UK girl's name
Aishah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "life" or "alive".
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.
Aishah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Aishah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1672, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 105 births.
This profile covers 1,817 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 1,829 living people in the UK are called Aishah. 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
- • Aishah ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 105 girls were registered as Aishah.
- • Aishah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #577 in 2005.
- • About 1,829 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aishah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1672
2024
Births in 2024
18
Latest year
Peak year
2002
105 births
Estimated living
1,829
2026
Meaning
What does Aishah mean?
The name Aishah has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the root word 'aysh', which means 'life' or 'to live'. It is a feminine name that has been popular in the Islamic world for centuries.
Aishah is most notably associated with Aishah bint Abi Bakr (613-678 CE), who was one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad and is revered as one of the most influential figures in early Islamic history. She is known for her vast knowledge of Islamic teachings and her role in transmitting hadith, the sayings and actions of the Prophet.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Aishah can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. It gained popularity among Muslims due to its association with the revered figure of Aishah bint Abi Bakr.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Aishah. One such figure is Aishah al-Bakri (1014-1094 CE), a renowned Berber Muslim scholar and poet from present-day Morocco. She was renowned for her expertise in various fields, including linguistics, poetry, and Islamic jurisprudence.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Aishah al-Taymuriya (1456-1522 CE), a Mamluk princess and scholar from Egypt. She was known for her contributions to the fields of medicine, astronomy, and Islamic theology, and was widely respected for her intellectual pursuits.
In the modern era, Aishah Abd al-Rahman (1913-1998) was a prominent Sudanese writer, activist, and pioneer of women's rights in Sudan. Her works focused on the struggles and experiences of Sudanese women, and she played a crucial role in advocating for women's education and empowerment.
Aishah Ghawzi (1923-2008) was a renowned Palestinian writer and activist who dedicated her life to promoting Palestinian culture and literature. Her works, which included novels, short stories, and essays, explored themes of identity, displacement, and resistance, and earned her widespread recognition and respect.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Aishah throughout history, each contributing to their respective fields and leaving a lasting impact on their societies and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aishah over time
The chart below shows babies named Aishah 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 Aishah, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 105 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aishah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aishah 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 | #1313 | 130 | 5 |
| 2010s | #771 | 554 | 10 |
| 2000s | #465 | 839 | 10 |
| 1990s | #429 | 294 | 4 |
Geography
Where Aishah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Aishah. 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.
Aishah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #577 in 2005.
Across the UK
Aishah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#577 in 2005
6 years of NRS records, 23 total registered
Related
Names similar to Aishah
- 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
Aishah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aishah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Aishah was ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.
When was Aishah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 105 babies registered as Aishah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aishah?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "life" or "alive".
How many people are called Aishah in the UK?
A total of 1,817 babies have been registered as Aishah across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 23 more in Scotland.
Where is Aishah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Aishah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #577 in 2005. 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.