UK girl's name
Aara
A feminine Sanskrit name meaning "awake" or "fresh as the morning".
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.
Aara is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Aara popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3015, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 11 births.
This profile covers 116 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2009 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 73% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 115 living people in the UK are called Aara. 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
- • Aara ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 11 girls were registered as Aara.
- • About 115 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aara as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3015
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
2017
11 births
Estimated living
115
2026
Meaning
What does Aara mean?
The name Aara is believed to have its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that has been around for over 3,500 years. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Ara," which means "ray of light" or "radiance." The name is thought to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, where Sanskrit has been a prominent language for centuries.
One of the earliest known references to the name Aara can be found in the Mahabharata, a renowned Sanskrit epic that dates back to the 8th or 9th century BCE. The Mahabharata is considered one of the most significant works of ancient Indian literature, and it is possible that the name Aara was used during this time period.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Aara. One of the earliest recorded instances is Aara, a Hindu philosopher and scholar who lived in the 5th century CE. He is credited with writing several influential works on Vedanta, a philosophical tradition within Hinduism.
Another notable figure was Aara Kalama (c. 500 BCE), a renowned spiritual teacher and philosopher in ancient India. According to Buddhist texts, Aara Kalama was one of the early teachers of Gautama Buddha, and he played a significant role in the Buddha's spiritual journey.
During the medieval period, Aara Bhatta (c. 7th century CE) was a prominent Indian mathematician and astronomer. He is known for his contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly his work on the concept of zero and the development of algebraic equations.
In the 19th century, Aara Singh Bhati (1832-1890) was a renowned Indian freedom fighter and reformer. He played a pivotal role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company and worked towards social and educational reforms in his region.
More recently, Aara Vartanian (1938-2020) was an influential Armenian-American painter and sculptor. Her works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums around the world, and she is widely regarded as one of the most significant Armenian artists of the 20th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aara over time
The chart below shows babies named Aara registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2009 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 Aara, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aara by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aara 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 | #3014 | 39 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3268 | 73 | 10 |
| 2000s | #4564 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Aara
- 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
Aara: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aara in the UK right now?
In 2024, Aara was ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Aara most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 11 babies registered as Aara in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aara?
A feminine Sanskrit name meaning "awake" or "fresh as the morning".
How many people are called Aara in the UK?
A total of 116 babies have been registered as Aara across the 16 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.