UK girl's name
Inaya
An Arabic feminine name meaning "attentiveness" or "vigilance".
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.
Inaya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Inaya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #156, with 327 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 327 births.
This profile covers 3,056 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 2000 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.
Inaya is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3,101 living people in the UK are called Inaya. 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
- • Inaya ranked #156 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 327 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 327 girls were registered as Inaya.
- • Inaya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2024.
- • About 3,101 living people in the UK are estimated to have Inaya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#156
2024
Births in 2024
327
Latest year
Peak year
2024
327 births
Estimated living
3,101
2026
Meaning
What does Inaya mean?
The name Inaya is an Arabic name derived from the Arabic root word 'ayn', meaning 'eye' or 'spring'. It is believed to have originated in the Middle East during the medieval period, when Arabic culture and language were widespread across the region.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Inaya can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature, where it was often used as a metaphor to describe beauty, wisdom, and clarity. In some Islamic texts, the name Inaya is also mentioned as a way to refer to the divine guidance or protection of Allah.
In the 12th century, a renowned Islamic scholar and poet from Andalusia, known as Ibn Arabi, used the name Inaya in his writings to symbolize the spiritual enlightenment and the inner vision that leads to the understanding of the divine truth.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Inaya. One of the earliest recorded was Inaya bint Al-Amir, a 10th-century Arab poet from Cordoba, Spain, known for her elegant and emotional verses.
Another famous Inaya was Inaya Al-Baghdadiya, a 13th-century female scholar and teacher from Baghdad, who was highly respected for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and theology.
In the 16th century, Inaya Al-Dimashqiya was a renowned calligrapher and artist from Damascus, whose works are still celebrated for their intricate and beautiful designs.
During the Ottoman Empire, Inaya Hanum was a prominent figure in the imperial harem of Sultan Abdülmecid I in the 19th century, known for her patronage of the arts and her influential role in the court.
In more recent times, Inaya Folarin Iman was a Nigerian activist and writer who gained recognition for her work on women's rights and social justice in the late 20th century.
While the name Inaya has its roots in Arabic culture, it has gained popularity across various regions and communities worldwide, transcending its linguistic and cultural boundaries to become a name that symbolizes beauty, wisdom, and spiritual guidance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Inaya over time
The chart below shows babies named Inaya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 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 Inaya, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 327 births in 2024, compared with 327 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Inaya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Inaya 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 | #225 | 1,171 | 5 |
| 2010s | #333 | 1,419 | 10 |
| 2000s | #922 | 466 | 10 |
Geography
Where Inaya is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Inaya. 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.
Inaya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2024.
Across the UK
Inaya in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2024
12 years of NRS records, 59 total registered
Related
Names similar to Inaya
- Isabella 58,822
- Isla 51,854
- Isabelle 46,163
- Imogen 33,758
- Ivy 23,306
- Isabel 20,895
- Isobel 19,706
- Iris 10,353
- India 8,371
- Iqra 4,452
- Indie 3,873
- Iona 3,682
FAQ
Inaya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Inaya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Inaya was ranked #156 for girls in England and Wales, with 327 births registered.
When was Inaya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 327 babies registered as Inaya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Inaya?
An Arabic feminine name meaning "attentiveness" or "vigilance".
How many people are called Inaya in the UK?
A total of 3,056 babies have been registered as Inaya across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 59 more in Scotland.
Where is Inaya most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Inaya ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #638 in 2024. 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.