NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Ranya

Little gazelle, of Hebrew and Arabic origins.

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.

Ranya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Ranya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1743, with 17 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 34 births.

This profile covers 304 England and Wales registrations across 29 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 50% 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 Ranya. 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

  • Ranya ranked #1743 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 17 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2022, when 34 girls were registered as Ranya.
  • Ranya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #760 in 2022.
  • About 306 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ranya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1743

2024

Births in 2024

17

Latest year

Peak year

2022

34 births

Estimated living

306

2026

Meaning

What does Ranya mean?

The name Ranya originates from the Arabic language and culture, with its roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Arabic word "rania," which means "beautiful" or "delightful." The name is believed to have been used in various regions of the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ranya can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature, where it was often used to describe the beauty and grace of women. The name gained popularity during the golden age of Islamic civilization, when many influential figures bore this name.

In the 9th century, Ranya bint al-Hasan was a renowned poetess and scholar from Baghdad, known for her contributions to Arabic literature. She was highly respected for her intellect and literary talents.

During the 11th century, Ranya al-Ghassaniya was a prominent Arab Christian philosopher and theologian from Damascus. Her writings heavily influenced the intellectual discourse of her time, and she is recognized as one of the most significant female scholars of the medieval period.

In the 12th century, Ranya al-Muqaddasiyya was a notable Sufi mystic and poet from Jerusalem. Her spiritual poems and teachings were widely celebrated and continue to be studied by scholars of Islamic mysticism.

Another historical figure with the name Ranya was Ranya al-Andalusiyya, a 13th-century Andalusian poet and musician from Spain. She was renowned for her beautiful verses and her mastery of musical instruments, particularly the lute.

In the 16th century, Ranya bint Ibrahim al-Khalili was a celebrated calligrapher and artist from Ottoman Egypt. Her intricate calligraphic works and illuminated manuscripts were highly sought after and considered masterpieces of Islamic art.

Throughout history, the name Ranya has been associated with beauty, grace, and intellectual pursuits, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Arabic-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ranya over time

The chart below shows babies named Ranya 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 Ranya, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 17 births in 2024, compared with 34 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ranya
09172634199620102024

Decades

Ranya by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ranya 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 #1745 94 5
2010s #2243 124 10
2000s #2779 71 10
1990s #3383 15 4

Geography

Where Ranya is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ranya. 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.

Ranya ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #760 in 2022.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Ranya in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#760 in 2022

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Ranya

FAQ

Ranya: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Ranya was ranked #1743 for girls in England and Wales, with 17 births registered.

When was Ranya most popular?

The peak year on record was 2022, with 34 babies registered as Ranya in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ranya?

Little gazelle, of Hebrew and Arabic origins.

How many people are called Ranya in the UK?

A total of 304 babies have been registered as Ranya across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Ranya most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Ranya ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #760 in 2022. 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.