NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Ayasha

A feminine Arabic name meaning "life" or "she who lives".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2008. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Ayasha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Ayasha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2008 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4524, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 6 births.

This profile covers 21 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 1997 to 2008. 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 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 21 living people in the UK are called Ayasha. 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 2009 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Ayasha ranked #4524 for girls in England and Wales in 2008, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 6 girls were registered as Ayasha.
  • About 21 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ayasha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4524

2008

Births in 2008

4

Latest year

Peak year

1997

6 births

Estimated living

21

2026

Meaning

What does Ayasha mean?

The name Ayasha is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, with roots dating back to the 7th century CE. In Arabic, the name is spelled as "أياشة" and is thought to be derived from the word "ayyash," which means "long-lived" or "eternal."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ayasha can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature. It was often used as a symbolic name, representing the idea of longevity and the desire for a long, fulfilling life.

Historically, the name Ayasha gained prominence during the Islamic Golden Age, a period of cultural, economic, and scientific flourishing in the Islamic world between the 8th and 13th centuries. During this time, several notable figures bore the name Ayasha, including Ayasha bint Al-Tufayl, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century CE.

Another prominent historical figure with the name Ayasha was Ayasha Al-Baghdadiyya, a 10th-century scholar and writer from Baghdad. She is remembered for her contributions to the fields of literature, poetry, and Islamic jurisprudence.

In the 12th century, Ayasha Al-Dimashqiyya, a Syrian calligrapher and artist, gained recognition for her exquisite calligraphic works and illuminated manuscripts.

Moving forward to the 14th century, Ayasha bint Ahmad Al-Maqdisi was a respected Islamic scholar and jurist from Jerusalem. Her writings on Islamic law and theology were widely studied and influential during her time.

Lastly, in the 16th century, Ayasha Al-Andalusiyya was a Spanish-born poet and writer who lived during the final years of the Moorish rule in Spain. Her poetry, which often celebrated the beauty of nature and the human experience, has been preserved and studied by scholars of Arabic literature.

These are just a few examples of notable historical figures who bore the name Ayasha, showcasing the enduring legacy and rich cultural heritage associated with this name throughout various eras and regions of the Islamic world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ayasha over time

The chart below shows babies named Ayasha registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2008. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Ayasha, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2008, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ayasha
02356199720022008

Decades

Ayasha by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ayasha 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
2000s #4145 10 3
1990s #2556 11 2

Related

Names similar to Ayasha

FAQ

Ayasha: questions and answers

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

In 2008, Ayasha was ranked #4524 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Ayasha most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 6 babies registered as Ayasha in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ayasha?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "life" or "she who lives".

How many people are called Ayasha in the UK?

A total of 21 babies have been registered as Ayasha 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.