NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Eshal

A Persian name meaning "morning dew" or "dewdrop".

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.

Eshal is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Eshal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1230, with 27 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 102 births.

This profile covers 1,024 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 2004 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 26% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,065 living people in the UK are called Eshal. 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

  • Eshal ranked #1230 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 27 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2012, when 102 girls were registered as Eshal.
  • Eshal ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #493 in 2019.
  • About 1,065 living people in the UK are estimated to have Eshal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1230

2024

Births in 2024

27

Latest year

Peak year

2012

102 births

Estimated living

1,065

2026

Meaning

What does Eshal mean?

The name Eshal is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots tracing back to the ancient Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures. It is derived from the Arabic word "ishal," which means "to flow" or "to pour." This connection suggests that the name Eshal may have been associated with concepts of abundance, fertility, or the free-flowing nature of water or other liquids.

In the early days of Islam, the name Eshal was occasionally mentioned in historical texts and records, although its precise origins and earliest known bearers remain somewhat obscure. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab historian and scholar, Al-Tabari, who lived in the 9th and 10th centuries CE. He made a brief reference to an individual named Eshal in his monumental work, "History of the Prophets and Kings."

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Eshal, although their historical significance may have varied. One such individual was Eshal bin Harun al-Tamimi, a prominent Arab poet and scholar who lived during the 9th century CE in present-day Iraq. His poetic works were widely acclaimed and celebrated in literary circles of the time.

Another notable figure was Eshal al-Baghdadi, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in Baghdad during the 11th century CE. He was known for his extensive knowledge of Islamic law and jurisprudence, and his writings were highly respected among legal scholars of his era.

In the realm of military leadership, Eshal al-Hajjaji was a distinguished commander who served under the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century CE. He was renowned for his strategic acumen and valor on the battlefield, leading several successful military campaigns against rival forces.

The name Eshal also found its way into the annals of Sufism, the spiritual and mystical tradition within Islam. Eshal al-Sufi was a revered Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher who lived in Iran during the 12th century CE. His teachings and writings on the path of spiritual enlightenment influenced generations of Sufi practitioners.

While these are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Eshal, it is important to note that the name's origins and cultural significance may have evolved and varied across different regions and time periods within the Arabic-speaking world and broader Islamic cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Eshal over time

The chart below shows babies named Eshal registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 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 Eshal, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 27 births in 2024, compared with 102 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Eshal
0265177102200420142024

Decades

Eshal by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Eshal 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 #1186 143 5
2010s #697 632 10
2000s #837 249 6

Geography

Where Eshal is most common

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

Eshal ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #493 in 2019.

Scotland
6

Across the UK

Eshal in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#493 in 2019

10 years of NRS records, 46 total registered

Related

Names similar to Eshal

FAQ

Eshal: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Eshal was ranked #1230 for girls in England and Wales, with 27 births registered.

When was Eshal most popular?

The peak year on record was 2012, with 102 babies registered as Eshal in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Eshal?

A Persian name meaning "morning dew" or "dewdrop".

How many people are called Eshal in the UK?

A total of 1,024 babies have been registered as Eshal across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 46 more in Scotland.

Where is Eshal most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Eshal ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #493 in 2019. 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.