UK girl's name
Fara
An Arabic feminine name meaning "joy" or "happiness".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Fara is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Fara popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5493, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 5 births.
This profile covers 20 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2001 to 2020. 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 32 living people in the UK are called Fara. 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 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Fara ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2014, when 5 girls were registered as Fara.
- • Fara ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
- • About 32 living people in the UK are estimated to have Fara as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5493
2020
Births in 2020
3
Latest year
Peak year
2014
5 births
Estimated living
32
2026
Meaning
What does Fara mean?
The name Fara originates from the Persian language and can be traced back to ancient Persia, now known as Iran. It is derived from the Old Persian word "fara," which means "noble" or "exalted." The name's earliest known usage dates back to the Achaemenid Empire, which ruled over the Persian territories from the 6th to 4th centuries BCE.
In ancient Persian mythology, Fara was the name of a legendary warrior princess renowned for her bravery and skill in battle. Her name became associated with strength, courage, and nobility. References to Fara can be found in some of the earliest Persian epics and poetry, solidifying its place in the cultural heritage of the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Fara was Fara Shad, a prominent Persian poet and scholar who lived during the 10th century CE. She was renowned for her contributions to the development of Persian literature and was celebrated for her mastery of the art of poetry.
Another notable figure with the name Fara was Fara Bakhsh, a Persian military leader from the 16th century. He served under the Safavid Dynasty and played a crucial role in the expansion and consolidation of the empire's territories.
In the realm of science, Fara Imperato was an Italian naturalist and apothecary who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. She is known for her extensive work on the study and documentation of natural history, particularly in the field of botany.
During the 19th century, Fara Antun was a prominent Lebanese writer, poet, and journalist who played a significant role in the Arab Renaissance (Nahda) movement. Her literary works influenced the cultural and intellectual landscape of the region.
In the 20th century, Fara Fauset was an influential African American writer and literary editor. She was part of the Harlem Renaissance movement and made significant contributions to the advancement of African American literature and cultural expression.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Fara over time
The chart below shows babies named Fara registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Fara, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fara by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Fara 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 | #5493 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5306 | 14 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3998 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Fara is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Fara. 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.
Fara ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
Across the UK
Fara in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#790 in 2024
3 years of NRS records, 12 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Fara
-
Fara Williams
association football player
English association football player (born 1984)
1984-
Related
Names similar to Fara
- Freya 50,564
- Florence 32,908
- Francesca 18,752
- Faith 14,325
- Fatima 11,112
- Faye 8,999
- Felicity 8,554
- Frankie 6,977
- Ffion 6,115
- Flora 3,499
- Frances 3,417
- Fatimah 3,065
FAQ
Fara: questions and answers
How popular is the name Fara in the UK right now?
In 2020, Fara was ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Fara most popular?
The peak year on record was 2014, with 5 babies registered as Fara in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Fara?
An Arabic feminine name meaning "joy" or "happiness".
How many people are called Fara in the UK?
A total of 20 babies have been registered as Fara across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 12 more in Scotland.
Where is Fara most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Fara ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #790 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.