UK boy's name
Idriss
A masculine Arabic name meaning "to study or interpret".
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.
Idriss is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Idriss 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 2020, with 10 births.
This profile covers 102 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1998 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 101 living people in the UK are called Idriss. 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
- • Idriss ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 10 boys were registered as Idriss.
- • About 101 living people in the UK are estimated to have Idriss 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
2020
10 births
Estimated living
101
2026
Meaning
What does Idriss mean?
The name Idriss has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, tracing back to the 7th century CE. It is a variant spelling of the name Idris, which is derived from the Arabic root word "darasa," meaning "to study" or "to learn." This suggests that the name may have been associated with scholars or learned individuals.
In Islamic tradition, Idris is recognized as a prophet and is often identified with the Biblical figure Enoch. He is mentioned in the Quran as a righteous man who was elevated to a high station by God. Some scholars believe that Idris was the first to introduce the practice of writing and arithmetic to humanity.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Idriss was Idriss I, the founder of the Idrisid dynasty in Morocco. He established the dynasty in 788 CE after fleeing from the Abbasid caliphate in present-day Iraq. The Idrisid dynasty ruled parts of Morocco until the 10th century and played a significant role in the spread of Islam and cultural development in the region.
Another notable figure in history with the name Idriss was Idriss II, the son of Idriss I and the second ruler of the Idrisid dynasty. He reigned from 791 to 828 CE and is credited with founding the city of Fez, which became a major center of learning and culture in the Islamic world.
In the 12th century, Idriss ibn Abdullah al-Kamil was a prominent Sufi mystic and scholar from Morocco. He was known for his teachings on spiritual enlightenment and his contributions to the development of Sufism in North Africa.
During the 13th century, Idriss al-Bitruji was a renowned astronomer and mathematician from Ceuta, a Spanish city located in North Africa. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and authored works that influenced later scholars in the Islamic world and Europe.
In more recent times, Idriss Déby was the president of Chad from 1990 until his death in 2021. He played a prominent role in the political affairs of the Central African region and was a key figure in the fight against Islamic extremism in the region.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Idriss, reflecting its deep roots in Arabic and Islamic culture and its association with learning, scholarship, and leadership.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Idriss over time
The chart below shows babies named Idriss registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 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 Idriss, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Idriss by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Idriss 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 | #3280 | 27 | 4 |
| 2010s | #3954 | 43 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3096 | 26 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2922 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Idriss
- Isaac 49,129
- Ibrahim 14,115
- Ismail 4,679
- Isaiah 4,629
- Idris 3,810
- Ivan 3,146
- Isa 2,943
- Ian 2,805
- Ilyas 2,552
- Ieuan 2,515
- Ibraheem 2,384
- Ioan 2,295
FAQ
Idriss: questions and answers
How popular is the name Idriss in the UK right now?
In 2024, Idriss was ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Idriss most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 10 babies registered as Idriss in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Idriss?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "to study or interpret".
How many people are called Idriss in the UK?
A total of 102 babies have been registered as Idriss across the 21 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.