NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Aneesah

An Arabic name meaning "pleasant companion" or "close friend".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Aneesah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Aneesah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4645, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 37 births.

This profile covers 449 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. 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 11% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 457 living people in the UK are called Aneesah. 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 2023 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Aneesah ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2002, when 37 girls were registered as Aneesah.
  • Aneesah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #483 in 1997.
  • About 457 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aneesah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4645

2022

Births in 2022

4

Latest year

Peak year

2002

37 births

Estimated living

457

2026

Meaning

What does Aneesah mean?

The name Aneesah is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the word "uns," which means "companionship" or "intimacy." It is believed to have emerged during the early Islamic era, around the 7th century CE, when Arabic culture and language were flourishing in the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the earliest known references to the name Aneesah can be found in the works of renowned Arabic scholars and poets from the medieval period. Some linguists suggest that the name may have been inspired by the word "anisa," which means "to become familiar" or "to be intimate with."

Historically, the name Aneesah gained popularity among Arabic-speaking communities, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. It was often given to baby girls as a symbol of the cherished bond between a mother and her child, or as a wish for the child to find companionship and familiarity in life.

Throughout the centuries, several notable women have borne the name Aneesah. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Aneesah bint Abi Bakr, a prominent Islamic scholar and hadith narrator who lived during the 8th century CE. Another notable figure was Aneesah al-Kurdi, a 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet from modern-day Iraq, renowned for her spiritual writings and teachings.

In the 16th century, Aneesah al-Maridini was a renowned calligrapher and artist from Damascus, whose intricate calligraphic works adorned many mosques and palaces of the time. Centuries later, Aneesah al-Jedawi (1854-1912) was a pioneering Egyptian feminist and writer who advocated for women's rights and education.

More recently, Aneesah Mead (1924-2012) was an American writer and activist who played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement, using her writings to promote social justice and equality.

While the name Aneesah has its roots in Arabic culture, it has transcended borders and gained popularity among diverse communities worldwide, often carrying the connotations of friendship, familiarity, and companionship.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Aneesah over time

The chart below shows babies named Aneesah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Aneesah, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 37 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Aneesah
09192837199620092022

Decades

Aneesah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aneesah 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 #4645 4 1
2010s #3820 66 10
2000s #1258 248 10
1990s #719 131 4

Geography

Where Aneesah is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Aneesah. 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.

Aneesah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #483 in 1997.

Scotland
5

Across the UK

Aneesah in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#483 in 1997

3 years of NRS records, 11 total registered

Related

Names similar to Aneesah

FAQ

Aneesah: questions and answers

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

In 2022, Aneesah was ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Aneesah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2002, with 37 babies registered as Aneesah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Aneesah?

An Arabic name meaning "pleasant companion" or "close friend".

How many people are called Aneesah in the UK?

A total of 449 babies have been registered as Aneesah across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11 more in Scotland.

Where is Aneesah most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Aneesah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #483 in 1997. 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.