UK girl's name
Huda
An Arabic female name meaning "guidance" or "the right path".
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.
Huda is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Huda popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #526, with 74 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 74 births.
This profile covers 1,182 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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.
Huda is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 1,205 living people in the UK are called Huda. 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
- • Huda ranked #526 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 74 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 74 girls were registered as Huda.
- • Huda ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #434 in 2018.
- • About 1,205 living people in the UK are estimated to have Huda as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#526
2024
Births in 2024
74
Latest year
Peak year
2024
74 births
Estimated living
1,205
2026
Meaning
What does Huda mean?
The name Huda is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "hady," which means "guidance" or "the right path." It is a name that carries deep spiritual and religious significance in Islamic culture.
In the Islamic tradition, the concept of guidance (hidayah) is central to the faith. The Quran, the holy book of Islam, repeatedly emphasizes the importance of seeking guidance and following the straight path. The name Huda is often given to girls as a reminder of the divine guidance that Muslims strive for in their lives.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Huda can be found in the famous Arabic literary work, "One Thousand and One Nights," also known as "The Arabian Nights." In this collection of Middle Eastern folk tales, there is a character named Huda, who is described as a wise and virtuous woman.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Huda. One example is Huda Shaarawi (1879-1947), an Egyptian feminist leader and pioneer of the women's rights movement in Egypt. She played a pivotal role in advocating for women's education, political participation, and social reform.
Another prominent figure with the name Huda is Huda Sha'arawi (1912-1998), a Palestinian author and activist. She was a leading voice for Palestinian rights and worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In the world of literature, Huda Barakat (born 1952) is a renowned Lebanese novelist and playwright. Her works explore themes of identity, displacement, and the complexities of modern Arab societies. She has received numerous literary awards and accolades for her contributions to Arabic literature.
Huda Kattan (born 1983) is a renowned beauty blogger, makeup artist, and entrepreneur from Iraq. She is the founder of the successful cosmetics brand Huda Beauty and has become a influential figure in the beauty industry, inspiring millions of followers worldwide.
Lastly, Huda Al-Matari (born 1964) is a prominent human rights activist from Yemen. She has dedicated her life to advocating for women's rights, democracy, and social justice in her country, often risking her own safety to do so.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Huda, each making their mark in their respective fields and embodying the spirit of guidance and righteousness that the name represents.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Huda over time
The chart below shows babies named Huda 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 Huda, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 74 births in 2024, compared with 74 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Huda by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Huda 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 | #702 | 272 | 5 |
| 2010s | #835 | 469 | 10 |
| 2000s | #770 | 393 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1520 | 48 | 4 |
Geography
Where Huda is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Huda. 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.
Huda ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #434 in 2018.
Across the UK
Huda in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#476 in 2024
7 years of NRS records, 26 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#434 in 2018
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Huda
- 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
Huda: questions and answers
How popular is the name Huda in the UK right now?
In 2024, Huda was ranked #526 for girls in England and Wales, with 74 births registered.
When was Huda most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 74 babies registered as Huda in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Huda?
An Arabic female name meaning "guidance" or "the right path".
How many people are called Huda in the UK?
A total of 1,182 babies have been registered as Huda across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 26 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Huda most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Huda ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #434 in 2018. 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.