NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Iram

An Arabic name meaning "lofty edifice" or "highly cultivated garden".

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.

Iram is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Iram popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 69 births.

This profile covers 584 England and Wales registrations across 28 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.

The latest count is about 4% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 602 living people in the UK are called Iram. 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

  • Iram ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 69 girls were registered as Iram.
  • Iram ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2005.
  • About 602 living people in the UK are estimated to have Iram as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5891

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

1996

69 births

Estimated living

602

2026

Meaning

What does Iram mean?

The name Iram has its roots in Arabic language and culture, originating from the Middle East region. It is derived from the Arabic word "iram," which means "elevated" or "high," reflecting a sense of nobility and loftiness.

In Islamic tradition, Iram is mentioned as the name of an ancient city mentioned in the Quran, known as Iram Dhat Al-Imad, which translates to "Iram of the Pillars." This city was renowned for its grandeur and wealth but was ultimately destroyed due to the arrogance and disobedience of its inhabitants.

The earliest recorded use of the name Iram can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early Islamic era. One of the earliest notable individuals with this name was Iram ibn al-Fayyadh, a renowned Arab poet and scholar who lived in the 8th century CE.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Iram. One such individual was Iram Khan, a prominent military leader and governor during the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. Another was Iram Mirza, a Persian princess and daughter of Shah Ismail I, who lived in the 16th century.

In the 19th century, Iram Banu Begum was a renowned Indian poet and writer who made significant contributions to Urdu literature. She was born in 1830 and was known for her poetic works that explored themes of love, spirituality, and social commentary.

More recently, Iram Haq is a Norwegian filmmaker and screenwriter of Pakistani descent, born in 1976. Her critically acclaimed film "What Will People Say" (2017) explored themes of cultural identity and family dynamics.

Iram Parveen Bilal is a Pakistani physicist and educator who has made significant contributions to the field of experimental physics. She was born in 1969 and has held academic positions at various universities in Pakistan and abroad.

While these are just a few examples, the name Iram has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, spanning across different regions and time periods, each leaving their unique mark on history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Iram over time

The chart below shows babies named Iram 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 Iram, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 69 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Iram
017355269199620102024

Decades

Iram by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Iram 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 #4313 20 4
2010s #3253 82 10
2000s #1258 238 10
1990s #477 244 4

Geography

Where Iram is most common

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

Iram ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2005.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Iram in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#687 in 2005

7 years of NRS records, 22 total registered

Related

Names similar to Iram

FAQ

Iram: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Iram was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Iram most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 69 babies registered as Iram in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Iram?

An Arabic name meaning "lofty edifice" or "highly cultivated garden".

How many people are called Iram in the UK?

A total of 584 babies have been registered as Iram across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 22 more in Scotland.

Where is Iram most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Iram ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #687 in 2005. 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.