Lord’s Prayer tops Shakespeare, Dickens and Star Wars in UK public recognition poll

[Church of England] The Lord’s Prayer is still more easily instantly recognized by the British public than some of the most famous lines from Shakespeare, Dickens or Churchill, new research suggests.

People in the U.K. are more likely to identify correctly a short extract from the Lord’s Prayer – also known as the Our Father – than one from the National Anthem and other sources chosen for their deep cultural resonance, a new poll has found.

The polling, carried out for the Church of England ahead of the annual Pentecost prayer initiative Thy Kingdom Come, also found the reference in the prayer to being forgiven and forgiving others was the element people found most meaningful to them.

Pollster Savanta surveyed more than 2,000 people across the U.K. They asked them to match seven famous lines – spanning areas ranging from literature and history to popular culture – with their source, from a list of correct answers.

The famous literary lines were “To be or not to be,” from Hamlet by William Shakespeare, and the opening to Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

From British history, people were asked if they recognized the phrase, “Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few” – Churchill’s stirring words in the House of Commons in August 1940 amid the Battle of Britain.

Famous musical lyrics offered were “You’ll never walk alone,” which was a hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers and also is the anthem of Liverpool FC; and “Happy and glorious / Long to reign over us,” from God Save The King.

From the world of film, they were asked if they recognized “May the force be with you” from Star Wars. Also on the list was “Give us this day our daily bread” from the Lord’s Prayer.

Overall, the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer was recognized correctly by the largest number of people (80.3%), just ahead of Star Wars (79.9%).

They were followed by Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” (73%); the extract from the National Anthem (63%); the line from Churchill’s “The Few” speech (61%); and You’ll Never Walk Alone (58%).

A minority of those surveyed (39%) correctly identified the opening line from Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities.

Overall 89% of those surveyed said that they had previously heard of the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. This was highest among those who described themselves as Christian (95%), but also by 88% of those who said they had no religion.

Overall, 89% said they had ever said or prayed the Lord’s Prayer, and 58% said they had done so in their daily life.

The survey then gave people the full wording of Lord’s Prayer and asked them to select the lines they found most meaningful. The most commonly selected line was “…and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,” with 43% overall and more than half (56%) of Christians surveyed.

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell is currently leading a “Lord’s Prayer Tour” of events at churches and cathedrals across the north of England attended by thousands of people, as part of his Faith In The North initiative. He said, “These results reflect what we’ve been hearing across the North of England through our Faith in the North initiative, which invites people to explore the Lord’s Prayer.

“Though ancient, its words continue to resonate with people of all faiths and none.

“In a world of shifting cultures and changing circumstances, the Lord’s Prayer remains a steady guide – perhaps never more so than now.

“Lines like ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ speak powerfully to today’s challenges, reminding us to seek sufficiency, not excess, and to consider what ‘enough’ truly means.”

The enduring popularity of the Lord’s Prayer is echoed in the growing number of people engaging with daily worship in both traditional and new ways. Well over 3 million people have used the Church of England’s Daily Prayer podcast and app, which offers Morning and Evening Prayer in audio form.

Launched during the pandemic, the service has seen over 12 million downloads, with thousands tuning in each day. Blending scripture, music and reflection, it reflects a wider resurgence of interest in regular prayer and spiritual rhythm, showing that ancient words continue to find new life in modern formats.