First Direct vs HSBC:Which is searched more in the United Kingdom?
In September 2026, HSBC had more branded searches than First Direct among banks in the United Kingdom. HSBC had about 723,000 branded searches, while First Direct had 150,000. HSBC made up 7.3% of all bank searches we track, and First Direct accounted for 1.5%.
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Is First Direct or HSBC 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 HSBC, First Direct. 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 First Direct and HSBC comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- HSBC 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 banks in the United Kingdom moved from 1.6% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 180K to 150K.
- 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.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom banks in September 2026?
2 changes
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 First Direct in the United Kingdom fell 16.7% over 12 measured months, from 180K to 150K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using First Direct’s and HSBC’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
- first direct bank
HSBC
2 branded search terms
- hsbc
- hsbc uk
Other head-to-heads among banks
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