UK boy's name
Emir
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "commander" or "prince".
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.
Emir is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Emir popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #529, with 73 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 73 births.
This profile covers 946 England and Wales registrations across 29 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.
Emir is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 970 living people in the UK are called Emir. 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
- • Emir ranked #529 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 73 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 73 boys were registered as Emir.
- • Emir ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #535 in 2024.
- • About 970 living people in the UK are estimated to have Emir as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#529
2024
Births in 2024
73
Latest year
Peak year
2024
73 births
Estimated living
970
2026
Meaning
What does Emir mean?
The name Emir has its origins in the Arabic language, and it can be traced back to the early Islamic period in the Middle East. The term "emir" initially referred to a commander or ruler, derived from the Arabic word "amara," meaning "to command."
In the early days of Islam, the title of "emir" was bestowed upon military leaders and provincial governors who governed various regions on behalf of the caliph, the supreme religious and political leader of the Muslim world. Over time, the term evolved to encompass various ranks of nobility and aristocracy within the Islamic world.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Emir can be found in historical accounts from the 7th century AD, during the reign of the Rashidun Caliphate, the first Islamic caliphate established after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Notable figures bearing this name include Emir Abd al-Rahman I (788-855), the founder of the Umayyad Caliphate in Cordoba, Spain.
In the subsequent centuries, the name Emir became associated with numerous influential rulers and leaders across the Islamic world. For example, Emir Timur (1336-1405), also known as Tamerlane, was a renowned Turko-Mongol conqueror who established the Timurid Empire, which spanned modern-day Central Asia, Iran, and parts of India.
Another significant historical figure with the name Emir was Emir Abdelkader (1808-1883), an Algerian religious leader, political and military leader who led a resistance movement against the French colonial forces in the 19th century. He is widely regarded as a hero in Algeria and is celebrated for his military prowess and commitment to Islamic principles.
In the Ottoman Empire, the title of "emir" was often bestowed upon members of the imperial family or high-ranking officials. One notable example is Emir Suleiman Pasha (1836-1892), an Ottoman statesman and military commander who served as the Grand Vizier (prime minister) during the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz.
Emir Ali Pasha (1815-1871) was an influential Ottoman statesman and diplomat who played a crucial role in the modernization and reform efforts of the Ottoman Empire during the 19th century. He served as the Grand Vizier and is remembered for his efforts to promote education and implement administrative reforms.
Throughout history, the name Emir has been associated with leadership, authority, and nobility within the Islamic world, reflecting its roots as a title bestowed upon rulers and commanders. While its usage may have evolved over time, the name continues to carry a sense of prestige and historical significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Emir over time
The chart below shows babies named Emir 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 Emir, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 73 births in 2024, compared with 73 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Emir by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Emir 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 | #597 | 312 | 5 |
| 2010s | #712 | 490 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1472 | 130 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2632 | 14 | 4 |
Geography
Where Emir is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Emir. 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.
Emir ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #535 in 2024.
Across the UK
Emir in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#535 in 2024
8 years of NRS records, 30 total registered
Related
Names similar to Emir
- Ethan 77,394
- Edward 53,212
- Elliot 23,450
- Elijah 22,369
- Ellis 19,358
- Elliott 16,964
- Evan 14,535
- Ezra 11,838
- Ewan 10,685
- Eli 8,126
- Elias 7,049
- Eric 6,654
FAQ
Emir: questions and answers
How popular is the name Emir in the UK right now?
In 2024, Emir was ranked #529 for boys in England and Wales, with 73 births registered.
When was Emir most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 73 babies registered as Emir in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Emir?
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "commander" or "prince".
How many people are called Emir in the UK?
A total of 946 babies have been registered as Emir across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 30 more in Scotland.
Where is Emir most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Emir ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #535 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.