NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Abbas

A masculine Arabic name meaning "stern" or "harsh".

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.

Abbas is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Abbas popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #685, with 53 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 66 births.

This profile covers 1,355 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,364 living people in the UK are called Abbas. 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

  • Abbas ranked #685 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 53 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2009, when 66 boys were registered as Abbas.
  • Abbas ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #590 in 2022.
  • About 1,364 living people in the UK are estimated to have Abbas as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#685

2024

Births in 2024

53

Latest year

Peak year

2009

66 births

Estimated living

1,364

2026

Meaning

What does Abbas mean?

The name Abbas has its origins in the Arabic language. It is derived from the word "al-'abbas" which means "the lion" or "the stern". The name has been in use since ancient times in the Middle East and North Africa.

Abbas is a masculine given name that has been popular among Arab and Muslim communities for centuries. It is often associated with Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the youngest paternal uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He played a significant role in the early days of Islam and was known for his bravery and loyalty to his nephew.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Abbas can be found in the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. The name is mentioned in reference to Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, who embraced Islam and supported Muhammad in his mission.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Abbas. One of the most famous was Abbas I, also known as Abbas the Great, who ruled Persia (modern-day Iran) from 1588 to 1629. He is credited with establishing the Safavid dynasty and strengthening the country's military and economic power.

Another prominent figure with the name Abbas was Abbas Mirza, the crown prince of Persia from 1789 to 1833. He was known for his efforts to modernize the country and introduce Western ideas and technologies.

In the 20th century, Abbas Kiarostami was a renowned Iranian film director and screenwriter, best known for his poetic and minimalist style. He was born in 1940 and passed away in 2016, leaving behind a significant body of work that influenced world cinema.

Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad was an Egyptian writer, poet, and critic who lived from 1889 to 1964. He was a prominent figure in the Arab literary renaissance and played a crucial role in reviving the Arabic language and promoting modern Arabic literature.

In more recent times, Abbas Kiarostami was a renowned Iranian film director and screenwriter who lived from 1940 to 2016. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century, known for his poetic and minimalist style that explored philosophical and existential themes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Abbas over time

The chart below shows babies named Abbas registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Abbas, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 53 births in 2024, compared with 66 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Abbas
017335066199620102024

Decades

Abbas by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Abbas 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 #731 243 5
2010s #700 479 10
2000s #558 482 10
1990s #510 151 4

Geography

Where Abbas is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Abbas. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Abbas ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #590 in 2022.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Abbas in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#590 in 2022

6 years of NRS records, 19 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Abbas

  • Abbas Farid

    association football coach; association football player

    Welsh footballer (born 1983)

    1983-

  • Abbas Vali

    historian

    political scientist

    1949-

  • Abbas Hasan

    singer

    Lebanon musician

Related

Names similar to Abbas

FAQ

Abbas: questions and answers

How popular is the name Abbas in the UK right now?

In 2024, Abbas was ranked #685 for boys in England and Wales, with 53 births registered.

When was Abbas most popular?

The peak year on record was 2009, with 66 babies registered as Abbas in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Abbas?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "stern" or "harsh".

How many people are called Abbas in the UK?

A total of 1,355 babies have been registered as Abbas across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 19 more in Scotland.

Where is Abbas most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Abbas ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #590 in 2022. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.