UK girl's name
Latifah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "delicate" or "graceful".
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.
Latifah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Latifah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2673, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 16 births.
This profile covers 227 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 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 56% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 226 living people in the UK are called Latifah. 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
- • Latifah ranked #2673 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 9 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 16 girls were registered as Latifah.
- • About 226 living people in the UK are estimated to have Latifah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2673
2022
Births in 2022
9
Latest year
Peak year
2009
16 births
Estimated living
226
2026
Meaning
What does Latifah mean?
The name Latifah is of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic word "latif" which means "subtle", "delicate", or "refined". It has its roots in the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Arab world, where names often reflect desired virtues or qualities.
The name Latifah can be traced back to the 7th century, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age. It is believed to have been used as a name during this period, when Arabic language and culture flourished, and the Islamic empire expanded across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe.
Historically, the name Latifah has been mentioned in various Islamic texts and literature. It is said to be one of the 99 names of Allah (God) in the Islamic tradition, which represents the divine attribute of subtlety and refinement.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Latifah is Latifah bint al-Hajjaj, a renowned Arab poet who lived in the 7th century. She was known for her eloquence and literary contributions during the Umayyad Caliphate.
In the 10th century, Latifah al-Ghazali was a prominent female scholar and theologian from Persia (present-day Iran). She was the sister of the renowned Islamic philosopher, Al-Ghazali, and played a significant role in the intellectual and religious discourse of her time.
Another notable figure with the name Latifah is Latifah al-Arousiah, an 11th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer from Aleppo, Syria. She made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is recognized for her work on spherical geometry.
In the 13th century, Latifah bint Dawood al-Baghdadi was a renowned physician and scholar from Baghdad, Iraq. She was widely respected for her expertise in medicine and her contributions to the field of ophthalmology.
In more recent history, Latifah Issaka was a prominent Ghanaian writer and educator who lived in the 20th century (1920-1997). She played a crucial role in promoting education and literature in Ghana and is celebrated for her literary works and activism.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Latifah, reflecting its cultural and linguistic significance across various regions and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Latifah over time
The chart below shows babies named Latifah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Latifah, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2022, compared with 16 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Latifah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Latifah 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 | #3467 | 20 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3391 | 76 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2133 | 98 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1944 | 33 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Latifah
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Latifah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Latifah in the UK right now?
In 2022, Latifah was ranked #2673 for girls in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.
When was Latifah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 16 babies registered as Latifah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Latifah?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "delicate" or "graceful".
How many people are called Latifah in the UK?
A total of 227 babies have been registered as Latifah across the 27 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.