UK girl's name
Akirah
A feminine name derived from Arabic meaning "bright" or "brilliant.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2015. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Akirah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Akirah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2015 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5730, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 5 births.
This profile covers 8 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2012 to 2015. 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 8 living people in the UK are called Akirah. 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 2016 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Akirah ranked #5730 for girls in England and Wales in 2015, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 5 girls were registered as Akirah.
- • About 8 living people in the UK are estimated to have Akirah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5730
2015
Births in 2015
3
Latest year
Peak year
2012
5 births
Estimated living
8
2026
Meaning
What does Akirah mean?
The name Akirah has its origins in the Arabic language. It is a feminine name derived from the Arabic word "akira," which means "noble" or "precious." The name can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula.
Akirah was a relatively uncommon name in early Islamic history, but it gained popularity among Arab communities in the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Akirah bint Al-Haytham, a renowned scholar and mathematician who lived in Baghdad during the 10th century CE. She made significant contributions to the field of optics and is considered one of the first theorists of the scientific method.
In the 12th century, Akirah al-Samarkandi was a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Samarkand, in modern-day Uzbekistan. She was known for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and her work on the interpretation of the Quran.
Akirah also appears in various Arabic literary works from the medieval period. For instance, in the epic poem "The Poem of the Cid," written in the 12th century, there is a character named Akirah who plays a significant role in the story.
During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over much of the Middle East and North Africa from the 14th to the early 20th centuries, the name Akirah remained in use among Arabic-speaking communities. One notable figure was Akirah Khanum, a Turkish princess and daughter of Sultan Selim II, who lived in the 16th century.
In more recent history, Akirah Al-Masri was an Egyptian author and feminist activist born in 1925. She was known for her works advocating for women's rights and education in the Arab world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Akirah over time
The chart below shows babies named Akirah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2012 to 2015. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Akirah, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2015, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Akirah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Akirah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4951 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Akirah
- 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
Akirah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Akirah in the UK right now?
In 2015, Akirah was ranked #5730 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Akirah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 5 babies registered as Akirah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Akirah?
A feminine name derived from Arabic meaning "bright" or "brilliant.".
How many people are called Akirah in the UK?
A total of 8 babies have been registered as Akirah across the 2 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.