UK girl's name
Mahera
A feminine Muslim name of Arabic origin meaning "a professional storyteller.".
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.
Mahera is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mahera popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 6 births.
This profile covers 52 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 2001 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.
The latest count is about 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 52 living people in the UK are called Mahera. 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
- • Mahera ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 6 girls were registered as Mahera.
- • About 52 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mahera as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4843
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2005
6 births
Estimated living
52
2026
Meaning
What does Mahera mean?
The name Mahera is a feminine given name of Arabic origin. It is derived from the Arabic root word "hayr," which means "good" or "goodness." The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East region during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahera can be found in the 12th century Islamic literature, where it was mentioned as the name of a woman renowned for her wisdom and piety. The name gained popularity among Arab communities during this time and was often given to girls in the hope that they would grow up to embody the qualities of goodness and virtue.
In the 13th century, a famous Sufi mystic and poet, Mahera al-Baghdadi, bore this name. She was known for her spiritual writings and her profound understanding of the divine. Her works have been widely studied and celebrated within the Sufi tradition.
During the Ottoman Empire, which lasted from the 13th to the early 20th century, the name Mahera was favored among the ruling elite and aristocratic families. One notable figure from this period was Mahera Hatun, a 16th-century Turkish princess and philanthropist, who founded several educational institutions and charitable organizations.
In the 19th century, Mahera Ismet was a renowned Egyptian feminist and activist who played a pivotal role in advocating for women's rights and education. She established one of the first schools for girls in Egypt and was a prominent figure in the early feminist movement in the Arab world.
Another notable figure with the name Mahera was Mahera Ahmed, an Afghan writer and poet who lived in the 20th century. She was celebrated for her powerful and thought-provoking works, which often explored themes of identity, culture, and the struggles faced by women in her society.
While the name Mahera has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has been adopted and used by various communities across the Middle East and beyond, with each region adding its own unique cultural and linguistic influences to the name's meaning and significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mahera over time
The chart below shows babies named Mahera registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 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 Mahera, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mahera by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mahera 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 | #4703 | 13 | 3 |
| 2010s | #5274 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3709 | 32 | 7 |
Related
Names similar to Mahera
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Mahera: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mahera in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mahera was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Mahera most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 6 babies registered as Mahera in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mahera?
A feminine Muslim name of Arabic origin meaning "a professional storyteller.".
How many people are called Mahera in the UK?
A total of 52 babies have been registered as Mahera across the 12 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.