NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Nuriyah

A feminine Arabic name meaning "light" or "brilliance".

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.

Nuriyah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Nuriyah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 9 births.

This profile covers 78 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 2011 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 44% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 78 living people in the UK are called Nuriyah. 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

  • Nuriyah ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2014, when 9 girls were registered as Nuriyah.
  • About 78 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nuriyah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4843

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2014

9 births

Estimated living

78

2026

Meaning

What does Nuriyah mean?

The name Nuriyah is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "nur" which means "light" or "radiance" in Arabic. It is a feminine name that has been in use for centuries, particularly in the Middle East and other regions with significant Arab or Muslim populations.

The earliest recorded use of the name Nuriyah can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of this name were influenced by the Quranic verse that refers to God as "the Light of the heavens and the earth" (An-Nur 24:35).

One of the earliest notable figures with the name Nuriyah was Nuriyah bint Al-Hajjaj, a renowned Arabic scholar and poet who lived in the 8th century CE. She was known for her expertise in literature, grammar, and Islamic jurisprudence, and her works were widely studied and admired during her time.

In the 11th century, Nuriyah al-Misriyah was a prominent Egyptian Sufi saint and mystic. She was known for her spiritual teachings and her contributions to the development of Sufism in the region.

During the 13th century, Nuriyah bint Ali al-Qurashi was a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Damascus. She was highly respected for her knowledge of Islamic law and her contributions to the study of hadith (the sayings and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad).

In the 16th century, Nuriyah Banu Begum was a powerful and influential woman in the Mughal Empire of India. She was the sister of the Mughal Emperor Humayun and played a significant role in the political affairs of the empire during her brother's reign.

Another notable figure with the name Nuriyah was Nuriyah al-Fazari, an 18th-century poet and scholar from Yemen. She was renowned for her mastery of Arabic poetry and her contributions to the preservation of Yemen's rich literary heritage.

Throughout history, the name Nuriyah has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including literature, religion, scholarship, and politics. Its connection to the concept of light and radiance has likely contributed to its enduring popularity among Arabic-speaking communities and those influenced by Islamic culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Nuriyah over time

The chart below shows babies named Nuriyah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2011 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 Nuriyah, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 9 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Nuriyah
02579201120172024

Decades

Nuriyah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nuriyah 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 #4075 20 4
2010s #3551 58 9

Related

Names similar to Nuriyah

FAQ

Nuriyah: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Nuriyah was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Nuriyah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2014, with 9 babies registered as Nuriyah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Nuriyah?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "light" or "brilliance".

How many people are called Nuriyah in the UK?

A total of 78 babies have been registered as Nuriyah across the 13 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.