UK girl's name
Anisah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "good companion" or "friend".
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.
Anisah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Anisah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 86 births.
This profile covers 916 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 3% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 940 living people in the UK are called Anisah. 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
- • Anisah ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2000, when 86 girls were registered as Anisah.
- • Anisah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #555 in 2004.
- • About 940 living people in the UK are estimated to have Anisah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5891
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2000
86 births
Estimated living
940
2026
Meaning
What does Anisah mean?
The name Anisah originates from the Arabic language and culture. It is believed to have been derived from the Arabic word "uns," which means "companionship" or "intimacy." The name can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age.
Anisah is a feminine name that has been mentioned in several ancient Arabic texts and religious scriptures. In the Quran, the word "uns" is used to describe the close relationship between God and humans. This connection may have influenced the choice of the name for newborn daughters, symbolizing their companionship and intimate bond with their families.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Anisah can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab poet and scholar, Al-Mutanabbi, who lived from 915 to 965 AD. In his poetry, he mentioned a woman named Anisah, though little is known about her specific identity.
Throughout history, several notable women have carried the name Anisah. One such figure was Anisah al-Malikah, a 12th-century Arab princess and scholar from the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt. She was known for her expertise in literature, poetry, and Islamic studies.
Another prominent figure was Anisah al-Tawilah, a renowned 13th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer from Mosul, Iraq. She made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is remembered for her work on calculating the positions of celestial bodies.
In the 14th century, Anisah bint Muhammad al-Muzaffar was a prominent Arab poet and writer from Granada, Spain. Her poetry celebrated the beauty of nature and explored themes of love and spirituality.
During the 16th century, Anisah al-Baghdadiyah was a notable Arab calligrapher and artist from Baghdad, Iraq. Her intricate calligraphic works adorned numerous mosques and palaces, and she was highly regarded for her mastery of the art form.
In more recent times, Anisah Baig (1913-2008) was a renowned Pakistani educationist and social worker. She dedicated her life to promoting education and women's empowerment in Pakistan, establishing several schools and organizations to further these causes.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Anisah over time
The chart below shows babies named Anisah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Anisah, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 86 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Anisah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Anisah 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 | #5343 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010s | #2662 | 108 | 10 |
| 2000s | #650 | 536 | 10 |
| 1990s | #450 | 262 | 4 |
Geography
Where Anisah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Anisah. 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.
Anisah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #555 in 2004.
Across the UK
Anisah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#555 in 2004
8 years of NRS records, 30 total registered
Related
Names similar to Anisah
- 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
Anisah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Anisah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Anisah was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Anisah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2000, with 86 babies registered as Anisah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Anisah?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "good companion" or "friend".
How many people are called Anisah in the UK?
A total of 916 babies have been registered as Anisah across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 30 more in Scotland.
Where is Anisah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Anisah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #555 in 2004. 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.