UK girl's name
Antara
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "inner" or "within".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Antara is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Antara popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 4 births.
This profile covers 19 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 1999 to 2023. 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 19 living people in the UK are called Antara. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Antara ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 4 girls were registered as Antara.
- • About 19 living people in the UK are estimated to have Antara as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5687
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2003
4 births
Estimated living
19
2026
Meaning
What does Antara mean?
The name Antara has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient language of India. It is derived from the word "antar," which means "inner" or "within." The name can be traced back to the Vedic period, around the second millennium BCE, when it was used to refer to the inner self or soul.
In Hindu mythology, Antara is mentioned as the name of a character in the epic Mahabharata. She was a warrior princess and the daughter of King Virata, in whose court the Pandavas sought refuge during their exile. Antara's bravery and skill in battle are celebrated in the ancient text.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Antara is found in the Puranas, a collection of ancient Hindu scriptures. In the Bhagavata Purana, Antara is mentioned as the name of a sage who attained spiritual enlightenment through his devotion to Lord Vishnu.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Antara. One of the earliest was Antara Ibn Shaddad, a pre-Islamic Arab poet who lived in the 6th century CE. His poems, which were later compiled in the Mu'allaqat, are considered masterpieces of Arabic literature.
In the 11th century, Antara Devi was a powerful queen of the Chahamana dynasty in India. She ruled parts of present-day Rajasthan and is known for her patronage of art and architecture, as well as her military prowess in defending her kingdom.
During the 16th century, Antara Ami was a prominent Bengali poet and composer who is credited with popularizing the Dobhashi style of poetry, which combined elements of Bengali and Sanskrit languages.
In the 19th century, Antara Mohan Bose was a Bengali writer and social reformer who advocated for women's education and the abolition of the dowry system. He founded the Bangabasi College in Kolkata, which was one of the earliest institutions to provide higher education to women.
Antara Chowdhury was a renowned Indian classical dancer of the 20th century. Born in 1931, she was a pioneer of the Odissi dance form and worked tirelessly to revive and promote this ancient tradition.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Antara over time
The chart below shows babies named Antara registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Antara, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Antara by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Antara 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 | #5687 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #4548 | 13 | 4 |
| 1990s | #3900 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Antara
- 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
Antara: questions and answers
How popular is the name Antara in the UK right now?
In 2023, Antara was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Antara most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 4 babies registered as Antara in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Antara?
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "inner" or "within".
How many people are called Antara in the UK?
A total of 19 babies have been registered as Antara across the 6 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.