HSBC vs Santander:Which is searched more in the United Kingdom?
In September 2026, Santander had more branded searches than HSBC among banks in the United Kingdom. Santander had about 2.1 million branded searches, while HSBC had 723,000. Santander made up 20.9% of all bank searches we track, and HSBC accounted for 7.3%.
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Is HSBC or Santander more popular in search?
Compare the high street banks and building societies people in the UK bank with. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for Santander, HSBC. 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% |
How has the HSBC and Santander comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Santander was ahead of HSBC in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HSBC’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom moved from 9.5% to 7.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.1M to 723K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Santander’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom moved from 18.4% to 20.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.1M.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom banks in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HSBC’s and Santander’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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