UK boy's name
Khawaja
An honorific title designating a respected individual of nobility or spirituality.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Khawaja is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Khawaja popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4702, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 7 births.
This profile covers 71 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 1996 to 2019. 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 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 70 living people in the UK are called Khawaja. 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 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Khawaja ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales in 2019, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 7 boys were registered as Khawaja.
- • About 70 living people in the UK are estimated to have Khawaja as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4702
2019
Births in 2019
3
Latest year
Peak year
1998
7 births
Estimated living
70
2026
Meaning
What does Khawaja mean?
The name Khawaja is derived from the Persian word "khwaja," which means "master" or "lord." It has its origins in the Persian language and culture, dating back to the medieval period.
The name Khawaja was initially used as a title of respect for scholars, mystics, and prominent figures in the Persian-speaking world. It was particularly associated with Sufi orders and their spiritual leaders, who were known as Khawaja or Khwaja.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Khawaja can be found in the works of renowned Persian poets and writers, such as Rumi (1207-1273 CE) and Hafez (1315-1390 CE). These literary figures often referred to their spiritual guides and mentors using the honorific title Khawaja.
In the Islamic world, the name Khawaja gained prominence as a title bestowed upon prominent Sufi masters and spiritual leaders. Some notable figures throughout history who bore the name Khawaja include Khawaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (1173-1235 CE), a renowned Sufi saint and the spiritual preceptor of the Delhi Sultanate in India, and Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi (1369-1459 CE), a renowned Sufi mystic and poet from Afghanistan.
Another prominent historical figure with the name Khawaja was Khawaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274 CE), a Persian polymath, and scholar who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy.
In the Indian subcontinent, the name Khawaja has been associated with several influential personalities, such as Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti (1141-1236 CE), the founder of the Chishti order of Sufism in India, and Khawaja Ghulam Farid (1845-1901 CE), a renowned Sufi saint and poet from Punjab.
Over time, the name Khawaja transitioned from being a title to becoming a first name in its own right, particularly among Muslim communities in South Asia, Central Asia, and parts of the Middle East.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Khawaja over time
The chart below shows babies named Khawaja registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Khawaja, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2019, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Khawaja by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Khawaja 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 | #3992 | 28 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3444 | 27 | 8 |
| 1990s | #2577 | 16 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Khawaja
- 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
Khawaja: questions and answers
How popular is the name Khawaja in the UK right now?
In 2019, Khawaja was ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Khawaja most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 7 babies registered as Khawaja in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Khawaja?
An honorific title designating a respected individual of nobility or spirituality.
How many people are called Khawaja in the UK?
A total of 71 babies have been registered as Khawaja across the 19 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.