NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Mahib

A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "generous" or "munificent".

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.

Mahib is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Mahib popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 4 births.

This profile covers 10 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2003 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 10 living people in the UK are called Mahib. 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

  • Mahib ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2022, when 4 boys were registered as Mahib.
  • About 10 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mahib as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2022

4 births

Estimated living

10

2026

Meaning

What does Mahib mean?

The name Mahib is derived from the Arabic language and has its origins in the Middle East. It is believed to have first emerged around the 7th century AD, during the rise of the Islamic civilization.

Mahib is derived from the Arabic root word "ha-ba-ba," which means "to love" or "to desire." The name itself translates to "the beloved one" or "the desirable one." It was commonly given to children as a way of expressing the parents' love and affection for their offspring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahib can be found in the work of the renowned Arabic poet and scholar, Al-Khansa, who lived in the 7th century AD. In her poetry, she mentions a man named Mahib, suggesting that the name was in use during that time.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Mahib was particularly popular among Muslim communities in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of the Indian subcontinent. It was often associated with spiritual and religious connotations, as Muslims believed that giving their children meaningful names was a way to instill virtues and values in them from a young age.

One notable historical figure who bore the name Mahib was Mahib al-Din al-Nuwayri, an Egyptian historian and scholar who lived from 1279 to 1333 AD. He is best known for his encyclopedic work titled "Nihayat al-Arab fi Funun al-Adab" (The Ultimate Ambition in the Arts of Erudition), which covered a wide range of topics, including history, literature, and the sciences.

Another prominent individual named Mahib was Mahib al-Din Muhammad al-Baghdadi, a renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher who lived in the 13th century AD. He was a prolific writer and made significant contributions to the fields of logic, metaphysics, and ethics.

In the 14th century, a Persian poet named Mahib al-Din Mahmud al-Qari al-Shirazi gained recognition for his literary works, particularly his collection of poems titled "Diwan-e Mahib al-Din Mahmud al-Qari al-Shirazi."

Moving to the 16th century, Mahib al-Din al-Hilli was an influential Shia scholar and jurist who lived in present-day Iraq. He was known for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the development of Shia legal thought.

Another notable figure was Mahib al-Din al-Alawi al-Hassani, a Moroccan Sufi scholar and mystic who lived in the 17th century. He was renowned for his spiritual teachings and his promotion of Islamic mysticism.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Mahib, showcasing its rich cultural and historical significance within the Islamic world and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Mahib over time

The chart below shows babies named Mahib registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 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 Mahib, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Mahib
01234200320132024

Decades

Mahib by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mahib 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 #4560 7 2
2000s #3467 3 1

Related

Names similar to Mahib

FAQ

Mahib: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Mahib was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Mahib most popular?

The peak year on record was 2022, with 4 babies registered as Mahib in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Mahib?

A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "generous" or "munificent".

How many people are called Mahib in the UK?

A total of 10 babies have been registered as Mahib across the 3 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.