UK boy's name
Abdul
A masculine Arabic name meaning "servant of the All-Mighty".
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.
Abdul is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Abdul popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #152, with 338 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 340 births.
This profile covers 7,927 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 99% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 8,252 living people in the UK are called Abdul. 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
- • Abdul ranked #152 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 338 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 340 boys were registered as Abdul.
- • Abdul ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #264 in 2004.
- • About 8,252 living people in the UK are estimated to have Abdul as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#152
2024
Births in 2024
338
Latest year
Peak year
2010
340 births
Estimated living
8,252
2026
Meaning
What does Abdul mean?
The name Abdul originates from the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "abd" which means "servant" or "slave". The name is typically followed by one of the 99 names of Allah, such as Abdul Rahman (servant of the Most Merciful) or Abdul Malik (servant of the King).
The name has a rich history and can be traced back to ancient Islamic texts and scriptures. It is commonly found in the Quran and Hadith literature, where it is used to refer to Prophet Muhammad and his companions who were servants of Allah.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Abdul can be found in the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf (573-653 CE) was one of the prominent companions of Prophet Muhammad and is known for his generosity and wealth.
Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077-1166 CE) was a prominent Sufi saint and scholar from the Persian region. He is the founder of the Qadiri Sufi order and is widely revered in the Islamic world.
Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918 CE) was the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ruling from 1876 to 1909. He is known for his efforts to modernize and reform the Ottoman state.
Abdul Karim (1863-1909 CE) was an Indian servant and confidant of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. He is known for his close relationship with the Queen and his influence on her during the later years of her reign.
Abdul Sattar Edhi (1928-2016 CE) was a prominent Pakistani philanthropist and humanitarian. He founded the Edhi Foundation, one of the largest charitable organizations in Pakistan, and dedicated his life to serving the poor and underprivileged.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Abdul. The name has been widely used across the Islamic world and has a deep spiritual and historical significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Abdul over time
The chart below shows babies named Abdul 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 Abdul, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 338 births in 2024, compared with 340 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Abdul by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Abdul 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 | #201 | 1,289 | 5 |
| 2010s | #190 | 2,908 | 10 |
| 2000s | #161 | 2,829 | 10 |
| 1990s | #157 | 901 | 4 |
Geography
Where Abdul is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Abdul. 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.
Abdul ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #264 in 2004.
Across the UK
Abdul in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#307 in 2024
47 years of NRS records, 385 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#264 in 2004
1 years of NISRA records, 4 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Abdul
-
Abdul Kanneh
American football player
American-football player (1990-)
1990-
-
Abdul Buhariq
athletics competitor; discus thrower
British discus thrower
1982-
-
Abdul Salis
actor; stage actor; film actor; television actor
British actor
1979-
-
Abdul Turay
journalist
British journalist residing in Estonia (born 1967)
1967-
-
Abdul Mabud Chowdhury
physician; consultant; urologist
British consultant urologist
1966-2020
-
Abdul Gellaledin
health professional
Sudanese transport driver in London
1966-2020
-
Abdul Ghapur Salleh
politician
Malaysian politician (1943–2023)
1943-2023
-
Abdul Mohamed
mixed martial arts fighter
Related
Names similar to Abdul
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Abdul: questions and answers
How popular is the name Abdul in the UK right now?
In 2024, Abdul was ranked #152 for boys in England and Wales, with 338 births registered.
When was Abdul most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 340 babies registered as Abdul in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Abdul?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "servant of the All-Mighty".
How many people are called Abdul in the UK?
A total of 7,927 babies have been registered as Abdul across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 385 more in Scotland and 4 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Abdul most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Abdul ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #264 in 2004. 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.