NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Bismah

An Arabic feminine name meaning "One who has a smiling face".

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.

Bismah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Bismah 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 2007, with 25 births.

This profile covers 285 England and Wales registrations across 27 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 12% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 286 living people in the UK are called Bismah. 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

  • Bismah ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2007, when 25 girls were registered as Bismah.
  • Bismah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #667 in 2003.
  • About 286 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bismah 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

2007

25 births

Estimated living

286

2026

Meaning

What does Bismah mean?

The name Bismah has its origins in the Arabic language and Islamic culture. It is derived from the Arabic word 'bismillah,' which means 'in the name of Allah' and is a phrase often recited before beginning any significant task or endeavor in Islamic tradition. The name itself is a feminine form of the word 'bism,' meaning 'name.'

Bismah is considered a popular name among Muslim communities worldwide, particularly in the Middle East, South Asia, and parts of Africa. It has been recorded in various historical texts and documents, including Islamic scriptures and poetry, dating back to the 7th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bismah can be found in the works of the renowned Persian poet and scholar, Ferdowsi (940-1020 AD). In his epic poem, the Shahnameh, Ferdowsi mentions a character named Bismah, who was a princess from the Sasanian dynasty of ancient Persia.

Another notable figure with the name Bismah was Bismah Maroof (1927-2015), an Iraqi artist and sculptor. She was renowned for her pioneering work in modern Iraqi art and her contributions to the development of contemporary sculpture in the region.

In the realm of literature, Bismah Sahib (1892-1962) was a prominent Urdu poet from British India (now Pakistan). Her poetry explored themes of love, spirituality, and patriotism, and she was celebrated for her contributions to the Progressive Writers' Movement in the subcontinent.

The name Bismah has also been borne by historical figures in South Asia. One such figure was Bismah Khan (1910-1984), an Indian classical musician and sarangi player. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the sarangi and received numerous honors for his contributions to Hindustani classical music.

Another notable bearer of the name was Bismah Maroof (1936-2018), a renowned Iraqi novelist and short story writer. Her works explored themes of social injustice, women's rights, and the complexities of modern Arab society. She was a prominent figure in the Iraqi literary scene and received several awards for her literary achievements.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Bismah throughout history, highlighting its rich cultural and historical significance across various regions and disciplines.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Bismah over time

The chart below shows babies named Bismah 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 Bismah, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 25 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Bismah
06131925199620102024

Decades

Bismah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bismah 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 #4774 16 4
2010s #3649 63 9
2000s #1373 180 10
1990s #2843 26 4

Geography

Where Bismah is most common

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

Bismah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #667 in 2003.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Bismah in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#667 in 2003

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Bismah

FAQ

Bismah: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Bismah was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Bismah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2007, with 25 babies registered as Bismah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Bismah?

An Arabic feminine name meaning "One who has a smiling face".

How many people are called Bismah in the UK?

A total of 285 babies have been registered as Bismah across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Bismah most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Bismah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #667 in 2003. 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.