NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Nadir

An Arabic name meaning "the lowest point" or "the deepest point".

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.

Nadir is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Nadir popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2001, with 22 births.

This profile covers 290 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 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.

The latest count is about 18% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 288 living people in the UK are called Nadir. 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

  • Nadir ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2001, when 22 boys were registered as Nadir.
  • About 288 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nadir as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4270

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2001

22 births

Estimated living

288

2026

Meaning

What does Nadir mean?

The name Nadir originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Arabic word "nadir" which means "rare" or "precious." The name is believed to have been in use since the early medieval period in the Arab world.

In Islamic tradition, Nadir is mentioned as the name of one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. According to historical records, Nadir ibn al-Harith was a prominent figure among the companions and participated in several significant battles during the early days of Islam.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Nadir can be found in the 9th century work "Kitab al-Aghani" (The Book of Songs), which mentions a famous Arab poet and musician named Nadir ibn al-Mundhir al-Khuza'i who lived during the Abbasid Caliphate.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Nadir. One of the most famous is Nadir Shah, who ruled the Persian Empire from 1736 to 1747. He was known for his military conquests and briefly extended the Persian Empire's control over large parts of the Middle East and South Asia.

Another prominent figure with the name Nadir was Nadir Afonso, a 16th-century Portuguese explorer and navigator. He played a significant role in Portuguese maritime explorations, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.

In the field of literature, Nadir Ali Wazir was a prominent 20th-century Pakistani poet and writer. He wrote extensively in both Urdu and Punjabi languages and is considered one of the pioneers of modern Punjabi poetry.

Nadir Gopal Banerjee, born in 1882, was an Indian mathematician and statistician. He made significant contributions to the field of statistics and is credited with developing several statistical methods and techniques.

Lastly, Nadir Afonso, born in 1920, was a renowned Mozambican artist and sculptor. He is celebrated for his sculptures and artworks that depicted the struggles and cultural heritage of the African people.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Nadir over time

The chart below shows babies named Nadir 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 Nadir, the clearest high point is 2001. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 22 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Nadir
06111722199620102024

Decades

Nadir by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nadir 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 #3616 28 5
2010s #2790 74 10
2000s #1334 143 10
1990s #1177 45 4

Related

Names similar to Nadir

FAQ

Nadir: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Nadir was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Nadir most popular?

The peak year on record was 2001, with 22 babies registered as Nadir in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Nadir?

An Arabic name meaning "the lowest point" or "the deepest point".

How many people are called Nadir in the UK?

A total of 290 babies have been registered as Nadir across the 29 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.