UK girl's name
Nada
A feminine Arabic name meaning "dew" or "moisture".
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.
Nada is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Nada popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2115, with 13 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 34 births.
This profile covers 597 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 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 605 living people in the UK are called Nada. 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
- • Nada ranked #2115 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 13 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 34 girls were registered as Nada.
- • Nada ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #783 in 2009.
- • About 605 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nada as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2115
2024
Births in 2024
13
Latest year
Peak year
2008
34 births
Estimated living
605
2026
Meaning
What does Nada mean?
The name Nada originated in Arabic and has its roots in the Semitic language family. In Arabic, the word "nada" means "dew" or "dewdrop," symbolizing freshness, purity, and clarity. This name gained popularity in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Nada can be found in classical Arabic literature, where it was often used as a poetic metaphor for beauty and grace. It appeared in several works of renowned Arab poets, such as Imru' al-Qais and al-Mutanabbi, who lived during the 6th and 10th centuries respectively.
The name Nada also holds significance in Islamic tradition. In the 7th century, there was a prominent female companion of the Prophet Muhammad named Nada bint al-Harith. She was known for her wisdom and devotion, and her name became associated with virtue and piety among Muslims.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Nada. In the 9th century, Nada al-Baghdadiyya was a celebrated poet and scholar from Baghdad, renowned for her contributions to Arabic literature. Another notable figure was Nada Anjuman, an influential Afghan social reformer and women's rights activist who lived in the early 20th century (1898-1977).
The name Nada also gained recognition in the Western world, particularly in the arts and entertainment industry. Nada Surf is an alternative rock band formed in New York City in the 1990s, known for their hit song "Popular." Additionally, Nada Rowand (born 1920) was a successful French actress and dancer who appeared in several Hollywood films in the 1940s and 1950s.
Another prominent individual with the name Nada was Nada Prounis (1920-2021), a pioneering American artist and sculptor who was celebrated for her innovative work in the field of kinetic art. Her sculptures, which incorporated movement and light, were highly influential and are featured in numerous museum collections worldwide.
While the name Nada has its origins in the Middle East, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity across various regions and communities, with each culture imbuing it with its own unique significance and associations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nada over time
The chart below shows babies named Nada 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 Nada, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 13 births in 2024, compared with 34 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nada by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nada 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 | #2016 | 70 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1432 | 225 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1094 | 242 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1268 | 60 | 4 |
Geography
Where Nada is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Nada. 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.
Nada ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #783 in 2009.
Across the UK
Nada in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#783 in 2009
3 years of NRS records, 11 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Nada
-
Nada Bashir
journalist
British journalist
1995-
-
Nada Shabout
historian; art historian
American art historian
1962-
-
Nada Jarche
candidate in the 2024 United Kingdom general election
-
Nada Dahab
art director; lecturer; wardrobe stylist
Nada Dahab is an Egyptian British stylist, creative director, and lecturer in the fields of fashion and production
Related
Names similar to Nada
- Niamh 20,347
- Nicole 19,687
- Natasha 15,578
- Nancy 12,607
- Naomi 12,199
- Natalie 10,885
- Nevaeh 7,869
- Nina 7,285
- Neve 7,180
- Natalia 7,099
- Nadia 6,032
- Nicola 4,927
FAQ
Nada: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nada in the UK right now?
In 2024, Nada was ranked #2115 for girls in England and Wales, with 13 births registered.
When was Nada most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 34 babies registered as Nada in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nada?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "dew" or "moisture".
How many people are called Nada in the UK?
A total of 597 babies have been registered as Nada across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11 more in Scotland.
Where is Nada most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Nada ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #783 in 2009. 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.