UK boy's name
Oday
A masculine Arabic name meaning "small branch" or "return".
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.
Oday is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Oday popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4991, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 4 births.
This profile covers 17 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2018 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 17 living people in the UK are called Oday. 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
- • Oday ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 4 boys were registered as Oday.
- • About 17 living people in the UK are estimated to have Oday as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4991
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2020
4 births
Estimated living
17
2026
Meaning
What does Oday mean?
The name Oday has its origins in Arabic culture and language. It is derived from the Arabic word "waday," which means "affection" or "love." The name first appeared in the Middle East during the medieval period, around the 7th to 8th centuries CE.
Oday is believed to have been a common name among the Arab tribes of the Arabian Peninsula during this time. It is possible that the name was inspired by the values of love, kindness, and affection that were central to the teachings of Islam, which spread rapidly across the region during this era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oday can be found in the writings of famous Arab scholars and historians from the 9th and 10th centuries CE. These writers often mentioned individuals with the name Oday in their accounts of significant events and important figures of the time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Oday. One such person was Oday ibn Abi'l-'Ala' al-Ma'arri, a renowned Arab philosopher, poet, and writer who lived from 973 to 1057 CE. He was known for his brilliant literary works and his criticism of religious dogma and social norms.
Another prominent figure with the name Oday was Oday ibn Abi Bakr al-Qurashi, a 10th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the fields of algebra and trigonometry and was regarded as one of the leading scholars of his time.
In the 12th century, Oday ibn Mahmud al-Khwarizmi was a celebrated Persian scholar and physician. He authored several influential works on medicine and pharmacology, which were widely studied and referenced in the Islamic world.
During the 13th century, Oday al-Din al-Naysaburi was a renowned Sufi mystic and poet from Persia. His spiritual teachings and poetic writings had a profound impact on the development of Sufism and Islamic mysticism.
In more recent history, Oday Amir Mershed was a prominent Iraqi politician and diplomat who lived from 1924 to 2020. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq and played a significant role in the country's political affairs during the latter half of the 20th century.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Oday throughout history. The name's origins and meaning have been deeply rooted in Arab and Islamic culture, representing values of love, affection, and kindness that have resonated across generations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Oday over time
The chart below shows babies named Oday registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2018 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 Oday, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oday by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Oday 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 | #4276 | 11 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4726 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Oday
- Oliver 157,197
- Oscar 67,495
- Owen 33,517
- Ollie 13,193
- Oakley 9,838
- Omar 6,823
- Otis 6,395
- Oskar 4,827
- Olly 4,403
- Otto 3,839
- Osian 3,145
- Owain 2,310
FAQ
Oday: questions and answers
How popular is the name Oday in the UK right now?
In 2023, Oday was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Oday most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 4 babies registered as Oday in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Oday?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "small branch" or "return".
How many people are called Oday in the UK?
A total of 17 babies have been registered as Oday across the 5 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.