UK boy's name
Osama
An Arabic name meaning "lion" or "brave courageous person".
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.
Osama is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Osama popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2671, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 27 births.
This profile covers 297 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 306 living people in the UK are called Osama. 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
- • Osama ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 27 boys were registered as Osama.
- • Osama ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
- • About 306 living people in the UK are estimated to have Osama as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2671
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
1999
27 births
Estimated living
306
2026
Meaning
What does Osama mean?
The name Osama is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "sama" which means "to be elevated" or "to rise up". It has been in use since ancient times, particularly in the Arab world and regions influenced by Islamic culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Quran, where it is mentioned as a name for the Prophet Muhammad's uncle, Osama ibn Zayd. He lived in the 7th century CE and was a revered military commander who led an army against the Byzantine Empire.
In the 8th century CE, Osama ibn Munqidh was a famous Arab poet and warrior from Syria. He is known for his literary works, including his memoir "Kitab al-I'tibar" which provided insights into the Crusades and the political landscape of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Osama was Osama ibn Idris, who lived in the 9th century CE. He was a renowned mathematician and astronomer from Morocco, and his contributions to the field of celestial mechanics were significant.
In the 11th century, Osama ibn Munqidh, a Syrian prince and warrior, gained fame for his military exploits during the Crusades. He is also remembered for his literary works, which included accounts of his interactions with the Crusaders and his observations on their culture and customs.
Osama al-Ghazali, a prominent Islamic scholar and mystic, lived in the 12th century CE. He was a prolific writer and is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in Islamic philosophy and Sufism.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who bore the name Osama, which has been a part of Arabic and Islamic cultures for centuries. The name has a rich heritage and has been associated with various fields, including religion, literature, science, and warfare.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Osama over time
The chart below shows babies named Osama 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 Osama, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 27 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Osama by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Osama 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 | #2498 | 41 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2710 | 72 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2080 | 110 | 9 |
| 1990s | #914 | 74 | 4 |
Geography
Where Osama is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Osama. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Osama ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
Across the UK
Osama in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#727 in 2024
4 years of NRS records, 12 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Osama
-
Osama Saeed
politician; opinion journalist; blogger
British politician (born 1980)
1980-
Related
Names similar to Osama
- 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
Osama: questions and answers
How popular is the name Osama in the UK right now?
In 2024, Osama was ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Osama most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 27 babies registered as Osama in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Osama?
An Arabic name meaning "lion" or "brave courageous person".
How many people are called Osama in the UK?
A total of 297 babies have been registered as Osama across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 12 more in Scotland.
Where is Osama most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Osama ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #727 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.