NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Hedaya

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "guidance" or "wisdom".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2003. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Hedaya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Hedaya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2003 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3594, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 4 births.

This profile covers 4 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2003 to 2003. 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.

Hedaya is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 4 living people in the UK are called Hedaya. 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 2004 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Hedaya ranked #3594 for girls in England and Wales in 2003, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2003, when 4 girls were registered as Hedaya.
  • About 4 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hedaya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3594

2003

Births in 2003

4

Latest year

Peak year

2003

4 births

Estimated living

4

2026

Meaning

What does Hedaya mean?

The name Hedaya is derived from the Arabic word "هدايه" (hidāyah), which means "guidance" or "direction." It originates from the Arabic root word "هدى" (hada), which means "to guide" or "to lead." The name can be traced back to the early Islamic period, around the 7th century CE, when Arabic was the primary language of the region.

Hedaya has significant religious and cultural connotations in the Islamic tradition. It is often associated with the concept of divine guidance, as mentioned in the Quran and other Islamic texts. The name may have been given to individuals with the hope that they would be guided towards righteousness and truth.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hedaya can be found in the historical records of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled a vast empire from the 8th to the 13th century CE. During this period, several notable individuals bore the name Hedaya, including scholars, poets, and religious figures.

One such individual was Hedaya al-Baghdadi, a renowned female poet who lived in Baghdad during the 9th century CE. She was celebrated for her mastery of Arabic literature and her contributions to the cultural renaissance of the Abbasid era.

Another notable figure was Hedaya al-Andalusi, a scholar and mathematician from Cordoba, Spain, who lived in the 11th century CE. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is remembered for his writings on geometry and algebra.

In the 12th century CE, a prominent Islamic scholar known as Hedaya al-Marghinani authored a influential book on Islamic jurisprudence called "Al-Hidayah." This work became a seminal text in the Hanafi school of Islamic law and is still studied and referenced by legal scholars today.

During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled from the 14th to the 20th century CE, the name Hedaya gained further popularity. One notable figure was Hedaya Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Selim II, who lived in the 16th century CE and was known for her patronage of the arts and her charitable endeavors.

Another famous bearer of the name Hedaya was Hedaya Khan, a Muslim ruler and governor of the Mughal Empire in India during the 17th century CE. He was renowned for his military prowess and his contributions to the expansion of the Mughal territories.

These examples illustrate the rich history and cultural significance of the name Hedaya, which has been carried by notable individuals across various regions and time periods throughout the Islamic world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Decades

Hedaya by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hedaya 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
2000s #3594 4 1

Related

Names similar to Hedaya

FAQ

Hedaya: questions and answers

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

In 2003, Hedaya was ranked #3594 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Hedaya most popular?

The peak year on record was 2003, with 4 babies registered as Hedaya in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Hedaya?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "guidance" or "wisdom".

How many people are called Hedaya in the UK?

A total of 4 babies have been registered as Hedaya across the 1 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.