NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Anifa

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "one with a noble bearing".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Anifa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Anifa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5493, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 3 births.

This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2020 to 2020. 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.

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

We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Anifa. 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 2021 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Anifa ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2020, when 3 girls were registered as Anifa.
  • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Anifa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5493

2020

Births in 2020

3

Latest year

Peak year

2020

3 births

Estimated living

3

2026

Meaning

What does Anifa mean?

The name Anifa is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, where it is derived from the word "anf," which means "nose" or "nasal." This name is thought to have first emerged during the medieval period in the regions of the Middle East and North Africa, where Arabic was the predominant language.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Anifa can be found in a 9th-century Persian manuscript, which mentions a woman named Anifa who was a renowned poet and scholar. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Islamic Golden Age, a period of significant cultural and intellectual achievements in the region.

In the 11th century, a notable figure named Anifa al-Andalusiyya was a renowned physician and philosopher from Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain and Portugal). Her contributions to the field of medicine and her writings on various philosophical topics earned her widespread recognition during her lifetime.

Another historical figure bearing the name Anifa was a 13th-century Sufi mystic from Central Asia, known as Anifa al-Samarkandi. She is celebrated for her spiritual teachings and her influence on the Sufi tradition in the region.

During the 15th century, there was a prominent Persian calligrapher named Anifa al-Shirazi, whose intricate and beautiful calligraphic works were highly revered and are still preserved in various museums and collections today.

In the 19th century, Anifa al-Baghdadi was a renowned Iraqi poet and author, whose works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition. Her poetry was widely acclaimed and continues to be studied and appreciated by scholars and literary enthusiasts.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Anifa. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Arabic language and the medieval period, its usage has transcended cultural and geographic boundaries, with individuals from various regions and backgrounds adopting this beautiful and unique name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Decades

Anifa by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Anifa 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 #5493 3 1

Related

Names similar to Anifa

FAQ

Anifa: questions and answers

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

In 2020, Anifa was ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Anifa most popular?

The peak year on record was 2020, with 3 babies registered as Anifa in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Anifa?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "one with a noble bearing".

How many people are called Anifa in the UK?

A total of 3 babies have been registered as Anifa across the 1 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.