UK girl's name
Mairah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "bright", "beautiful", or "brilliant".
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.
Mairah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mairah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1603, with 19 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 19 births.
This profile covers 119 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2007 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.
Mairah is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 118 living people in the UK are called Mairah. 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
- • Mairah ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 19 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 19 girls were registered as Mairah.
- • About 118 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mairah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1603
2024
Births in 2024
19
Latest year
Peak year
2024
19 births
Estimated living
118
2026
Meaning
What does Mairah mean?
The name Mairah is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, derived from the root word "mir'ah," which means "mirror." This suggests that the name may have been associated with beauty, reflecting the idea of a mirror reflecting one's image.
The name Mairah has been in use for several centuries, with mentions dating back to the Middle Ages in various Arabic texts and historical records. It was particularly popular in regions where Arabic culture and influence were prevalent, such as the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mairah can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab philosopher and poet, Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE). In his work, "The Revival of the Religious Sciences," he made reference to a woman named Mairah, although little is known about her beyond her name.
In the 12th century, there was a prominent Arab physician and scholar named Mairah al-Qurtubi (1095-1173 CE) who hailed from Cordoba, Spain. She was renowned for her contributions to the field of medicine and her expertise in treating various ailments.
During the Ottoman Empire, a notable figure bearing the name Mairah was Mairah Hatun (1497-1568 CE), who was the wife of Sultan Selim I. She played a significant role in shaping the cultural and political landscape of the empire during her lifetime.
In the realm of literature, one of the most famous individuals with the name Mairah was Mairah al-Fayyumi (1760-1835 CE), an Egyptian poet and writer who was celebrated for her mastery of the Arabic language and her poetic works.
Another notable figure was Mairah al-Aswad (1805-1873 CE), an influential Arab scholar and historian from Syria. Her writings on the history and culture of the region were highly regarded and contributed to the preservation of knowledge during her time.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Mairah, highlighting its rich cultural and linguistic origins, as well as its prominence across various fields and regions over the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mairah over time
The chart below shows babies named Mairah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 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 Mairah, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 19 births in 2024, compared with 19 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mairah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mairah 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 | #2120 | 66 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3347 | 43 | 6 |
| 2000s | #5103 | 10 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Mairah
- 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
Mairah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mairah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mairah was ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales, with 19 births registered.
When was Mairah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 19 babies registered as Mairah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mairah?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "bright", "beautiful", or "brilliant".
How many people are called Mairah in the UK?
A total of 119 babies have been registered as Mairah 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.