NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Ayesha

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "alive" or "prosperous".

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.

Ayesha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Ayesha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #217, with 220 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 290 births.

This profile covers 6,615 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 76% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 6,932 living people in the UK are called Ayesha. 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

  • Ayesha ranked #217 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 220 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2014, when 290 girls were registered as Ayesha.
  • Ayesha ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #295 in 2024.
  • About 6,932 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ayesha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#217

2024

Births in 2024

220

Latest year

Peak year

2014

290 births

Estimated living

6,932

2026

Meaning

What does Ayesha mean?

The name Ayesha has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "al-hayah," which means "life" or "alive." This name has been in use for centuries and holds significant historical references.

One of the earliest and most prominent figures associated with the name Ayesha was Ayesha bint Abi Bakr, the youngest wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. She was born in 614 CE and played a crucial role in the early Islamic community, narrating many hadith (sayings of the Prophet) and contributing to the preservation of Islamic teachings.

Another notable figure in history bearing the name Ayesha was Ayesha al-Baauniyah, a 12th-century Islamic scholar and poet from Syria. She was renowned for her expertise in various fields, including Quranic exegesis, hadith, and literature.

In the 19th century, Ayesha Nana Majmu, also known as Hazrat Ayesha Nana, was a revered Sufi saint and spiritual leader from India. She was born in 1834 and is remembered for her teachings and contributions to the Sufi tradition.

Moving to the 20th century, Ayesha Jalal, born in 1948, is a renowned Pakistani-American historian and author. She is best known for her works on the history of South Asia, particularly her book "The Struggle for Pakistan: A Muslim Homeland and Global Politics."

Another prominent figure with the name Ayesha is Ayesha Fareed, a Pakistani actress and model born in 1981. She has appeared in numerous Pakistani television shows and films, gaining widespread recognition for her acting talents.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Ayesha. The name has endured across centuries and cultures, carrying with it a rich heritage and historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ayesha over time

The chart below shows babies named Ayesha 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 Ayesha, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 220 births in 2024, compared with 290 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ayesha
073145218290199620102024

Decades

Ayesha by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ayesha 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 #257 926 5
2010s #209 2,480 10
2000s #208 2,272 10
1990s #189 937 4

Geography

Where Ayesha is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ayesha. 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.

Ayesha ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #295 in 2024.

Scotland
12
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Ayesha in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#295 in 2024

43 years of NRS records, 350 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#419 in 2009

2 years of NISRA records, 6 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Ayesha

  • Ayesha Gwilt

    actor

    actress

    1989-

  • Ayesha Makim

    model

    born 1986; niece of Sarah, Duchess of York

    1986-

  • Ayesha Antoine

    actor

    British actress

    1981-

  • Ayesha Hazarika

    writer; comedian

    Scottish broadcaster and journalist (born 1975)

    1975-

  • Ayesha Vardag

    jurist

    English solicitor and divorce lawyer

    1968-

Related

Names similar to Ayesha

FAQ

Ayesha: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Ayesha was ranked #217 for girls in England and Wales, with 220 births registered.

When was Ayesha most popular?

The peak year on record was 2014, with 290 babies registered as Ayesha in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ayesha?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "alive" or "prosperous".

How many people are called Ayesha in the UK?

A total of 6,615 babies have been registered as Ayesha across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 350 more in Scotland and 6 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Ayesha most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Ayesha ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #295 in 2024. 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.