UK boy's name
Nabeel
Noble, distinguished person; alternatively interpreted as a sublime spring.
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.
Nabeel is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Nabeel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1517, with 17 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 42 births.
This profile covers 683 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.
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 701 living people in the UK are called Nabeel. 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
- • Nabeel ranked #1517 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 17 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 42 boys were registered as Nabeel.
- • Nabeel ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #400 in 2005.
- • About 701 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nabeel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1517
2024
Births in 2024
17
Latest year
Peak year
1998
42 births
Estimated living
701
2026
Meaning
What does Nabeel mean?
The name Nabeel has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "nabala," which means "to be noble" or "to be of high lineage." The name first appeared during the early Islamic period, around the 7th century AD.
In Arabic, the name Nabeel is considered a masculine name and is often associated with qualities such as nobility, honor, and dignity. It has been a popular name among Arab communities for centuries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nabeel can be found in the writings of Arab scholars and poets from the 8th and 9th centuries. It is mentioned in historical records and literature from that time period, indicating its widespread use among the Arab nobility.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Nabeel. One of the most famous was Nabeel al-Qurtubi (1007-1072 AD), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Cordoba, Spain. He made significant contributions to the study of Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and Islamic jurisprudence.
Another notable figure was Nabeel ibn al-Muqaffa (720-785 AD), a Persian writer and translator who played a crucial role in the spread of Persian literature and culture in the Arabic-speaking world. He is best known for his translation of the Persian book "Kalila wa Dimna" into Arabic, which became a beloved work of literature in the Islamic world.
In the realm of science, Nabeel al-Kindi (801-873 AD) was a prominent Arab philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of optics, physics, and mathematics. He is often regarded as one of the pioneers of the scientific method in the Islamic world.
Nabeel al-Jaafi (1142-1225 AD) was a renowned Arab poet and literary scholar from Yemen. He is known for his mastery of Arabic poetry and his works, which have been widely studied and celebrated in the Arab world.
Nabeel al-Arabi (1165-1240 AD), also known as Ibn Arabi, was a highly influential Sufi mystic and philosopher from Spain. His writings on Sufism and mystical experiences have had a lasting impact on Islamic spiritual traditions.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Nabeel, reflecting its longstanding cultural significance and the diverse contributions made by those who carried this name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nabeel over time
The chart below shows babies named Nabeel 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 Nabeel, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 17 births in 2024, compared with 42 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nabeel by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nabeel 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 | #1884 | 64 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1632 | 163 | 10 |
| 2000s | #793 | 297 | 10 |
| 1990s | #486 | 159 | 4 |
Geography
Where Nabeel is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Nabeel. 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.
Nabeel ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #400 in 2005.
Across the UK
Nabeel in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#400 in 2005
7 years of NRS records, 24 total registered
Related
Names similar to Nabeel
- Noah 72,596
- Nathan 46,860
- Nicholas 15,983
- Nathaniel 12,151
- Niall 5,746
- Nicolas 3,825
- Nico 3,532
- Nate 2,029
- Nikodem 1,872
- Noel 1,865
- Ned 1,614
- Neo 1,563
FAQ
Nabeel: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nabeel in the UK right now?
In 2024, Nabeel was ranked #1517 for boys in England and Wales, with 17 births registered.
When was Nabeel most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 42 babies registered as Nabeel in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nabeel?
Noble, distinguished person; alternatively interpreted as a sublime spring.
How many people are called Nabeel in the UK?
A total of 683 babies have been registered as Nabeel across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 24 more in Scotland.
Where is Nabeel most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Nabeel ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #400 in 2005. 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.