UK girl's name
Hafsah
Of Arabic origin meaning "young female gazelle" or "newborn lamb".
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.
Hafsah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Hafsah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #520, with 75 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 144 births.
This profile covers 2,722 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 52% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,783 living people in the UK are called Hafsah. 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
- • Hafsah ranked #520 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 75 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 144 girls were registered as Hafsah.
- • Hafsah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2024.
- • About 2,783 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hafsah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#520
2024
Births in 2024
75
Latest year
Peak year
2006
144 births
Estimated living
2,783
2026
Meaning
What does Hafsah mean?
The name Hafsah has its origins in the Arabic language. It is a feminine name derived from the Arabic root word "hafsa," which means "young lioness" or "cub of a lioness." This root word is connected to the idea of strength, courage, and fierceness.
Hafsah is a name with significant historical and religious significance within the Islamic tradition. It was the name of one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad, Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab. She played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting the teachings of the Quran, as she was entrusted with safeguarding a portion of the revelations received by the Prophet.
The earliest recorded use of the name Hafsah can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. This name gained prominence and became more widely used among Muslim communities around the world.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hafsah. One of the most famous was Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab (c. 605-665 CE), the wife of the Prophet Muhammad mentioned earlier. Another prominent figure was Hafsah bint al-Hajj al-Rukuniyah (c. 1135-1184 CE), a renowned scholar and poet from Seville, Spain, during the Almohad period.
In the 12th century, Hafsah bint al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (c. 1093-1121 CE) was a Fatimid princess and regent of Egypt. She played a significant role in the political affairs of the Fatimid Caliphate during her regency.
Moving forward in time, Hafsah Bint Sirin (1087-1190 CE) was a notable Islamic scholar and mystic from Basra, Iraq. She was known for her expertise in hadith (prophetic traditions) and her pious devotion to religious studies.
Another notable figure was Hafsah al-Rakuniyah (c. 1184-1264 CE), a Sufi mystic and poet from Seville, Spain, who gained recognition for her spiritual writings and teachings.
These are just a few examples of prominent individuals who bore the name Hafsah throughout history, showcasing its long-standing presence and significance within various cultural and religious contexts.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hafsah over time
The chart below shows babies named Hafsah 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 Hafsah, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 75 births in 2024, compared with 144 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hafsah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hafsah 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 | #550 | 359 | 5 |
| 2010s | #449 | 996 | 10 |
| 2000s | #339 | 1,172 | 10 |
| 1990s | #558 | 195 | 4 |
Geography
Where Hafsah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Hafsah. 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.
Hafsah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2024.
Across the UK
Hafsah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2024
20 years of NRS records, 76 total registered
Related
Names similar to Hafsah
- Hannah 67,635
- Holly 52,307
- Harriet 24,781
- Hollie 17,902
- Harper 15,784
- Heidi 12,675
- Hallie 9,873
- Hope 9,414
- Hayley 5,968
- Hazel 5,954
- Hanna 5,735
- Heather 5,497
FAQ
Hafsah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hafsah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Hafsah was ranked #520 for girls in England and Wales, with 75 births registered.
When was Hafsah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 144 babies registered as Hafsah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hafsah?
Of Arabic origin meaning "young female gazelle" or "newborn lamb".
How many people are called Hafsah in the UK?
A total of 2,722 babies have been registered as Hafsah across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 76 more in Scotland.
Where is Hafsah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Hafsah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #638 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.