UK boy's name
Husain
An Arabic masculine name meaning "good" or "handsome".
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.
Husain is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Husain popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2263, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 19 births.
This profile covers 244 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 53% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 242 living people in the UK are called Husain. 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
- • Husain ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 19 boys were registered as Husain.
- • About 242 living people in the UK are estimated to have Husain as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2263
2024
Births in 2024
10
Latest year
Peak year
2007
19 births
Estimated living
242
2026
Meaning
What does Husain mean?
The name Husain originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Islamic culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "husn," which means beauty, goodness, or excellence. The name Husain is closely associated with the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Husain ibn Ali, who played a significant role in early Islamic history.
Husain ibn Ali, also known as Imam Husain, was born in Medina in 626 CE. He was the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph of Islam, and Fatimah, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad. Husain is revered by Muslims, particularly Shia Muslims, for his unwavering commitment to justice and his sacrifice in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
The name Husain has been mentioned in various Islamic texts and historical records. It is prominently featured in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, and in numerous hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). The martyrdom of Husain ibn Ali is also extensively documented in Shia literature, such as the Nahj al-Balagha and the Kitab al-Shafi.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Husain. One of the earliest recorded examples is Husain ibn Ali himself, who is revered as a central figure in Shia Islam. Another prominent figure is Husain ibn Isma'il al-Muqri' (853-935 CE), a renowned scholar and reciter of the Qur'an from Baghdad.
During the Abbasid Caliphate, Husain ibn Ali al-Nuri (963-1019 CE) was a celebrated poet and writer who served as a court poet under several caliphs. In the Mughal Empire, Husain Shah (1461-1505 CE) was the Sultan of Bengal and is remembered for his patronage of art and architecture.
More recently, Husain Majaj (1892-1955 CE) was a prominent Lebanese poet and writer who played a significant role in the Arab literary renaissance. Additionally, Maqbool Fida Husain (1915-2011 CE) was a renowned Indian artist and painter, often referred to as the "Picasso of India."
The name Husain has been widely used across various cultures and regions, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. Its widespread use reflects the impact of Islamic culture and the veneration for the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, Husain ibn Ali.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Husain over time
The chart below shows babies named Husain 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 Husain, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 19 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Husain by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Husain 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 | #2567 | 44 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2878 | 73 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1841 | 96 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1537 | 31 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Husain
- 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
Husain: questions and answers
How popular is the name Husain in the UK right now?
In 2024, Husain was ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Husain most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 19 babies registered as Husain in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Husain?
An Arabic masculine name meaning "good" or "handsome".
How many people are called Husain in the UK?
A total of 244 babies have been registered as Husain across the 29 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.