UK boy's name
Nafees
A masculine Arabic name meaning elegant, fine or refined.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2014. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Nafees is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Nafees popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2014 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2964, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 7 births.
This profile covers 51 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 1996 to 2014. 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 86% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 51 living people in the UK are called Nafees. 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 2015 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Nafees ranked #2964 for boys in England and Wales in 2014, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 7 boys were registered as Nafees.
- • About 51 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nafees as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2964
2014
Births in 2014
6
Latest year
Peak year
2008
7 births
Estimated living
51
2026
Meaning
What does Nafees mean?
The name Nafees is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the language spoken by people in the Middle East and North Africa. It is derived from the Arabic word "nafis," which means "precious," "valuable," or "rare." The name first appeared in the Arabian Peninsula during the early centuries of the Islamic era, around the 7th century AD.
In the Arabic culture, the name Nafees was often given to children as a way to express the parents' hope and desire for their child to be precious and valuable in their eyes and in the eyes of society. It was a name that carried a sense of pride and high regard.
The earliest recorded use of the name Nafees can be traced back to historical records and manuscripts from the Middle Ages, where it was mentioned in various literary works and chronicles written by Arab scholars and historians.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Nafees was Nafees ibn al-Qasim, a renowned Arabic poet who lived in the 9th century AD in present-day Iraq. He was celebrated for his eloquent poetry and his contributions to the Arabic literary tradition.
Another notable figure with the name Nafees was Nafees al-Dawla, a powerful ruler and military commander who lived in the 11th century AD. He was the ruler of the Seljuk Empire, a prominent Islamic dynasty that controlled vast territories stretching from Central Asia to the Mediterranean.
In the 12th century, Nafees al-Din al-Bayhaqi was a prominent Persian historian and author who wrote extensively about the Ghaznavid Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
Moving forward in time, Nafees ibn Iwad al-Kirmani was a renowned scholar and writer who lived in the 13th century AD in present-day Iran. He was known for his contributions to the fields of literature, philosophy, and Islamic theology.
In more recent history, Nafees Siddiqui was a prominent Pakistani writer and journalist who lived from 1919 to 1992. He was celebrated for his novels, short stories, and literary critiques, which explored themes of social justice and cultural identity.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Nafees, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance in various cultures and regions influenced by the Arabic language and Islamic traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nafees over time
The chart below shows babies named Nafees registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2014. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Nafees, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2014, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nafees by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nafees 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3838 | 13 | 3 |
| 2000s | #3018 | 21 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2367 | 17 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Nafees
- 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
Nafees: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nafees in the UK right now?
In 2014, Nafees was ranked #2964 for boys in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Nafees most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 7 babies registered as Nafees in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nafees?
A masculine Arabic name meaning elegant, fine or refined.
How many people are called Nafees in the UK?
A total of 51 babies have been registered as Nafees across the 12 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.