UK girl's name
Misk
An Arabic name derived from musk, a fragrant essence.
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.
Misk is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Misk popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #952, with 37 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 37 births.
This profile covers 118 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 2006 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.
Misk is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 118 living people in the UK are called Misk. 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
- • Misk ranked #952 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 37 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 37 girls were registered as Misk.
- • About 118 living people in the UK are estimated to have Misk as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#952
2024
Births in 2024
37
Latest year
Peak year
2024
37 births
Estimated living
118
2026
Meaning
What does Misk mean?
The name Misk originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic word "misk," which means "musk," a highly valued fragrant substance obtained from the glands of the male musk deer.
The name Misk has been in use for centuries in the Arab world, with historical records showing its presence as early as the 7th century AD. It is believed to have gained popularity during the Islamic Golden Age, a period of remarkable cultural, scientific, and intellectual achievements in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest known references to the name Misk can be found in the works of renowned Arab poets and scholars of the time. The 9th-century Arab poet Abu Tammam (804-845 AD) mentioned the name in one of his poems, praising the beauty and fragrance associated with the name.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Misk. One of the most renowned was Misk al-Khazari (d. 976 AD), a prominent Arab mathematician and astronomer from Khwarezm (present-day Uzbekistan). He made significant contributions to the fields of spherical trigonometry and the study of planetary motions.
Another notable bearer of the name was Misk al-Alami (1057-1116 AD), a Fatimid philosopher and theologian from Cairo, Egypt. He was renowned for his works on Islamic jurisprudence and his defense of the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam.
In the 12th century, Misk al-Damiri (1341-1405 AD) was an Arab writer and zoologist from Cairo. He is best known for his comprehensive work titled "Hayat al-Hayawan al-Kubra" (The Great Book of Animal Life), which provided detailed descriptions of various animals, their behaviors, and their symbolism in Arab culture.
During the 14th century, Misk al-Jawhari (d. 1369 AD) was a renowned Arab calligrapher and poet from Baghdad, Iraq. He was celebrated for his mastery of the Naskh and Thuluth calligraphic scripts and his contributions to the art of Arabic calligraphy.
In more recent times, Misk Hilal (1892-1963) was a prominent Syrian poet and writer who played a significant role in the Arab literary renaissance of the early 20th century. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and the struggles of women in Arab society.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Misk over time
The chart below shows babies named Misk registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2006 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 Misk, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 37 births in 2024, compared with 37 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Misk by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Misk 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 | #2344 | 84 | 5 |
| 2010s | #4819 | 29 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3548 | 5 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Misk
- 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
Misk: questions and answers
How popular is the name Misk in the UK right now?
In 2024, Misk was ranked #952 for girls in England and Wales, with 37 births registered.
When was Misk most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 37 babies registered as Misk in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Misk?
An Arabic name derived from musk, a fragrant essence.
How many people are called Misk in the UK?
A total of 118 babies have been registered as Misk across the 13 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.