UK girl's name
Aliya
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "exalted" 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.
Aliya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Aliya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #565, with 69 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 105 births.
This profile covers 2,252 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 2,328 living people in the UK are called Aliya. 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
- • Aliya ranked #565 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 69 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 105 girls were registered as Aliya.
- • Aliya ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #439 in 2014.
- • About 2,328 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aliya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#565
2024
Births in 2024
69
Latest year
Peak year
2006
105 births
Estimated living
2,328
2026
Meaning
What does Aliya mean?
The name Aliya has its origins in Arabic and Persian cultures. It is derived from the Arabic word "Aliya," which means "exalted" or "superior." The name has been in use for centuries and has been popular among Muslim communities across the Middle East and Central Asia.
In Islamic literature, the name Aliya is sometimes associated with the concept of spiritual elevation or ascension. It is believed to have been used as a name for women who were considered pious and virtuous. The name appears in some historical records and texts from the medieval period, although its exact origins and earliest documented use are difficult to pinpoint.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Aliya was Aliya Khanum, who lived in the 16th century and was the daughter of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her contributions to the cultural life of the Mughal court.
Another notable figure with the name Aliya was Aliya Ismet Inonu, who was born in 1876 and was the wife of Ismet Inonu, the second President of Turkey. She played an influential role in the Turkish War of Independence and was a prominent advocate for women's rights and education.
In the 20th century, the name Aliya gained popularity in various parts of the world. One famous bearer of the name was Aliya Mustafina, a Russian gymnast who was born in 1994 and won multiple Olympic and World Championship medals.
Another well-known Aliya was Aliya Khalida, a Pakistani singer and actress who was born in 1932 and gained fame for her contributions to the Pakistani film industry.
Aliya Mariam Hamdani, born in 1951, was a Bangladeshi academic and activist who fought for women's rights and social justice. She played a crucial role in the Language Movement of Bangladesh and was awarded the prestigious Ekushey Padak, one of the highest civilian honors in the country.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Aliya. The name has endured for centuries and continues to be popular in various cultures and societies around the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aliya over time
The chart below shows babies named Aliya 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 Aliya, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 69 births in 2024, compared with 105 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aliya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aliya 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 | #548 | 361 | 5 |
| 2010s | #504 | 847 | 10 |
| 2000s | #441 | 846 | 10 |
| 1990s | #556 | 198 | 4 |
Geography
Where Aliya is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Aliya. 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.
Aliya ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #439 in 2014.
Across the UK
Aliya in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#476 in 2024
19 years of NRS records, 82 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#439 in 2014
2 years of NISRA records, 6 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Aliya
-
Aliya Whiteley
writer; novelist
British author (1974-)
1974-
Related
Names similar to Aliya
- 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
Aliya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aliya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Aliya was ranked #565 for girls in England and Wales, with 69 births registered.
When was Aliya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 105 babies registered as Aliya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aliya?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "exalted" or "sublime".
How many people are called Aliya in the UK?
A total of 2,252 babies have been registered as Aliya across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 82 more in Scotland and 6 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Aliya most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Aliya ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #439 in 2014. 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.