UK girl's name
Aarti
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "prayer ritual" or "light".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Aarti is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Aarti popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 8 births.
This profile covers 59 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. 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 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 59 living people in the UK are called Aarti. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Aarti ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 8 girls were registered as Aarti.
- • About 59 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aarti as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5581
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
8 births
Estimated living
59
2026
Meaning
What does Aarti mean?
The name Aarti originates from the Sanskrit language of ancient India. It is derived from the word 'arati', which means a ritual of waving lighted wicks before deities in Hindu worship. The earliest known references to the name can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts from around the 6th century BCE.
In Hinduism, the Aarti ceremony is a significant part of daily worship, where a light or lamp is waved in a circular motion to venerate and honor the deities. This ritual symbolizes the removal of darkness and the attainment of knowledge and wisdom. The name Aarti is closely associated with this sacred ritual and carries spiritual significance.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Aarti can be found in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, where it is mentioned as the name of a female character. Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Aarti, including Aarti Sahu (1940-2002), an Indian singer and actress from the Bollywood film industry, and Aarti Chhabria (born 1977), an Indian actress and model.
Another prominent individual with the name Aarti is Aarti Devi (1935-2019), an Indian classical singer and Padma Shri recipient, who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Indian classical music. Aarti Sangwan (born 1990) is a renowned Indian boxer who has won numerous medals at international competitions, including a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
In ancient Hindu literature, the name Aarti is also associated with the concept of enlightenment and spiritual awakening. The Aarti ritual is believed to represent the illumination of the soul and the attainment of inner peace and harmony. This symbolic connection has further contributed to the popularity and cultural significance of the name across various regions of India.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aarti over time
The chart below shows babies named Aarti registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Aarti, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aarti by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aarti 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 | #5537 | 6 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3815 | 33 | 8 |
| 1990s | #2279 | 20 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Aarti
- 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
Aarti: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aarti in the UK right now?
In 2021, Aarti was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Aarti most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 8 babies registered as Aarti in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aarti?
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "prayer ritual" or "light".
How many people are called Aarti in the UK?
A total of 59 babies have been registered as Aarti across the 13 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.