UK boy's name
Hesham
An Arabic masculine name meaning "generous" or "broad-shouldered".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Hesham is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Hesham popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 5 births.
This profile covers 54 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. 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 54 living people in the UK are called Hesham. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Hesham ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 5 boys were registered as Hesham.
- • About 54 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hesham as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4789
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
2019
5 births
Estimated living
54
2026
Meaning
What does Hesham mean?
The given name Hesham originates from the Arabic language and culture. It has its roots in the Arabic word "hashim," which means "crusher" or "breaker." The name can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the early days of Islam.
Hesham was the name of one of Muhammad's uncles, Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, who was a prominent figure in the Quraysh tribe of Mecca. He is known for his generosity and hospitality, as he would provide food and shelter to travelers passing through Mecca. Hashim ibn Abd Manaf played a crucial role in establishing the Hashemite clan, which later became an influential family in the early Islamic community.
The earliest recorded example of the name Hesham can be found in the writings of early Islamic scholars and historians, such as Ibn Ishaq's "Sirat Rasul Allah" (The Life of the Messenger of God) and Ibn Hisham's "Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah" (The Prophetic Biography). These works mention several individuals with the name Hesham, including companions of the Prophet Muhammad and their descendants.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Hesham. One of the most famous was Hesham ibn al-Kalbi (737-819 CE), a prominent Arab scholar and historian who authored works on genealogy, history, and literature. Another notable figure was Hesham ibn Abd al-Malik (691-743 CE), who was the 10th Umayyad caliph and ruled the Islamic caliphate from 724 to 743 CE.
In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Hesham ibn Yusuf al-Ghassani (d. 815 CE) was a renowned scholar of hadith (sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) and a prominent jurist. Additionally, Hesham ibn Urwah (d. 835 CE) was a respected scholar of hadith and a student of Malik ibn Anas, the founder of the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence.
Another notable figure with the name Hesham was Hesham al-Fawwal (d. 840 CE), a renowned Arab poet and one of the leading figures of the Abbasid literary renaissance. His poetry was highly acclaimed for its eloquence and mastery of the Arabic language.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the name Hesham throughout history, showcasing its rich heritage and significance within the Arab and Islamic cultural spheres.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hesham over time
The chart below shows babies named Hesham registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Hesham, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hesham by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hesham 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 | #4789 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4051 | 16 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3207 | 22 | 6 |
| 1990s | #2761 | 13 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Hesham
- Harry 141,693
- Henry 65,177
- Harrison 45,958
- Harvey 35,648
- Harley 22,095
- Hugo 18,779
- Hayden 12,622
- Hunter 10,350
- Hudson 9,104
- Hamza 8,564
- Hassan 5,982
- Hasan 3,599
FAQ
Hesham: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hesham in the UK right now?
In 2021, Hesham was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Hesham most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 5 babies registered as Hesham in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hesham?
An Arabic masculine name meaning "generous" or "broad-shouldered".
How many people are called Hesham in the UK?
A total of 54 babies have been registered as Hesham across the 15 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.