NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Faisal

Masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "great one" or "resolved".

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.

Faisal is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Faisal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1859, with 13 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 78 births.

This profile covers 969 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.

The latest count is about 17% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,017 living people in the UK are called Faisal. 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

  • Faisal ranked #1859 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 13 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 78 boys were registered as Faisal.
  • Faisal ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
  • About 1,017 living people in the UK are estimated to have Faisal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1859

2024

Births in 2024

13

Latest year

Peak year

1997

78 births

Estimated living

1,017

2026

Meaning

What does Faisal mean?

The name Faisal has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic root word "fa-sa-la," which means "to separate" or "to distinguish." The name is thought to have emerged in the Arabian Peninsula during the early Islamic period, around the 7th century CE.

Faisal is a relatively uncommon name in ancient texts and religious scriptures, but it gained prominence in the historical records of the Arab world. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the writings of the 9th-century Arab historian and geographer, al-Baladhuri, who mentioned a person named Faisal ibn Yahya al-Barmaki, a member of the influential Barmakid family during the Abbasid Caliphate.

The name Faisal has been borne by several notable figures throughout history. One of the most prominent was Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1906-1975), the third King of Saudi Arabia, who played a crucial role in the country's development and modernization. Another well-known Faisal was Faisal I (1885-1933), the first King of Iraq, who led the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I and later became the founder of the modern Iraqi state.

Faisal II (1935-1958) was the last King of Iraq, who ascended to the throne at the age of four and was tragically killed in a coup d'état at the age of 23. Faisal bin Musaid Al Saud (1944-1975) was a Saudi prince and the first governor of Asir Province, known for his efforts to develop the region.

Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud (1945-2008) was a Saudi prince and businessman who served as the Governor of Riyadh Province from 1992 to 2013. He played a significant role in the development of the Saudi capital and was known for his philanthropic efforts.

While the name Faisal has been most commonly used in the Arab world, it has also been adopted by other cultures and communities around the globe. However, its rich history and cultural significance can be traced back to its Arabic roots and the influential figures who have borne this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Faisal over time

The chart below shows babies named Faisal 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 Faisal, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 13 births in 2024, compared with 78 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Faisal
020395978199620102024

Decades

Faisal by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Faisal 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 #1621 76 5
2010s #1195 230 10
2000s #637 411 10
1990s #374 252 4

Geography

Where Faisal is most common

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

Faisal ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Faisal in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#704 in 2018

15 years of NRS records, 58 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Faisal

  • Faisal Islam

    editor; journalist

    British journalist

    1978-

  • Faisal Rashid

    politician

    British politician (born 1972)

    1972-

  • Faisal Abdu'allah

    photographer; graphic artist

    artist and barber (born 1969)

    1969-

  • Faisal al-Qassem

    journalist

    British-Syrian television personality

    1961-

  • Faisal Kabir

    candidate in the 2024 United Kingdom general election

Related

Names similar to Faisal

FAQ

Faisal: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Faisal was ranked #1859 for boys in England and Wales, with 13 births registered.

When was Faisal most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 78 babies registered as Faisal in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Faisal?

Masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "great one" or "resolved".

How many people are called Faisal in the UK?

A total of 969 babies have been registered as Faisal across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 58 more in Scotland.

Where is Faisal most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Faisal ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #704 in 2018. 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.