UK girl's name
Islah
An Arabic name meaning reform, improvement, or amendment.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Islah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Islah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3970, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 7 births.
This profile covers 66 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2007 to 2022. 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 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 66 living people in the UK are called Islah. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Islah ranked #3970 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2013, when 7 girls were registered as Islah.
- • About 66 living people in the UK are estimated to have Islah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3970
2022
Births in 2022
5
Latest year
Peak year
2013
7 births
Estimated living
66
2026
Meaning
What does Islah mean?
The name Islah originates from Arabic and means "reform" or "correction". It is derived from the Arabic root word "salaha", which means "to correct" or "to put something right". This name has been used in the Arab world for centuries, though it gained broader popularity in more recent times.
The earliest recorded use of the name Islah can be traced back to the medieval Islamic era, when it was sometimes given to children as a reminder of the importance of moral rectitude and upholding Islamic principles. However, it was not a particularly common name during this period.
One of the earliest notable figures to bear the name Islah was Islah Jawad (1860-1936), an Iraqi poet and literary critic who was a pioneer of the Arabic literary renaissance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was known for his efforts to revive and modernize Arabic poetry and literature.
Another prominent individual named Islah was Islah Gencer (1936-2018), a Turkish operatic soprano who was renowned for her interpretations of the dramatic soprano roles of the Italian and French operatic repertoires. She was particularly acclaimed for her performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini.
In the field of education, Islah Jad (born 1952) is a prominent Palestinian feminist and academic who has written extensively on gender issues in the Arab world. She is a professor of Women's Studies at Birzeit University in the West Bank and has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and empowerment.
Islah Halim (1881-1958) was an Egyptian judge and legal scholar who played a significant role in the development of modern Egyptian law. He served as the President of the Court of Cassation, Egypt's highest court, and was known for his efforts to modernize and codify Egyptian legal systems.
Finally, Islah Hussain (born 1964) is a Pakistani politician and former journalist who has served as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the government of Pakistan. She has been a vocal advocate for media freedom and has worked to promote transparency and accountability in government.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Islah over time
The chart below shows babies named Islah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Islah, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2022, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Islah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Islah 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 | #3687 | 17 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4413 | 43 | 9 |
| 2000s | #5379 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Islah
- 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
Islah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Islah in the UK right now?
In 2022, Islah was ranked #3970 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Islah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2013, with 7 babies registered as Islah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Islah?
An Arabic name meaning reform, improvement, or amendment.
How many people are called Islah in the UK?
A total of 66 babies have been registered as Islah across the 14 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.