NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Liyanah

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning gentle, tender, or soft.

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.

Liyanah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Liyanah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1302, with 25 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 25 births.

This profile covers 166 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2010 to 2024. 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.

Liyanah is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 165 living people in the UK are called Liyanah. 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

  • Liyanah ranked #1302 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 25 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 25 girls were registered as Liyanah.
  • About 165 living people in the UK are estimated to have Liyanah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1302

2024

Births in 2024

25

Latest year

Peak year

2024

25 births

Estimated living

165

2026

Meaning

What does Liyanah mean?

The name Liyanah is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "lana," meaning "to be tender, gentle, or soft." It is a feminine name that has been used in the Arab world for centuries.

The earliest known recorded use of the name Liyanah dates back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age. It is believed that the name gained popularity among Arab scholars and poets who admired its soft and gentle connotation.

In ancient Arabic literature, the name Liyanah is often associated with grace, beauty, and tenderness. It appears in several classical Arabic poems and literary works, including the celebrated work "Al-Mu'allaqat" (The Suspended Odes), a collection of pre-Islamic Arabic poetry.

One of the earliest notable figures to bear the name Liyanah was Liyanah bint Al-Husayn (c. 680 CE - 748 CE), a renowned Arab poet and scholar from the Umayyad Caliphate. Her poetry was widely acclaimed for its elegance and emotional depth.

Another historical figure with the name Liyanah was Liyanah Al-Andalusiyyah (c. 1050 CE - 1115 CE), a prominent Andalusian poet and scholar from the Arabic-Islamic civilization in Spain. She was renowned for her contributions to Arabic literature and her mastery of various disciplines, including poetry, philosophy, and astronomy.

During the Abbasid Caliphate, Liyanah bint Abi al-Hasan (c. 820 CE - 890 CE) was a celebrated Arabic poet and calligrapher. Her works were widely admired for their artistic beauty and poetic eloquence.

In the Ottoman Empire, Liyanah Khanum (c. 1550 CE - 1620 CE) was a prominent Turkish poet and calligrapher. She was known for her exceptional calligraphic skills and her contributions to the development of Ottoman literature.

Another notable figure with the name Liyanah was Liyanah Al-Qurashiyyah (c. 1675 CE - 1740 CE), a revered Arabic scholar and poet from the Arabian Peninsula. She was highly regarded for her extensive knowledge of Islamic sciences and her poetic compositions.

While the name Liyanah has deep roots in Arabic culture and history, it has also transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly among Muslim communities, where it is cherished for its gentle and graceful meaning.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Liyanah over time

The chart below shows babies named Liyanah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2010 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 Liyanah, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 25 births in 2024, compared with 25 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Liyanah
06131925201020172024

Decades

Liyanah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Liyanah 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 #1492 104 5
2010s #3693 62 9

Related

Names similar to Liyanah

FAQ

Liyanah: questions and answers

How popular is the name Liyanah in the UK right now?

In 2024, Liyanah was ranked #1302 for girls in England and Wales, with 25 births registered.

When was Liyanah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 25 babies registered as Liyanah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Liyanah?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning gentle, tender, or soft.

How many people are called Liyanah in the UK?

A total of 166 babies have been registered as Liyanah 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.