FOI reference: FOI-2023-1607
You asked
From the last census I would like to know the top 10 “First name” and the top “Surname” as a percentage of the total UK.
We said
Thank you for your freedom of information request.
The analysis you have requested, derived from census data, is not one that we have previously undertaken and would therefore involve the creation of new information, which we are not required to do in response to Freedom of Information requests.
Names are collected as part of the Census to help demonstrate compliance with the law and to support the quality assurance of the data collected. Names are also used to combine the Census data with other sources to create richer analytical datasets to help answer specific research questions. Access to the names in the data is tightly controlled.
We are also unable to offer this via our bespoke services. All requests for bespoke datasets are considered based upon the public benefit, for example if they can be shown to be for the public good, such as an evidence base for public policy making or public service delivery, or for decisions which are likely to significantly benefit the UK economy, society, or quality of life of people in the UK.
Unfortunately, in this instance, the public sector resource required to create this output cannot be justified by the public benefit of the information.
However, we do produce information on baby names in England and Wales per year using birth registration information, which may be helpful for you. This information can be viewed in the following bulletin and accompanying datasets: