UK name, mostly girls
Alaa
A feminine Arabic name meaning "the exalted one" or "sublime".
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.
Alaa is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Alaa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1603, with 19 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 29 births.
This profile covers 488 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 66% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 498 living people in the UK are called Alaa. 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
- • Alaa ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 19 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 29 girls were registered as Alaa.
- • Alaa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #760 in 2022.
- • About 498 living people in the UK are estimated to have Alaa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 91.7% of Alaa registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1603
2024
Births in 2024
19
Latest year
Peak year
2016
29 births
Estimated living
498
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Alaa
In England and Wales birth records, Alaa has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 8.3% of registrations are for boys and 91.7% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Alaa registered for boys
- Ranked #4,270 in 2024
- 4 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 1999 (6 births)
Alaa registered for girls
- Ranked #1,603 in 2024
- 19 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (29 births)
Meaning
What does Alaa mean?
The name Alaa has its origins in Arabic, with roots that can be traced back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Arabic word "ala'a," which means "to rise" or "to ascend." This name was particularly prevalent in the regions of the Middle East and North Africa, where Arabic culture and language have had a significant influence.
The earliest recorded use of the name Alaa can be found in ancient Islamic texts and historical records. It was a popular name among Arab scholars, poets, and intellectuals during the golden age of Islamic civilization. One notable figure who bore this name was Alaa al-Din ibn al-Nafis, a Syrian physician and scholar who lived in the 13th century. He made significant contributions to the field of medicine, including the discovery of pulmonary circulation and the description of the coronary arteries.
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have carried the name Alaa. In the 10th century, Alaa al-Dawla Bahā' al-Dīn was a prominent Persian ruler and military commander who played a crucial role in the Buyid dynasty. Another prominent figure was Alaa al-Din Khilji, who ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century and was known for his military conquests and expansionist policies.
In the realm of literature, Alaa al-Din Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic, is widely celebrated for his profound spiritual works, including the renowned Masnavi. His poetry and teachings have had a lasting influence on Persian and Islamic culture.
Moving forward in time, Alaa al-Aswany, an Egyptian novelist and dentist born in 1957, has gained international recognition for his critically acclaimed novels, such as "The Yacoubian Building" and "Chicago," which explore themes of social and political issues in contemporary Egyptian society.
It is worth noting that while the name Alaa has its roots in Arabic culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions, particularly those with strong Islamic influences or ties to the Middle East.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Alaa over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Alaa in England and Wales, 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 Alaa, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 19 births in 2024, compared with 29 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alaa by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Alaa 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 | #1544 | 99 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1447 | 223 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1836 | 138 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2394 | 28 | 4 |
Geography
Where Alaa is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Alaa. 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.
Alaa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #760 in 2022.
Across the UK
Alaa in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#760 in 2022
4 years of NRS records, 12 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Alaa
-
Alaa Abd El-Fatah
writer; human rights defender; computer scientist; journalist
Egyptian human rights activist
1981-
Related
Names similar to Alaa
- 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
Alaa: questions and answers
How popular is the name Alaa in the UK right now?
In 2024, Alaa was ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales, with 19 births registered.
When was Alaa most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 29 babies registered as Alaa in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Alaa?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "the exalted one" or "sublime".
How many people are called Alaa in the UK?
A total of 488 babies have been registered as Alaa across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 12 more in Scotland.
Where is Alaa most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Alaa ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #760 in 2022. 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.