NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Hira

A feminine Arabic name meaning "fragment" or "gem".

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.

Hira is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Hira popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #795, with 47 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 47 births.

This profile covers 737 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.

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

We estimate that about 755 living people in the UK are called Hira. 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

  • Hira ranked #795 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 47 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 47 girls were registered as Hira.
  • Hira ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #630 in 2023.
  • About 755 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hira as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.2% of Hira registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#795

2024

Births in 2024

47

Latest year

Peak year

2024

47 births

Estimated living

755

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Hira

In England and Wales birth records, Hira has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 0.8% of registrations are for boys and 99.2% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

99% girls
Boys6 (0.8%)Girls737 (99.2%)

Hira registered for boys

  • Ranked #5,119 in 2024
  • 3 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2021 (3 births)

Hira registered for girls

  • Ranked #795 in 2024
  • 47 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (47 births)

Meaning

What does Hira mean?

The name Hira has its origins in Arabic, where it is derived from the word "hirah," meaning a small rock or pebble. This name is believed to have been in use since the pre-Islamic era in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in regions such as Hijaz and Najd.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hira can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. In the Quran, the word "hirah" is mentioned in reference to small rocks or pebbles, but it is not explicitly used as a personal name.

The name Hira gained prominence during the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th century. During this period, several notable figures bore the name Hira, including Hira al-Basri, a renowned Muslim scholar and theologian born in Basra, Iraq, in the 8th century.

Another significant historical figure with the name Hira was Hira al-Andalusi, a Muslim philosopher and mathematician from al-Andalus (present-day Spain and Portugal), who lived in the 11th century. He made valuable contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics.

In the 12th century, Hira al-Qummi was a prominent Persian poet and mystic from Qom, Iran. His poetry focused on themes of love and spirituality, and he is considered one of the most influential figures in Persian literature.

Moving forward to the 13th century, Hira al-Baghdadi was a notable Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad, Iraq. He was widely respected for his knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and contributed significantly to the interpretation of Islamic law.

Hira al-Dimashqi, a Syrian scholar and historian from Damascus, lived in the 14th century. He is renowned for his extensive work on the history of Damascus, which remains an important source for understanding the city's rich cultural heritage.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Hira. While the name has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has been embraced by various communities and cultures across the Middle East and beyond, reflecting its enduring appeal and historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Hira over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Hira in England and Wales, 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 Hira, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 47 births in 2024, compared with 47 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
013253850199620102024

Decades

Hira by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hira 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 #1104 160 5
2010s #1156 312 10
2000s #1260 192 10
1990s #1108 73 4

Geography

Where Hira is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Hira. 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.

Hira ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #630 in 2023.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Hira in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#630 in 2023

6 years of NRS records, 22 total registered

Related

Names similar to Hira

FAQ

Hira: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Hira was ranked #795 for girls in England and Wales, with 47 births registered.

When was Hira most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 47 babies registered as Hira in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Hira?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "fragment" or "gem".

How many people are called Hira in the UK?

A total of 737 babies have been registered as Hira across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 22 more in Scotland.

Where is Hira most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Hira ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #630 in 2023. 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.