First Direct vs Lloyds Bank:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Lloyds Bank had more branded searches than First Direct among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom. Lloyds Bank had about 7,300 branded searches, while First Direct had 5,200. Lloyds Bank made up 2.1% of all personal loan lender searches we track, and First Direct accounted for 1.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about personal loan lenders, First Direct appeared in three of the five answers and Lloyds Bank in one. First Direct was mentioned before Lloyds Bank in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Lloyds Bank, about 40% more searches than First Direct
Who does AI mention more?
First Direct, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Lloyds Bank in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
First Direct, named ahead of Lloyds Bank in 3 of 3 answers
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Top personal loan lenders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, First Direct was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Lloyds Bank was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. First Direct was listed before Lloyds Bank in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
M&S Bank1st- First Direct2nd
Nationwide3rd
Santander4th
Tesco Bank5th
HSBC6th
Sainsbury's Bank7th- Lloyds Bank8th
Zopa9th
Novuna–- +5 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- M&S Bank3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Santander3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- First Direct3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tesco Bank2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Nationwide2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Zopa1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- HSBC1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lloyds Bank1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sainsbury's Bank1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Novuna0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about personal loan lenders
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where can I get the best personal loan in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which UK lenders have the lowest rates on a £10,000 loan?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best way to borrow money for a car or home improvements in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“personal loan”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best personal loans”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is First Direct or Lloyds Bank more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for First Direct and Lloyds Bank by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 personal loan lenders we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Lloyds Bank, First Direct. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Tesco Bank | Novuna | M&S Bank | Nationwide | Admiral | Zopa | Santander | Barclays | HSBC | NatWest | Lloyds Bank | Sainsbury's Bank | Monzo | First Direct | Halifax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.4% | 14.6% | 6.5% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 5.4% | 3.8% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 5.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 2.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.9% | 16.6% | 6.6% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 4.5% | 4.8% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 1% | 2.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.6% | 16.7% | 6.8% | 4.8% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 2.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.8% | 17.5% | 7.5% | 6% | 6.1% | 3.4% | 4.9% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.3% | 16% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 5.3% | 3.7% | 4% | 4.2% | 2.2% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 33% | 18.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 3.9% | 4.9% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.4% | 17.9% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 3.5% | 4% | 4.1% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| May 2026 | 33.6% | 16.1% | 8.8% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.5% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 2.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.6% | 16.6% | 9.4% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.1% | 15.8% | 8.8% | 5.4% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 2.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.3% | 21.4% | 8.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.9% | 18.5% | 10.2% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
Lloyds Bank and First Direct sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “lloyds loan”.
How has the First Direct and Lloyds Bank comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Lloyds Bank was ahead of First Direct in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, First Direct’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom moved from 1.1% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.6K to 5.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lloyds Bank’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom moved from 2.2% to 2.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 7.3K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom personal loan lenders in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, First Direct rose from 15th to 14th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using First Direct’s and Lloyds Bank’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.
First Direct
2 branded search terms
- first direct loan
- first direct personal loan
Lloyds Bank
2 branded search terms
- lloyds loan
- lloyds personal loan
Other head-to-heads among personal loan lenders
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