NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Anfa

A feminine Arabic name meaning "highest" or "elevated".

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.

Anfa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Anfa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3695, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 6 births.

This profile covers 20 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2016 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.

Anfa is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 20 living people in the UK are called Anfa. 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

  • Anfa ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 6 girls were registered as Anfa.
  • About 20 living people in the UK are estimated to have Anfa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3695

2024

Births in 2024

6

Latest year

Peak year

2024

6 births

Estimated living

20

2026

Meaning

What does Anfa mean?

The name Anfa is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language and culture, possibly dating back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "anfah," which means "nose" or "snout." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname or reference to someone's physical appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Anfa can be found in the "Kitab al-Aghani" (Book of Songs), a renowned collection of Arabic poetry and songs compiled in the 9th century CE. The name appears in several poems and verses, indicating its usage during that time period in the Arab world.

In the 10th century, an Arab scholar and historian named Anfa ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Saraqusti was born in the city of Saragossa (present-day Spain). He is known for his contributions to the study of Arabic grammar and literature.

During the 12th century, Anfa al-Qurtubi, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Cordoba, Spain, gained recognition for his works on Islamic jurisprudence and Quranic exegesis.

In the 14th century, Anfa al-Dimashqi was a famous Syrian geographer and traveler who authored several books on the geography and history of the Middle East.

Another notable figure with the name Anfa was Anfa ibn Hisham al-Kalbi, an 8th-century Arab historian and genealogist from Kufa (present-day Iraq). He is renowned for his works on the history and genealogy of Arab tribes.

It is worth mentioning that while the name Anfa has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, its usage has spread to other regions and languages over time, albeit with varying spellings and pronunciations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Anfa over time

The chart below shows babies named Anfa registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2016 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 Anfa, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Anfa
02356201620202024

Decades

Anfa by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Anfa 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 #4451 14 3
2010s #5775 6 2

Related

Names similar to Anfa

FAQ

Anfa: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Anfa was ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Anfa most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 6 babies registered as Anfa in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Anfa?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "highest" or "elevated".

How many people are called Anfa in the UK?

A total of 20 babies have been registered as Anfa across the 5 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.