NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Ghassan

A masculine Arabic name meaning "precious stream" or "waterfall".

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.

Ghassan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Ghassan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 5 births.

This profile covers 31 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 2010 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 31 living people in the UK are called Ghassan. 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

  • Ghassan ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2016, when 5 boys were registered as Ghassan.
  • About 31 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ghassan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2016

5 births

Estimated living

31

2026

Meaning

What does Ghassan mean?

The name Ghassan has its origins in the Arabic language and can be traced back to the pre-Islamic era in the Arabian Peninsula. It is derived from the Arabic word "ghassana," which means "to be strong" or "to be brave." The name was particularly popular among the Ghassanids, an ancient Arab Christian dynasty that ruled parts of modern-day Syria, Jordan, and Palestine from the 3rd to the 7th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ghassan can be found in the ancient Arab poetry and literature from the pre-Islamic period. The name appears in several poems and stories, often associated with bravery, strength, and heroism.

In the Islamic tradition, the name Ghassan is not directly mentioned in the Quran or the hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). However, it has been used by Muslims throughout history, particularly in the Arab world.

One of the earliest and most notable figures to bear the name Ghassan was Al-Ghassan ibn Ubayd Allah, a 7th-century Arab chieftain and military leader who played a significant role in the early Muslim conquests. He was born in the late 6th century and died around 638 CE.

Another prominent historical figure with the name Ghassan was Al-Ghassan ibn 'Abd al-Malik, a member of the Umayyad dynasty who served as the governor of several provinces in the early 8th century. He was born in 685 CE and died in 743 CE.

In the 9th century, Ghassan ibn 'Abbad was a renowned Arab poet and scholar from Iraq. He was known for his mastery of the Arabic language and his contributions to literary criticism. He lived from 816 CE to 890 CE.

During the Mamluk period in Egypt and Syria, Ghassan ibn 'Ali al-Khalili was a prominent Shafi'i jurist and scholar who lived from 1271 CE to 1349 CE. He authored several works on Islamic jurisprudence and theology.

In more recent history, Ghassan Tueni was a prominent Lebanese writer, journalist, and politician. He served as the editor-in-chief of the influential newspaper An-Nahar and was a vocal advocate for freedom of speech and democracy in Lebanon. He was born in 1926 and died in 2012.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ghassan over time

The chart below shows babies named Ghassan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2010 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 Ghassan, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ghassan
01345201020172024

Decades

Ghassan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ghassan 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 #4484 7 2
2010s #3995 24 6

Related

Names similar to Ghassan

FAQ

Ghassan: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Ghassan was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Ghassan most popular?

The peak year on record was 2016, with 5 babies registered as Ghassan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ghassan?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "precious stream" or "waterfall".

How many people are called Ghassan in the UK?

A total of 31 babies have been registered as Ghassan across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.