NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Ashal

A feminine Arabic name meaning "honey-colored" or "dark brown".

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.

Ashal is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Ashal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 4 births.

This profile covers 17 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.

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 17 living people in the UK are called Ashal. 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

  • Ashal ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2019, when 4 boys were registered as Ashal.
  • About 17 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ashal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2019

4 births

Estimated living

17

2026

Meaning

What does Ashal mean?

The name Ashal is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "ashal," which means "authentic" or "genuine." This name was commonly used in the regions of the Middle East and North Africa during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Ashal can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab scholar and philosopher, Avicenna (980-1037 CE). In his famous work, "The Book of Healing," he mentions an individual named Ashal ibn Malik, who was a respected physician and scholar of his time.

During the 12th century, the name Ashal gained prominence in the Islamic world, particularly in the areas of present-day Iraq and Iran. Historical records indicate that Ashal ibn Muhammad al-Baghdadi (1162-1239 CE) was a prominent mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the 13th century, Ashal al-Din al-Hafiz (1205-1277 CE), a renowned Sufi scholar and poet, carried the name Ashal. His poetic works, which explored themes of spirituality and mysticism, were widely celebrated and continue to be studied to this day.

Another notable figure from history who bore the name Ashal was Ashal ibn Abi al-Qasim (1303-1375 CE), a prominent jurist and scholar of Islamic law. He served as a judge and legal advisor in the court of the Mamluk Sultanate, which ruled over Egypt and Syria during that era.

In the 15th century, Ashal ibn Yahya al-Andalusi (1420-1492 CE) was a renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher from the Iberian Peninsula. His writings on various subjects, including mathematics, astronomy, and metaphysics, were highly respected and influential during his lifetime.

While the name Ashal may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the Arab world and serves as a testament to the enduring influence of the Arabic language and Islamic civilization throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ashal over time

The chart below shows babies named Ashal 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 Ashal, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ashal
01234201620202024

Decades

Ashal by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ashal 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 #4672 10 3
2010s #4374 7 2

Related

Names similar to Ashal

FAQ

Ashal: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Ashal was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Ashal most popular?

The peak year on record was 2019, with 4 babies registered as Ashal in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ashal?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "honey-colored" or "dark brown".

How many people are called Ashal in the UK?

A total of 17 babies have been registered as Ashal 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.