NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Mahnoor

Beautiful like the sun's illumination, a name of Persian origin.

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.

Mahnoor is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mahnoor popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #383, with 113 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 113 births.

This profile covers 1,540 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.

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

We estimate that about 1,579 living people in the UK are called Mahnoor. 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

  • Mahnoor ranked #383 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 113 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 113 girls were registered as Mahnoor.
  • Mahnoor ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
  • About 1,579 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mahnoor as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#383

2024

Births in 2024

113

Latest year

Peak year

2024

113 births

Estimated living

1,579

2026

Meaning

What does Mahnoor mean?

The name Mahnoor is of Persian origin, derived from the words "Mah" meaning moon and "Noor" meaning light. It is a beautiful and poetic name that translates to "Light of the Moon" or "Moonlight."

This name has its roots in the rich cultural traditions of ancient Persia, now modern-day Iran. It was commonly used during the reign of the Sassanid Empire, which spanned from the 3rd to the 7th century AD. The name is closely associated with the Zoroastrian faith, where the moon held great symbolic significance and was revered as a divine being.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Mahnoor can be found in the poetry of the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi, who lived from 940 to 1020 AD. In his epic masterpiece, the Shahnameh, he used the name to describe the radiant beauty of celestial beings.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Mahnoor. One of the most famous was Mahnoor Begum (1593-1662), a princess of the Mughal Empire and the daughter of Emperor Jahangir. She was known for her exceptional beauty and intellect, and her name adorned many works of art and literature during the Mughal period.

Another historical figure was Mahnoor Bano (1820-1880), a prominent poet and scholar from the Indian subcontinent. Her poetry, written in Urdu and Persian, celebrated the themes of love, spirituality, and the beauty of nature. She was renowned for her mastery of language and her contributions to the literary traditions of the region.

In the realm of music, Mahnoor Sayed (1947-2012) was a celebrated Pakistani classical singer and composer. She was revered for her powerful vocal range and her ability to captivate audiences with her renditions of traditional Sufi and folk songs.

Mahnoor Arshad (born 1989) is a contemporary Pakistani actress and model who has gained widespread recognition for her performances in television dramas and films. Her talent and grace have earned her numerous awards and accolades.

Lastly, Mahnoor Baloch (born 1995) is a Pakistani activist and social media influencer known for her advocacy for women's rights and education. Her courageous efforts to raise awareness about gender inequality and human rights issues have inspired many around the globe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Mahnoor over time

The chart below shows babies named Mahnoor registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Mahnoor, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 113 births in 2024, compared with 113 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Mahnoor
0285785113199620102024

Decades

Mahnoor by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mahnoor 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 #540 382 5
2010s #634 641 10
2000s #711 445 10
1990s #1158 72 4

Geography

Where Mahnoor is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mahnoor. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Mahnoor ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Mahnoor in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#790 in 2024

13 years of NRS records, 47 total registered

Related

Names similar to Mahnoor

FAQ

Mahnoor: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Mahnoor was ranked #383 for girls in England and Wales, with 113 births registered.

When was Mahnoor most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 113 babies registered as Mahnoor in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Mahnoor?

Beautiful like the sun's illumination, a name of Persian origin.

How many people are called Mahnoor in the UK?

A total of 1,540 babies have been registered as Mahnoor across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 47 more in Scotland.

Where is Mahnoor most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Mahnoor ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #790 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.