Banks in the United Kingdom:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Lloyds Bank was the most searched bank in the United Kingdom, accounting for 35.9% of all searches among the 12 banks we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Barclays, HSBC and First Direct were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Barclays was recommended most often, coming first in two out of four responses that gave a list.
Lloyds BankShare of searches 35.9%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 8th
SantanderShare of searches 20.9%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 9th
BarclaysShare of searches 12.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
NatWestShare of searches 10.1%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 10th
HSBCShare of searches 7.3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
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Top banks in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Barclays, HSBC and First Direct were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Barclays was recommended most often, coming first in two out of four answers that gave a list. First Direct was second, and Starling Bank was third. Halifax, which ranked seventh in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Barclays1st
First Direct2nd
Starling Bank3rd
Monzo4th- HSBC5th
Chase UK6th
Nationwide7th- Lloyds Bank8th
- Santander9th
- NatWest10th
Halifax–
TSB–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Barclays4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- HSBC4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- First Direct4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Monzo3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Starling Bank3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Nationwide2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Chase UK2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lloyds Bank1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Santander1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- NatWest1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Halifax0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- TSB0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about banks
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bank should I open a current account with in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best banks in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best UK bank account for switching incentives?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bank account”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best bank account”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Which banks do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each bank by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 banks we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Lloyds Bank, Santander, Barclays, NatWest, HSBC, Nationwide, Halifax, Monzo. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Lloyds Bank | Santander | Barclays | NatWest | HSBC | Nationwide | Halifax | Monzo | First Direct | TSB | Starling Bank | Chase UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 33.1% | 18.4% | 12.8% | 13.3% | 9.5% | 4% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 0.97% | 0.65% | 0.18% |
| Nov 2025 | 33.6% | 19.6% | 13.7% | 11.5% | 8.5% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 0.85% | 0.7% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.5% | 21.2% | 12.7% | 12.2% | 8.8% | 5.5% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.15% |
| Jan 2026 | 31.4% | 23% | 12.8% | 10.8% | 7.8% | 4.8% | 3.4% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 0.97% | 0.8% | 0.22% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.1% | 22.7% | 12.7% | 10.7% | 7.7% | 5.9% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 0.96% | 0.79% | 0.22% |
| Mar 2026 | 31% | 21.1% | 13.9% | 11.7% | 8.5% | 4.3% | 3.9% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.71% | 0.19% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.6% | 21.5% | 12% | 11.5% | 8.2% | 6.4% | 3.9% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 0.85% | 0.18% |
| May 2026 | 30.7% | 22% | 11.9% | 10% | 7.2% | 8.2% | 3.8% | 2% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.74% | 0.19% |
| Jun 2026 | 31.3% | 21.8% | 13% | 12.5% | 7.4% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 0.93% | 0.76% | 0.16% |
| Jul 2026 | 32% | 22.3% | 13.3% | 10.4% | 7.5% | 4.7% | 4% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 0.95% | 0.77% | 0.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 32.4% | 21.9% | 13.5% | 10.6% | 7.5% | 4.8% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.16% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.9% | 20.9% | 12.8% | 10.1% | 7.3% | 4.5% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 0.91% | 0.75% | 0.14% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 35.9% | 3.6M | +16.3% | +3.6 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 20.9% | 2.1M | 0% | -1 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 12.8% | 1.3M | 0% | -0.6 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 10.1% | 1M | 0% | -0.5 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 7.3% | 723K | +1.3% | -0.3 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 4.5% | 450K | 0% | -0.2 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 2.6% | 256K | -12.3% | -0.5 points | |
| 8, held 8th | 2.5% | 246K | 0% | -0.1 points | |
| 9, held 9th | 1.5% | 150K | 0% | -0.1 points | |
| 10, held 10th | 0.91% | 90.5K | -17.7% | -0.2 points | |
| 11, held 11th | 0.75% | 74K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 12, held 12th | 0.14% | 13.5K | -11.8% | 0 points |
35.9%
Held 1st. 3.6M estimated branded searches, +16.3% vs prior month. Share +3.6 points.
20.9%
Held 2nd. 2.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1 points.
3.
