UK girl's name
Amilah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "hopeful" or "hopes.".
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.
Amilah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Amilah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3015, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 14 births.
This profile covers 236 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1997 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 235 living people in the UK are called Amilah. 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
- • Amilah ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 14 girls were registered as Amilah.
- • About 235 living people in the UK are estimated to have Amilah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3015
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
2012
14 births
Estimated living
235
2026
Meaning
What does Amilah mean?
The name Amilah has its origins in Arabic, derived from the root word "amal," which means "hope" or "aspiration." It is a feminine name that has been used across various regions of the Middle East and North Africa for centuries.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Amilah can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the rise of Islam and the expansion of the Arab civilization. The name was often chosen for newborn girls as a symbolic representation of the hope and aspirations their parents had for their future.
In Islamic literature and historical records, the name Amilah is mentioned in several texts, including poetry and religious writings. One notable example is the 10th-century anthology of Arabic poetry, "Kitab al-Aghani," which includes verses mentioning the name Amilah.
Throughout history, there have been several notable women who bore the name Amilah. One of the earliest recorded instances is Amilah bint Qays, a 7th-century Arab poet and warrior from the Banu Sulaim tribe in the Arabian Peninsula. She was renowned for her courage and literary talents.
Another notable figure was Amilah al-Kurdiyah, a 12th-century Kurdish scholar and poet from Mosul, in present-day Iraq. She was celebrated for her expertise in Arabic literature and her contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence.
In the 13th century, Amilah bint al-Hajj al-Baghdadi was a prominent scholar and calligrapher from Baghdad. She was known for her mastery of the Arabic language and her beautiful calligraphic works, which adorned many manuscripts and religious texts.
During the Ottoman Empire, Amilah Khanum was a 16th-century Ottoman princess and philanthropist. She was renowned for her charitable endeavors and her support for education and the arts.
In more recent times, Amilah Rabie was a 20th-century Egyptian actress and singer, born in 1907. She was a pioneering figure in the Egyptian cinema industry and was celebrated for her talent and beauty.
The name Amilah continues to be used in various Arabic-speaking communities worldwide, carrying with it the symbolism of hope, aspiration, and cultural heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Amilah over time
The chart below shows babies named Amilah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 Amilah, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Amilah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Amilah 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 | #2573 | 50 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2473 | 109 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2781 | 73 | 10 |
| 1990s | #3174 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Amilah
- 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
Amilah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Amilah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Amilah was ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Amilah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 14 babies registered as Amilah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Amilah?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "hopeful" or "hopes.".
How many people are called Amilah in the UK?
A total of 236 babies have been registered as Amilah across the 26 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.