NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Aiesha

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "alive" or "life.".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Aiesha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Aiesha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4535, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2001, with 23 births.

This profile covers 235 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1996 to 2020. 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 17% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 237 living people in the UK are called Aiesha. 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 2021 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Aiesha ranked #4535 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2001, when 23 girls were registered as Aiesha.
  • Aiesha ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #611 in 1996.
  • About 237 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aiesha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4535

2020

Births in 2020

4

Latest year

Peak year

2001

23 births

Estimated living

237

2026

Meaning

What does Aiesha mean?

The name Aiesha has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, dating back to the 6th century CE. It is a feminine variant of the name Aisha, which means "alive" or "living" in Arabic. The name is closely associated with Aisha bint Abi Bakr, the third wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and one of the most influential figures in early Islamic history.

Aisha bint Abi Bakr, born around 614 CE in Mecca, was known for her intelligence, wit, and profound knowledge of Islamic teachings. She played a crucial role in the transmission and preservation of the Prophet's teachings and traditions, earning her the title of "Mother of the Believers." Her life and teachings have been documented in various Islamic texts, including the Hadith collections and biographical works.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aiesha can be found in the writings of the famous Arab scholar and historian, Ibn Ishaq (704-767 CE), who documented the life of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. Over the centuries, the name gained popularity among Muslim communities worldwide, and several notable women have borne this name throughout history.

One such figure was Aiesha al-Taimuriya (1233-1290 CE), a Mamluk princess and scholar from Syria. She was renowned for her patronage of the arts and sciences and her contributions to the literary and intellectual circles of her time. Another notable bearer of the name was Aiesha al-Ba'uniyyah (1456-1516 CE), a Sufi mystic and poet from Yemen, whose works have been widely studied and celebrated in the Islamic world.

In the 19th century, Aiesha bint Shakhbut bin Dhiyab Al Nahyan (1838-1923) was a prominent figure in the United Arab Emirates. She was the wife of the founder of the Al Nahyan dynasty and played a significant role in the establishment of the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

More recently, Aiesha Dutti (1908-1965) was an Indian educator and social reformer who dedicated her life to promoting women's education and empowerment. She founded several schools and institutions for girls and worked tirelessly to improve the status of women in society.

Throughout history, the name Aiesha has been associated with strong, influential women who have left their mark in various fields, ranging from religion and literature to politics and education. Its Arabic roots and connection to the life of the Prophet Muhammad's wife have contributed to its enduring popularity and significance within the Islamic world and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Aiesha over time

The chart below shows babies named Aiesha registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Aiesha, the clearest high point is 2001. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2020, compared with 23 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Aiesha
06121723199620082020

Decades

Aiesha by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aiesha 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 #4535 4 1
2010s #4333 47 9
2000s #1538 149 10
1990s #2003 35 4

Geography

Where Aiesha is most common

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

Aiesha ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #611 in 1996.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Aiesha in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#611 in 1996

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Aiesha

FAQ

Aiesha: questions and answers

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

In 2020, Aiesha was ranked #4535 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Aiesha most popular?

The peak year on record was 2001, with 23 babies registered as Aiesha in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Aiesha?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "alive" or "life.".

How many people are called Aiesha in the UK?

A total of 235 babies have been registered as Aiesha across the 24 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Aiesha most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Aiesha ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #611 in 1996. 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.