Brandwave

How popular isFirst Direct in search?

In September 2026, people searched for First Direct by name about 150,000 times in the United Kingdom, a 16.7% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 1.5% of all United Kingdom bank searches, placing First Direct ninth out of 12 banks.

Share of searches, September 2026
  1. Lloyds Bank35.9%
  2. Santander20.9%
  3. Barclays12.8%
  4. NatWest10.1%
  5. HSBC7.3%
  6. Nationwide4.5%
  7. Halifax2.6%
  8. Monzo2.5%
  9. First Direct1.5%
  10. TSB0.91%
  11. +2 more
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Which banks compete with First Direct?

First Direct against banks in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for Lloyds Bank, Santander, Barclays, NatWest, HSBC, Nationwide, Halifax, Monzo, First Direct. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthLloyds BankSantanderBarclaysNatWestHSBCNationwideHalifaxMonzoFirst DirectTSBStarling BankChase UK
Oct 202533.1%18.4%12.8%13.3%9.5%4%3.9%1.8%1.6%0.97%0.65%0.18%
Nov 202533.6%19.6%13.7%11.5%8.5%4.2%3.6%1.9%1.7%0.85%0.7%0.15%
Dec 202530.5%21.2%12.7%12.2%8.8%5.5%3.8%1.6%1.8%1.1%0.6%0.15%
Jan 202631.4%23%12.8%10.8%7.8%4.8%3.4%2.2%1.9%0.97%0.8%0.22%
Feb 202631.1%22.7%12.7%10.7%7.7%5.9%3.3%2.1%1.9%0.96%0.79%0.22%
Mar 202631%21.1%13.9%11.7%8.5%4.3%3.9%1.9%1.7%1.1%0.71%0.19%
Apr 202630.6%21.5%12%11.5%8.2%6.4%3.9%1.9%1.7%1.3%0.85%0.18%
May 202630.7%22%11.9%10%7.2%8.2%3.8%2%1.8%1.4%0.74%0.19%
Jun 202631.3%21.8%13%12.5%7.4%4.6%3.6%2.1%1.8%0.93%0.76%0.16%
Jul 202632%22.3%13.3%10.4%7.5%4.7%4%2.1%1.9%0.95%0.77%0.2%
Aug 202632.4%21.9%13.5%10.6%7.5%4.8%3.1%2.6%1.6%1.2%0.78%0.16%
Sep 202635.9%20.9%12.8%10.1%7.3%4.5%2.6%2.5%1.5%0.91%0.75%0.14%

  1. 1.Lloyds Bank

    35.9%

    Held 1st. 3.6M estimated branded searches, +16.3% vs prior month. Share +3.6 points.

  2. 2.Santander

    20.9%

    Held 2nd. 2.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1 points.

  3. 3.Barclays

    12.8%

    Held 3rd. 1.3M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.

  4. 4.NatWest

    10.1%

    Held 4th. 1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

  5. 5.HSBC

    7.3%

    Held 5th. 723K estimated branded searches, +1.3% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.

  6. 6.Nationwide

    4.5%

    Held 6th. 450K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  7. 7.Halifax

    2.6%

    Held 7th. 256K estimated branded searches, -12.3% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

  8. 8.Monzo

    2.5%

    Held 8th. 246K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  9. 9.First Direct

    1.5%

    Held 9th. 150K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  10. 10.TSB

    0.91%

    Held 10th. 90.5K estimated branded searches, -17.7% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  11. 11.Starling Bank

    0.75%

    Held 11th. 74K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  12. 12.Chase UK

    0.14%

    Held 12th. 13.5K estimated branded searches, -11.8% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare search popularity between First Direct and its closest rivals

Every comparison with First Direct

11 comparisons

How has branded search demand for First Direct changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for First Direct in the United Kingdom fell from 180K to 150K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, First Direct’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom held steady, from 1.6% to 1.5%.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom banks in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Lloyds Bank gained share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom, from 32.4% to 35.9%.

  2. In September 2026, Santander lost share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom, from 21.9% to 20.9%.

  3. In September 2026, Barclays lost share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom, from 13.5% to 12.8%.

  4. In September 2026, Halifax lost share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom, from 3.1% to 2.6%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Monzo in the United Kingdom rose 22.4% over 12 measured months, from 201K to 246K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for NatWest in the United Kingdom fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 1.5M to 1M in September 2026.

How are First Direct’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using First Direct’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • first direct
  • first direct bank

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns First Direct?

First Direct is owned by HSBC. Brandwave also tracks HSBC, owned by the same company, in the United Kingdom.

Do you work for First Direct? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

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