UK boy's name
Abdullah
The worshipper or servant of Allah (God).
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.
Abdullah is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Abdullah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #147, with 362 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 386 births.
This profile covers 7,725 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 94% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 8,006 living people in the UK are called Abdullah. 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
- • Abdullah ranked #147 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 362 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 386 boys were registered as Abdullah.
- • Abdullah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #246 in 2024.
- • About 8,006 living people in the UK are estimated to have Abdullah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#147
2024
Births in 2024
362
Latest year
Peak year
2015
386 births
Estimated living
8,006
2026
Meaning
What does Abdullah mean?
The name Abdullah has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is a combination of two words, "Abd" meaning servant or slave, and "Allah" which is the Arabic word for God. The name literally translates to "servant of God" or "slave of God."
Abdullah is a popular name among Muslims and has been in use for centuries. It first appeared in the 7th century CE, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and the early years of Islam. The name is mentioned in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, and was also the name of one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Abdullah is Abdullah ibn Abbas, who was a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad and a highly respected scholar of Islamic teachings. He was born in 619 CE and died in 687 CE.
Throughout history, there have been many notable individuals named Abdullah. One of the most famous was Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa, a renowned Persian writer and translator who lived in the 8th century CE. He was responsible for translating many important works from Persian into Arabic, including the famous collection of fables known as Kalila wa Dimna.
Another prominent figure with the name Abdullah was Abdullah al-Qurtubi, a famous Islamic scholar and Quranic exegete from Spain who lived in the 12th century CE. He authored a renowned commentary on the Quran called "Al-Jami' li Ahkam al-Qur'an."
In more recent times, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, an Indian-British Muslim scholar and translator, is widely known for his English translation of the Quran published in 1934. His translation is considered one of the most widely read and respected English translations of the holy book.
Another notable individual with the name Abdullah was Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who was the King of Saudi Arabia from 2005 until his death in 2015. He played a significant role in the development and modernization of Saudi Arabia during his reign.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Abdullah, reflecting its deep roots and significance within the Arabic and Islamic traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Abdullah over time
The chart below shows babies named Abdullah 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 Abdullah, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 362 births in 2024, compared with 386 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Abdullah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Abdullah 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 | #173 | 1,543 | 5 |
| 2010s | #165 | 3,393 | 10 |
| 2000s | #182 | 2,377 | 10 |
| 1990s | #273 | 412 | 4 |
Geography
Where Abdullah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Abdullah. 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.
Abdullah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #246 in 2024.
Across the UK
Abdullah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#246 in 2024
32 years of NRS records, 329 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#404 in 2024
2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Abdullah
-
Abdullah Afzal
actor; television actor; stand-up comedian
English actor and stand-up comedian
1989-
-
Abdullah bin Mutaib
show jumper
Saudi royal and Olympic equestrian
1984-
-
Abdullah Al-Sharbatly
show jumper
equestrian Saudi
1982-
-
Abdullah el-Faisal
Jamaican Muslim cleric (born 1963)
1963-
-
Abdullah Haroon
politician
Muslim League leader from Sindh province, British India (1872-1942)
1872-1942
-
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
writer; translator
Indian-British barrister (1872-1953)
1872-1953
-
Abdullah al Andalusi
ulema; thinker; intellectual; debater; activist
British-based Muslim speaker, thinker and intellectual activist
Related
Names similar to Abdullah
- 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
Abdullah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Abdullah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Abdullah was ranked #147 for boys in England and Wales, with 362 births registered.
When was Abdullah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 386 babies registered as Abdullah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Abdullah?
The worshipper or servant of Allah (God).
How many people are called Abdullah in the UK?
A total of 7,725 babies have been registered as Abdullah across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 329 more in Scotland and 7 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Abdullah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Abdullah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #246 in 2024. 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.