NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Neema

A feminine Arabic name meaning grace or favor.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Neema is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Neema popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4056, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 6 births.

This profile covers 64 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 1997 to 2023. 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 83% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 64 living people in the UK are called Neema. 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 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Neema ranked #4056 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2007, when 6 girls were registered as Neema.
  • About 64 living people in the UK are estimated to have Neema as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4056

2023

Births in 2023

5

Latest year

Peak year

2007

6 births

Estimated living

64

2026

Meaning

What does Neema mean?

The name Neema is a Swahili name that originates from East Africa. It is derived from the Arabic word "ni'mah," which means "blessing" or "grace." The Swahili language is spoken in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The name Neema has been in use for centuries among the Swahili people, who are a Bantu ethnic group inhabiting the coastal regions of East Africa. Swahili culture has been influenced by various factors, including Arab and Persian traders who settled in the region during the Middle Ages.

While the name Neema does not appear in any ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been a popular name among the Swahili people for generations. The earliest recorded examples of the name date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, during the height of the Swahili coastal trading cities.

One notable person with the name Neema was Neema Mgana, a Tanzanian politician and women's rights activist. She served as a member of the Tanzanian Parliament from 1995 to 2010 and was a vocal advocate for gender equality and women's empowerment.

Another individual with the name Neema was Neema Nkya, a Tanzanian singer and musician. She was born in 1980 and is known for her contributions to the bongo flava genre, a popular form of Tanzanian hip hop and R&B.

In Kenya, Neema Nkatha was a prominent figure in the country's literary scene. She was a poet and author who published several collections of poetry and short stories, celebrating Kenyan culture and traditions. Nkatha was born in 1950 and passed away in 2018.

Neema Mugala was a Ugandan activist and advocate for women's rights. She founded the organization Women's Rights Initiative and worked tirelessly to promote gender equality and combat violence against women in Uganda. Mugala lived from 1965 to 2018.

In the world of sports, Neema Barnabas was a Tanzanian long-distance runner. She represented Tanzania in multiple international competitions, including the Olympic Games and World Championships. Barnabas was born in 1985 and achieved notable success in marathons and cross-country events.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Neema over time

The chart below shows babies named Neema registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Neema, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2023, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Neema
02356199720102023

Decades

Neema by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Neema 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 #5102 11 3
2010s #3865 27 5
2000s #3938 17 4
1990s #2940 9 2

Related

Names similar to Neema

FAQ

Neema: questions and answers

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

In 2023, Neema was ranked #4056 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Neema most popular?

The peak year on record was 2007, with 6 babies registered as Neema in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Neema?

A feminine Arabic name meaning grace or favor.

How many people are called Neema in the UK?

A total of 64 babies have been registered as Neema across the 14 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.