Barclays12.8%
Held 3rd. 1.3M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.
4.
NatWest10.1%
Held 4th. 1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.
5.
HSBC7.3%
Held 5th. 723K estimated branded searches, +1.3% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
4.5%
Held 6th. 450K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
7.
Halifax2.6%
Held 7th. 256K estimated branded searches, -12.3% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.
8.
Monzo2.5%
Held 8th. 246K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
1.5%
Held 9th. 150K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
10.
TSB0.91%
Held 10th. 90.5K estimated branded searches, -17.7% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
0.75%
Held 11th. 74K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
12.
Chase UK0.14%
Held 12th. 13.5K estimated branded searches, -11.8% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among banks in the United Kingdom?
12 brands
In September 2026, Lloyds Bank was the most searched among banks in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 3.6M branded searches, 35.9% of all searches for the 12 we track. Santander is in 2nd place, 15 percentage points behind at 20.9%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lloyds Bank | 33.1% → 35.9% | 35.9%Sep 2026 | 30.5%Dec 2025 | 1st |
| Santander | 18.4% → 20.9% | 23%Jan 2026 | 18.4%Oct 2025 | 2nd |
| Barclays | 12.8% | 13.9%Mar 2026 | 11.9%May 2026 | 4th → 3rd |
| NatWest | 13.3% → 10.1% | 13.3%Oct 2025 | 10%May 2026 | 3rd → 4th |
| HSBC | 9.5% → 7.3% | 9.5%Oct 2025 | 7.2%May 2026 | 5th |
| Nationwide | 4% → 4.5% | 8.2%May 2026 | 4%Oct 2025 | 6th |
| Halifax | 3.9% → 2.6% | 4%Jul 2026 | 2.6%Sep 2026 | 7th |
| Monzo | 1.8% → 2.5% | 2.6%Aug 2026 | 1.6%Dec 2025 | 8th |
| First Direct | 1.6% → 1.5% | 1.9%Jan 2026 | 1.5%Sep 2026 | 9th |
| TSB | 0.97% → 0.91% | 1.4%May 2026 | 0.85%Nov 2025 | 10th |
| Starling Bank | 0.65% → 0.75% | 0.85%Apr 2026 | 0.6%Dec 2025 | 11th |
| Chase UK | 0.18% → 0.14% | 0.22%Jan 2026 | 0.14%Sep 2026 | 12th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lloyds Bank’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom increased from 33.1% to 35.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Santander’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom increased from 18.4% to 20.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NatWest’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom decreased from 13.3% to 10.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HSBC’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom decreased from 9.5% to 7.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nationwide’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom increased from 4% to 4.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Halifax’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom decreased from 3.9% to 2.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Monzo’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom increased from 1.8% to 2.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lloyds Bank’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom peaked at 35.9% in September 2026 and was lowest at 30.5% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Santander’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom peaked at 23% in January 2026 and was lowest at 18.4% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barclays’ share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom peaked at 13.9% in March 2026 and was lowest at 11.9% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NatWest’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom peaked at 13.3% in October 2025 and was lowest at 10% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HSBC’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom peaked at 9.5% in October 2025 and was lowest at 7.2% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nationwide’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom peaked at 8.2% in May 2026 and was lowest at 4% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Halifax’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom peaked at 4% in July 2026 and was lowest at 2.6% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barclays rose from 4th to 3rd among banks in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NatWest fell from 3rd to 4th among banks in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, First Direct, TSB, Starling Bank and Chase UK held steady: their share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom banks in September 2026?
8 changes
In September 2026, Lloyds Bank gained share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom, from 32.4% to 35.9%.
In September 2026, Santander lost share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom, from 21.9% to 20.9%.
In September 2026, Barclays lost share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom, from 13.5% to 12.8%.
In September 2026, Halifax lost share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom, from 3.1% to 2.6%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Monzo in the United Kingdom rose 22.4% over 12 measured months, from 201K to 246K in September 2026.
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.
Estimated monthly branded searches for HSBC in the United Kingdom fell 32.7% over 12 measured months, from 1.1M to 723K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Chase UK in the United Kingdom fell 31.8% over 12 measured months, from 19.8K to 13.5K in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
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