UK girl's name
Besan
A Hindi name of Sanskrit origin meaning gram flour or chickpea flour.
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.
Besan is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Besan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 3 births.
This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2022 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Besan. 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
- • Besan ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 3 girls were registered as Besan.
- • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Besan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5891
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2022
3 births
Estimated living
6
2026
Meaning
What does Besan mean?
The name Besan has its origins in the Persian language, derived from the word "besan," which means "sesame." It is believed to have originated during the medieval period in the regions of present-day Iran and Central Asia, where sesame was a significant agricultural crop.
Besan was not a commonly used name in ancient religious texts or historical records. However, there are a few notable individuals throughout history who bore this name or variations of it.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Besan is Besan Dagi, a 13th-century Turkish military commander who served under the Seljuk Sultanate. He played a crucial role in the conquest of Anatolia and the establishment of Turkish rule in the region.
Another historical figure with the name Besan was Besan Daulat Khan, a 17th-century Mughal nobleman and military leader from the Indian subcontinent. He served under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and was known for his military campaigns against the Maratha Empire.
In the 19th century, Besan Chand was a prominent figure in the state of Bahawalpur, now part of modern-day Pakistan. He served as the Prime Minister of Bahawalpur from 1866 to 1900 and played a significant role in the development of the region.
Moving to more recent times, Besan Singh Ramgarhia was an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who lived from 1871 to 1942. He was a prominent figure in the Sikh community and worked towards the upliftment of the downtrodden sections of society.
Lastly, Besan Devi was a renowned Indian classical vocalist of the Khyal style of singing, who lived from 1915 to 1993. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, for her contributions to music.
While the name Besan may not be as widely known or popular in modern times, it has a rich historical significance, particularly in the regions of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Middle East, where it was more prevalent in the past.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Besan over time
The chart below shows babies named Besan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2022 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 Besan, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Besan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Besan 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 | #5780 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Besan
- Bethany 43,226
- Brooke 18,370
- Bella 14,112
- Bonnie 12,149
- Beatrice 11,306
- Bethan 7,968
- Beth 6,440
- Betsy 5,065
- Beatrix 4,317
- Billie 4,220
- Beau 3,231
- Bryony 3,167
FAQ
Besan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Besan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Besan was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Besan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 3 babies registered as Besan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Besan?
A Hindi name of Sanskrit origin meaning gram flour or chickpea flour.
How many people are called Besan in the UK?
A total of 6 babies have been registered as Besan across the 2 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.