NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Afsa

A feminine name from Arabic meaning "chastity" or "virtue".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Afsa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Afsa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4645, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 19 births.

This profile covers 189 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 1999 to 2022. 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 21% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 194 living people in the UK are called Afsa. 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 2023 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Afsa ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 19 girls were registered as Afsa.
  • Afsa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #806 in 2015.
  • About 194 living people in the UK are estimated to have Afsa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4645

2022

Births in 2022

4

Latest year

Peak year

2011

19 births

Estimated living

194

2026

Meaning

What does Afsa mean?

The name Afsa is believed to have its origins in the Persian language, with roots dating back to the ancient Persian Empire. It is derived from the Persian word "afsah," meaning "elegant" or "eloquent." The name is thought to have been popularized during the Sassanid Dynasty, which ruled over Persia from the 3rd to the 7th century AD.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Afsa can be found in the Shahnameh, the epic poem written by the celebrated Persian poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century. In this literary masterpiece, Afsa is mentioned as the name of a minor character, suggesting that the name was in use during that time period.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Afsa. One such figure was Afsa bint Umar, a renowned Islamic scholar and hadith narrator who lived in the 7th century AD. She was highly respected for her knowledge and expertise in the field of Islamic jurisprudence.

In the 11th century, Afsa al-Hamdani was a prominent Arabic poet and literary figure from Hamdanid-ruled northern Mesopotamia. Her poetic works were widely acclaimed and celebrated for their intricate wordplay and eloquent language, befitting her name's meaning.

During the Mongol Empire, Afsa Khatun was a influential noblewoman and the wife of Hulagu Khan, the founder of the Ilkhanate dynasty in Persia. Her political acumen and influence in the court of her husband are well documented in historical records from the 13th century.

In more recent times, Afsa Hussain was a pioneering Pakistani artist and educator who played a significant role in the development of contemporary art in Pakistan. Born in 1922, she was instrumental in establishing the prestigious National College of Arts in Lahore and fostering a new generation of artists in the region.

Afsa Khambata was an Indian actress and model who rose to prominence in the 1970s. Born in 1954, she gained international recognition for her role in the James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" and was celebrated for her beauty and talent on the silver screen.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Afsa throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural heritage associated with this ancient Persian name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Afsa over time

The chart below shows babies named Afsa registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Afsa, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 19 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Afsa
05101419199920102022

Decades

Afsa by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Afsa 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 #3912 16 3
2010s #1866 154 10
2000s #3350 15 3
1990s #3225 4 1

Geography

Where Afsa is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Afsa. 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.

Afsa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #806 in 2015.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Afsa in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#806 in 2015

2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Related

Names similar to Afsa

FAQ

Afsa: questions and answers

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

In 2022, Afsa was ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Afsa most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 19 babies registered as Afsa in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Afsa?

A feminine name from Arabic meaning "chastity" or "virtue".

How many people are called Afsa in the UK?

A total of 189 babies have been registered as Afsa across the 17 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Afsa most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Afsa ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #806 in 2015. 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.