UK girl's name
Milah
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "word" or "circumcision.".
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.
Milah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Milah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3015, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 20 births.
This profile covers 178 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2010 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 40% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 205 living people in the UK are called Milah. 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
- • Milah ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 20 girls were registered as Milah.
- • Milah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #446 in 2021.
- • About 205 living people in the UK are estimated to have Milah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3015
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
2018
20 births
Estimated living
205
2026
Meaning
What does Milah mean?
The name Milah is believed to have originated from the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "milah," which means "circumcision" or "covenant." The name has been in use for centuries and is closely tied to Jewish religious traditions.
In the Hebrew Bible, the term "milah" refers to the ritual of circumcision, which is a central practice in Judaism. It is mentioned numerous times in the Book of Genesis and is considered a physical symbol of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. The name Milah may have been given to children as a reminder of this significant tradition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Milah dates back to the 12th century. Milah ben Yosef, a prominent Jewish scholar and philosopher from Seville, Spain, lived during this time. He wrote extensively on Jewish law and ethics, making significant contributions to the intellectual discourse of his era.
Another notable historical figure with the name Milah was Milah of Narbo, a 13th-century French Jewish scholar and philosopher. He was known for his work on biblical exegesis and his commentary on the Talmud, which was widely studied in Jewish communities across Europe.
In the 16th century, Milah Jaffe, a Jewish scholar and kabbalist from Poland, gained recognition for his teachings on the mystical aspects of Judaism. His writings on the Kabbalah and its interpretations had a lasting impact on the development of Jewish mysticism.
Moving forward in history, Milah Heschel (1672-1748) was a renowned Polish Jewish rabbi and author. He was highly respected for his expertise in Jewish law and his efforts to promote religious education among the Jewish community in Poland.
Another prominent figure was Milah Montefiore (1784-1885), a British Jewish philanthropist and activist. She worked tirelessly to support Jewish communities around the world and played a crucial role in advocating for the rights and welfare of Jews in various countries.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who carried the name Milah. Throughout its long history, the name has been associated with Jewish culture, religious traditions, and intellectual pursuits, reflecting its Hebrew origins and deep-rooted connections to the faith.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Milah over time
The chart below shows babies named Milah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2010 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 Milah, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 20 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Milah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Milah 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 | #2188 | 66 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2817 | 112 | 9 |
Geography
Where Milah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Milah. 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.
Milah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #446 in 2021.
Across the UK
Milah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#790 in 2024
5 years of NRS records, 19 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#446 in 2021
3 years of NISRA records, 9 total registered
Related
Names similar to Milah
- 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
Milah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Milah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Milah was ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Milah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 20 babies registered as Milah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Milah?
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "word" or "circumcision.".
How many people are called Milah in the UK?
A total of 178 babies have been registered as Milah across the 14 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 19 more in Scotland and 9 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Milah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Milah ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #446 in 2021. 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.