UK girl's name
Karimah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "noble" or "virtuous".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Karimah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Karimah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3518, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 11 births.
This profile covers 96 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 1997 to 2018. 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 55% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 95 living people in the UK are called Karimah. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Karimah ranked #3518 for girls in England and Wales in 2018, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 11 girls were registered as Karimah.
- • About 95 living people in the UK are estimated to have Karimah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3518
2018
Births in 2018
6
Latest year
Peak year
2002
11 births
Estimated living
95
2026
Meaning
What does Karimah mean?
The name Karimah is of Arabic origin, deriving from the word "Karim" which means "generous" or "noble". It is a feminine form of the name, often given to girls born in Arabic-speaking regions and cultures.
The earliest recorded use of the name Karimah dates back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Karimah bint Ahmad al-Marwaziyya, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century CE in present-day Iran.
In Islamic tradition, the name Karimah is associated with virtue and nobility. It is mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, as a description of the Prophet Muhammad's character, referring to him as "Karim" or "noble".
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Karimah. One such individual was Karimah al-Marwaziyya, a 9th-century Arabic poet and scholar from Merv, in present-day Turkmenistan. Another was Karimah bint Ahmad al-Hakim, a 10th-century Fatimid princess and scholar from Egypt.
In the 12th century, Karimah bint Ahmar was a prominent Andalusian poet and literary figure born in Granada, Spain. She was renowned for her contributions to the development of Arabic poetry and literature during the Golden Age of Muslim civilization in Spain.
Moving forward in time, Karimah Bint Uthman was a 19th-century Sudanese princess and writer who played a significant role in promoting education and literacy among women in her region.
Karimah Ibssiren, born in 1921 in Morocco, was a renowned Amazigh (Berber) writer and activist who fought for the rights of indigenous peoples in North Africa. She was a respected figure in the Amazigh cultural renaissance movement.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Karimah, reflecting its rich cultural and historical significance across various regions and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Karimah over time
The chart below shows babies named Karimah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Karimah, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2018, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karimah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Karimah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4319 | 27 | 5 |
| 2000s | #3264 | 62 | 10 |
| 1990s | #3483 | 7 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Karimah
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Karimah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Karimah in the UK right now?
In 2018, Karimah was ranked #3518 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Karimah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 11 babies registered as Karimah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Karimah?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "noble" or "virtuous".
How many people are called Karimah in the UK?
A total of 96 babies have been registered as Karimah across the 17 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.