UK boy's name
Kabir
An Arabic name meaning great, illustrious, or tremendous.
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.
Kabir is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kabir popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #479, with 83 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 83 births.
This profile covers 1,014 England and Wales registrations across 29 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.
Kabir is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 1,017 living people in the UK are called Kabir. 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
- • Kabir ranked #479 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 83 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 83 boys were registered as Kabir.
- • Kabir ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #701 in 2019.
- • About 1,017 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kabir as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#479
2024
Births in 2024
83
Latest year
Peak year
2024
83 births
Estimated living
1,017
2026
Meaning
What does Kabir mean?
The name Kabir has its origins in the Persian language, deriving from the Arabic word "kabir" which means "great" or "elder". It is believed to have originated in the 15th century during the period of the Bhakti movement in the Indian subcontinent.
One of the earliest and most notable individuals to bear this name was the celebrated mystic poet and saint, Kabir Das (1440-1518). Born in Varanasi, India, Kabir's teachings and poetry were deeply influential in the Bhakti tradition, emphasizing a universal spirituality beyond religious boundaries. His verses, known as the "Bijak", explored themes of divine love, devotion, and the oneness of all humanity.
In the 16th century, Kabir Khan (1516-1589) was a famous military general and statesman who served under the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He played a significant role in the expansion of the Mughal Empire and is remembered for his strategic military campaigns and administrative reforms.
Another notable figure was Kabir Bedi (born 1946), an Indian actor and author who gained international recognition for his roles in various films and television series, including the iconic James Bond film "Octopussy" (1983) and the popular Italian television series "Sandokan" (1976).
In the realm of literature, Kabir Chowdhury (1923-2011) was a prominent Bengali writer and novelist from Bangladesh. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Bengali fiction and is best known for his novel "Anando Putro" (Sons of Delight), which explored the complexities of urban life in post-partition Dhaka.
The name Kabir has also been associated with spiritual leaders and scholars throughout history. One such figure was Kabir Sahib (1617-1675), a renowned Sufi saint and poet from Punjab, Pakistan. His teachings and writings, compiled in the "Bani Kabir Sahib", have left a lasting impact on the Sufi tradition in South Asia.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the name Kabir, showcasing its rich heritage and diverse cultural significance across various regions and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kabir over time
The chart below shows babies named Kabir 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 Kabir, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 83 births in 2024, compared with 83 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kabir by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kabir 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 | #553 | 347 | 5 |
| 2010s | #811 | 399 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1017 | 208 | 10 |
| 1990s | #972 | 60 | 4 |
Geography
Where Kabir is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kabir. 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.
Kabir ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #701 in 2019.
Across the UK
Kabir in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#701 in 2019
3 years of NRS records, 10 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Kabir
-
Kabir Toor
cricketer
English cricketer (born 1990)
1990-
Related
Names similar to Kabir
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kabir: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kabir in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kabir was ranked #479 for boys in England and Wales, with 83 births registered.
When was Kabir most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 83 babies registered as Kabir in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kabir?
An Arabic name meaning great, illustrious, or tremendous.
How many people are called Kabir in the UK?
A total of 1,014 babies have been registered as Kabir across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 10 more in Scotland.
Where is Kabir most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kabir ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #701 in 2019. 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.