UK boy's name
Asad
A masculine name derived from the Arabic word for lion.
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.
Asad is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Asad popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1282, with 21 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 62 births.
This profile covers 916 England and Wales registrations across 29 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 34% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 923 living people in the UK are called Asad. 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
- • Asad ranked #1282 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 21 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 62 boys were registered as Asad.
- • Asad ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #568 in 2012.
- • About 923 living people in the UK are estimated to have Asad as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1282
2024
Births in 2024
21
Latest year
Peak year
1999
62 births
Estimated living
923
2026
Meaning
What does Asad mean?
The name Asad is derived from an Arabic word that means "lion". It originated in the Middle East and has been used by Arabic speakers for centuries. The name has connections to the Islamic faith, as lions are mentioned in the Quran and were seen as powerful symbols of strength and courage.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Asad dates back to the 7th century AD. Asad ibn al-Furat was an Arab general who served under the Umayyad caliphate and played a key role in the Muslim conquest of Hispania (modern-day Spain and Portugal) in the year 711.
In the 9th century, Asad ibn Janah was a famous Jewish grammarian, rabbi, and philosopher who lived in Cordoba, Spain. He made significant contributions to the study of Hebrew linguistics and is considered one of the most influential scholars of the Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain.
Asad ibn Ibrahim was a 10th-century Persian mathematician and astronomer who worked in Baghdad during the Abbasid caliphate. He made advancements in the field of trigonometry and wrote several influential works on mathematics.
In the 13th century, Asad al-Din Shirazi was a renowned Persian poet and mystic who lived in present-day Iran. He was a prominent figure in the Sufi tradition and wrote beautiful poetry that explored spiritual themes.
More recently, Asad Pasha was an Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the Governor of Baghdad in the late 19th century. He played a significant role in the modernization efforts of the Ottoman Empire and was known for his administrative reforms in the region.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Asad. The name has maintained its significance and popularity within Arabic-speaking cultures, often carrying connotations of strength, bravery, and nobility associated with the symbolic lion.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Asad over time
The chart below shows babies named Asad 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 Asad, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 21 births in 2024, compared with 62 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Asad by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Asad 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 | #1258 | 106 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1492 | 172 | 10 |
| 2000s | #608 | 443 | 10 |
| 1990s | #429 | 195 | 4 |
Geography
Where Asad is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Asad. 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.
Asad ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #568 in 2012.
Across the UK
Asad in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#568 in 2012
4 years of NRS records, 15 total registered
Related
Names similar to Asad
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Asad: questions and answers
How popular is the name Asad in the UK right now?
In 2024, Asad was ranked #1282 for boys in England and Wales, with 21 births registered.
When was Asad most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 62 babies registered as Asad in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Asad?
A masculine name derived from the Arabic word for lion.
How many people are called Asad in the UK?
A total of 916 babies have been registered as Asad across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 15 more in Scotland.
Where is Asad most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Asad ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #568 in 2012. 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.