NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Rahib

An Arabic masculine name meaning "one who fears and reveres God".

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.

Rahib is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Rahib 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 2017, with 7 births.

This profile covers 56 England and Wales registrations across 15 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 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 56 living people in the UK are called Rahib. 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

  • Rahib ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2017, when 7 boys were registered as Rahib.
  • About 56 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rahib 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

2017

7 births

Estimated living

56

2026

Meaning

What does Rahib mean?

The name Rahib finds its origins in the Arabic language and culture, stemming from the root word "rahib" which translates to "monk" or "hermit." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been initially associated with religious or monastic traditions within the Islamic faith.

During the medieval period, the name Rahib was relatively uncommon, with few documented instances of its usage. However, it gained prominence in certain regions of the Middle East and North Africa, particularly among scholarly and religious circles.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Rahib was a 9th-century Islamic scholar and philosopher from Baghdad, Rahib al-Isfahani (810-890 CE). He was renowned for his contributions to the fields of logic, mathematics, and astronomy, and his works were widely studied in educational institutions of the time.

In the 12th century, another notable figure named Rahib al-Andalusi (1118-1185 CE) emerged from the Iberian Peninsula. He was a renowned poet and literary critic who played a significant role in the development of Arabic literature during the Golden Age of Islamic civilization in Spain.

Centuries later, Rahib Efendi (1590-1670 CE) was a prominent Ottoman scholar and jurist who served as the chief judge (qadi) of Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Murad IV. His legal rulings and interpretations of Islamic law had a lasting impact on the Ottoman legal system.

Moving forward in time, one cannot overlook Rahib Mustafa Pasha (1779-1843 CE), a distinguished Ottoman statesman and diplomat. He held various high-ranking positions, including that of the Grand Vizier, and played a pivotal role in the modernization efforts of the Ottoman Empire during the Tanzimat period.

Another significant historical figure bearing the name Rahib was Rahib ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 CE), a renowned Arab philosopher, historian, and social scientist from Tunisia. His seminal work, the "Muqaddimah," is considered a groundbreaking treatise on the philosophy of history, sociology, and economics, and it remains a influential text to this day.

While the name Rahib may have originated from religious or monastic backgrounds, its usage has transcended these boundaries over time, with individuals from diverse walks of life and professions carrying this name throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Rahib over time

The chart below shows babies named Rahib 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 Rahib, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Rahib
02457199720102023

Decades

Rahib by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rahib 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 #4109 12 3
2010s #4039 29 7
2000s #3864 12 4
1990s #2859 3 1

Related

Names similar to Rahib

FAQ

Rahib: questions and answers

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

In 2023, Rahib was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Rahib most popular?

The peak year on record was 2017, with 7 babies registered as Rahib in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Rahib?

An Arabic masculine name meaning "one who fears and reveres God".

How many people are called Rahib in the UK?

A total of 56 babies have been registered as Rahib across the 15 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.