NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Amel

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "hope" or "dream".

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.

Amel is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Amel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2574, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 14 births.

This profile covers 218 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 217 living people in the UK are called Amel. 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

  • Amel ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2020, when 14 girls were registered as Amel.
  • About 217 living people in the UK are estimated to have Amel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 95.6% of Amel registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2574

2024

Births in 2024

10

Latest year

Peak year

2020

14 births

Estimated living

217

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Amel

In England and Wales birth records, Amel has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 4.4% of registrations are for boys and 95.6% 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.

96% girls
Boys10 (4.4%)Girls218 (95.6%)

Amel registered for boys

  • Ranked #5,119 in 2024
  • 3 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2022 (4 births)

Amel registered for girls

  • Ranked #2,574 in 2024
  • 10 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2020 (14 births)

Meaning

What does Amel mean?

The name Amel is derived from the Arabic word 'amal', which means 'hope' or 'aspiration'. Its origins can be traced back to the Middle East and the Islamic world, where it was commonly used as a name for both boys and girls. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 7th century AD, during the time of the Islamic conquests and the spread of the Arabic language across the region.

One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Amel was Amel ibn al-Mundhir, a 7th-century Arab poet and warrior from the Ghassanid kingdom, which ruled parts of modern-day Syria and Jordan. He was renowned for his martial prowess and his poetic talents, which were celebrated in the court of the Ghassanid rulers.

In the 9th century, Amel ibn Idris al-Khurasani was a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Khurasan, a historical region that encompassed parts of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. He was known for his contributions to the study of Islamic jurisprudence and his works on the interpretation of the Quran.

During the 12th century, Amel al-Din al-Bukhari was a renowned Persian poet and mystic who lived in the city of Bukhara, which was then part of the Khwarazmian Empire. His poetry, deeply influenced by Sufism, explored themes of spirituality, love, and devotion to God.

In the 14th century, Amel al-Mulk Mirza was a prominent Persian prince and statesman who served as the governor of various provinces under the Timurid Empire. He was renowned for his patronage of the arts and his support for poets and scholars at his court.

One of the most famous historical figures to bear the name Amel was Amel Kadic, a Bosnian woman who gained international recognition for her role in the landmark legal case against Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb leaders accused of genocide during the Bosnian War. Kadic's case, filed in 1993, paved the way for future human rights litigation against state and non-state actors in international courts.

While the name Amel has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Amel over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Amel 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 Amel, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0471114199620102024

Decades

Amel by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Amel 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 #2522 51 5
2010s #2997 80 10
2000s #2423 71 9
1990s #3216 16 4

Related

Names similar to Amel

FAQ

Amel: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Amel was ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.

When was Amel most popular?

The peak year on record was 2020, with 14 babies registered as Amel in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Amel?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "hope" or "dream".

How many people are called Amel in the UK?

A total of 218 babies have been registered as Amel across the 28 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.