948 7 7 0
1947 8 8 0
1946 7 7 0
1945 8 8 0
1944 7 7 0
1943 7 7 0
1941 11 11 0
1939 7 7 0
1938 5 5 0
1935 6 6 0
1934 5 5 0
1933 8 8 0
1930 9 9 0
1929 8 8 0
1928 7 7 0
1927 12 12 0
1926 7 7 0
1925 12 12 0
1924 6 6 0
1923 11 11 0
1922 7 7 0
1921 6 6 0
1920 8 8 0
1919 16 16 0
1918 13 13 0
1917 15 15 0
1916 6 6 0
1915 10 10 0
1913 5 5 0
1912 5 5 0
1909 5 5 0
1900 5 5 0
1888 5 5 0
1886 5 5 0

Top States for London (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 115
12%
CA 97
10%
FL 78
8%
NC 51
5%
GA 48
5%
NY 39
4%
OH 37
4%
IL 34
4%
MI 31
3%
PA 29
3%
TN 29
3%
SC 27
3%
VA 27
3%
NJ 24
2%
LA 22
2%
UT 22
2%
AZ 21
2%
MA 20
2%
AL 20
2%
MO 19
2%
MD 17
2%
IN 16
2%
WA 16
2%
OK 15
2%
KY 15
2%
CO 12
1%
MN 11
1%
CT 10
1%
NV 9
1%
IA 9
1%
WI 8
1%
ID 6
1%
MS 6
1%
AR 6
1%
KS 6
1%
SD 6
1%
DC 5
1%