UK girl's name
Aafiya
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "well-being" or "health".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Aafiya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Aafiya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1743, with 17 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 20 births.
This profile covers 161 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2007 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 85% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 160 living people in the UK are called Aafiya. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Aafiya ranked #1743 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 17 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 20 girls were registered as Aafiya.
- • About 160 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aafiya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1743
2024
Births in 2024
17
Latest year
Peak year
2021
20 births
Estimated living
160
2026
Meaning
What does Aafiya mean?
The name Aafiya has its roots in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "aafiyah," which means good health, well-being, or safety. This name is believed to have originated in the Middle East and has been in use for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Aafiya can be found in ancient Arabic literature and poetry, where it was often used as a metaphor for health, prosperity, and peace. In Islamic tradition, the concept of "aafiyah" is highly valued and considered a blessing from Allah.
Historically, the name Aafiya has been associated with several notable figures. One such figure is Aafiya bint Abdillah al-Qurashiyya (c. 610 - 685 CE), a prominent female companion of the Prophet Muhammad. She was known for her knowledge of Islamic teachings and played a significant role in preserving and transmitting the traditions of the Prophet.
Another notable bearer of the name Aafiya was Aafiya al-Baghdadiyya (c. 900 - 970 CE), a renowned scholar and poet from Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate. She was highly respected for her contributions to the fields of literature and linguistics.
In the 12th century, Aafiya bint al-Hasan al-Yamani (c. 1120 - 1190 CE) was a prominent Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher from Yemen. She is remembered for her devotion to the spiritual path and her teachings on divine love.
During the Ottoman Empire, Aafiya Sultan (c. 1590 - 1650) was a prominent figure. She was the daughter of Sultan Ahmed I and played an influential role in the royal court, known for her patronage of the arts and architecture.
In more recent history, Aafiya Siddiqui (born 1972) is a Pakistani neuroscientist and alleged terrorist convicted in the United States for attempting to kill American soldiers and FBI agents in Afghanistan. Her case gained significant attention and sparked debates around her trial and treatment.
While the name Aafiya has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended cultural boundaries and is now used by people of various backgrounds and ethnicities around the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aafiya over time
The chart below shows babies named Aafiya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Aafiya, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 17 births in 2024, compared with 20 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aafiya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aafiya was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1679 | 88 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3267 | 70 | 8 |
| 2000s | #5201 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Aafiya
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Aafiya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aafiya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Aafiya was ranked #1743 for girls in England and Wales, with 17 births registered.
When was Aafiya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 20 babies registered as Aafiya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aafiya?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "well-being" or "health".
How many people are called Aafiya in the UK?
A total of 161 babies have been registered as Aafiya across the 14 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.