NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Marwa

An Arabic feminine name meaning "the source of water" or "meadow".

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.

Marwa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Marwa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #320, with 136 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 136 births.

This profile covers 2,044 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.

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

We estimate that about 2,062 living people in the UK are called Marwa. 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

  • Marwa ranked #320 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 136 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 136 girls were registered as Marwa.
  • Marwa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #630 in 2023.
  • About 2,062 living people in the UK are estimated to have Marwa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#320

2024

Births in 2024

136

Latest year

Peak year

2024

136 births

Estimated living

2,062

2026

Meaning

What does Marwa mean?

The name Marwa has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, with roots dating back to the ancient Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic word "marwa," which means "elevated" or "high." This name was likely given to individuals born or residing in areas with a significant elevation or near mountains.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Marwa can be found in the Islamic tradition. According to the Quran, Marwa is the name of a hill located near the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The ritual of "Sa'i," which involves walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa, is an important part of the Islamic pilgrimage known as the Hajj.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Marwa. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Marwa al-Nahhas, a renowned female poet from the 8th century CE who was celebrated for her poetic prowess and contributions to Arabic literature.

Another famous bearer of the name was Marwa bint Yahya al-Qurashiyya, a 9th-century Muslim scholar and hadith narrator from Medina. She was highly respected for her knowledge and played a significant role in preserving and transmitting Islamic traditions and teachings.

In the 12th century, Marwa al-Samarkandiyya was a renowned female scholar from Samarkand, present-day Uzbekistan. She was renowned for her expertise in various fields, including Islamic jurisprudence, hadith, and Arabic language and literature.

Marwa al-Maliki, born in 1339 CE, was a Moroccan princess and the daughter of the Sultan of the Marinid dynasty. She was known for her patronage of arts and sciences and played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of her time.

In more recent history, Marwa Rakha, born in 1976, is an Egyptian actress and television personality. She has appeared in numerous films and television shows and is widely recognized for her contributions to the Egyptian entertainment industry.

While the name Marwa has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic tradition, it has gained popularity across various cultures and regions around the world, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Marwa over time

The chart below shows babies named Marwa 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 Marwa, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 136 births in 2024, compared with 136 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Marwa
03468102136199620102024

Decades

Marwa by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Marwa 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 #396 547 5
2010s #454 952 10
2000s #717 486 10
1990s #1281 59 4

Geography

Where Marwa is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Marwa. 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.

Marwa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #630 in 2023.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Marwa in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#630 in 2023

7 years of NRS records, 28 total registered

Related

Names similar to Marwa

FAQ

Marwa: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Marwa was ranked #320 for girls in England and Wales, with 136 births registered.

When was Marwa most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 136 babies registered as Marwa in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Marwa?

An Arabic feminine name meaning "the source of water" or "meadow".

How many people are called Marwa in the UK?

A total of 2,044 babies have been registered as Marwa across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 28 more in Scotland.

Where is Marwa most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Marwa ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #630 in 2023. 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.