NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Miah

A variant of the biblical name Micah, of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".

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.

Miah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Miah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2253, with 12 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 69 births.

This profile covers 1,107 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 17% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,267 living people in the UK are called Miah. 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

  • Miah ranked #2253 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 12 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 69 girls were registered as Miah.
  • Miah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #328 in 2023.
  • About 1,267 living people in the UK are estimated to have Miah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2253

2024

Births in 2024

12

Latest year

Peak year

2011

69 births

Estimated living

1,267

2026

Meaning

What does Miah mean?

The name Miah is believed to have originated from the Arabic language and culture. It is a variant or diminutive form of the name Miah, which means "water" or "rain" in Arabic. The name has its roots in the Middle Eastern region and can be traced back to ancient times when water was considered a precious resource and a symbol of life.

In Islamic tradition, the name Miah is sometimes associated with the concept of purification and cleansing, as water is used for ablutions before prayers. The name may have been given to children as a way to invoke blessings and purity upon them.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Miah can be found in the writings of the 9th-century Arabian poet and scholar, Abu Tammam. In his famous work, "The Book of Songs," he mentions a character named Miah, indicating the name's usage during that time period.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Miah. In the 12th century, Miah al-Din al-Kashi was a renowned Persian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the fields of trigonometry and astronomy.

During the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, Miah Pasha was a prominent military commander and statesman who played a crucial role in the expansion of the empire's territories.

In the 19th century, Miah Siddiqui was an influential Islamic scholar and reformer from British India, known for his efforts to promote modern education and social reforms within the Muslim community.

Another notable figure was Miah Muhammed Husain, a 20th-century Pakistani politician and diplomat who served as the country's foreign minister in the 1960s.

More recently, Miah Uddin was a Bangladeshi freedom fighter who participated in the country's liberation war against Pakistan in 1971, and was awarded the prestigious Bir Protik award for his bravery.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Miah over time

The chart below shows babies named Miah 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 Miah, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 12 births in 2024, compared with 69 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Miah
017355269199620102024

Decades

Miah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Miah 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 #1315 139 5
2010s #764 523 10
2000s #774 384 10
1990s #1296 61 4

Geography

Where Miah is most common

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

Miah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #328 in 2023.

Scotland
8
Northern Ireland
4

Across the UK

Miah in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#384 in 2024

21 years of NRS records, 137 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#328 in 2023

7 years of NISRA records, 30 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Miah

  • Miah Hasselbaink

    actor; child actor

    actress

    2007-

Related

Names similar to Miah

FAQ

Miah: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Miah was ranked #2253 for girls in England and Wales, with 12 births registered.

When was Miah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 69 babies registered as Miah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Miah?

A variant of the biblical name Micah, of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".

How many people are called Miah in the UK?

A total of 1,107 babies have been registered as Miah across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 137 more in Scotland and 30 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Miah most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Miah ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #328 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.