UK girl's name
Afrah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "joy" or "delight".
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.
Afrah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Afrah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3318, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 10 births.
This profile covers 138 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1996 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 70% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 137 living people in the UK are called Afrah. 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
- • Afrah ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 10 girls were registered as Afrah.
- • About 137 living people in the UK are estimated to have Afrah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3318
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
2012
10 births
Estimated living
137
2026
Meaning
What does Afrah mean?
The name Afrah is of Arabic origin, deriving from the root word "farah" which means joy, happiness, or delight. It is believed to have emerged in the Middle East region during the early days of Islam, around the 7th century AD.
This name gained popularity among Arabic-speaking communities and has been used throughout the Middle East and North Africa for centuries. The earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in historical texts and records from the medieval period, particularly in regions that were part of the Islamic empires at the time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Afrah was Afrah bint Abi Bakr, who lived in the 7th century AD. She was the granddaughter of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, and was known for her piety and devotion to Islam.
Another notable figure was Afrah al-Qazvini, a 12th-century Persian poet and scholar who was renowned for her contributions to literature and philosophy. She lived during the Seljuk Empire and wrote extensively on topics such as ethics, mysticism, and the philosophy of language.
In the 13th century, there was Afrah al-Dimashqi, a Syrian scholar and poet who was celebrated for her knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her poetic works. She was a prominent figure in the cultural and intellectual circles of Damascus during her lifetime.
Moving forward to the 16th century, Afrah al-Malikah was a notable figure in Ottoman history. She was the mother of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, one of the most powerful and influential rulers of the Ottoman Empire.
Finally, in the 19th century, Afrah al-Sayyid was an Egyptian feminist and advocate for women's rights. She was one of the pioneers of the Egyptian women's movement and played a significant role in promoting education and empowerment for women in her country.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Afrah throughout history, showcasing its rich cultural heritage and significance in various regions and eras.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Afrah over time
The chart below shows babies named Afrah 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 Afrah, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Afrah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Afrah 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 | #3653 | 32 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3736 | 58 | 9 |
| 2000s | #3573 | 43 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2683 | 5 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Afrah
- 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
Afrah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Afrah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Afrah was ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Afrah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 10 babies registered as Afrah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Afrah?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "joy" or "delight".
How many people are called Afrah in the UK?
A total of 138 babies have been registered as Afrah across the 24 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.