UK girl's name
Rashida
A feminine Arabic name meaning "rightly guided" or "upright".
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.
Rashida is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rashida 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 2004, with 11 births.
This profile covers 122 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1996 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 36% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 121 living people in the UK are called Rashida. 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
- • Rashida ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 11 girls were registered as Rashida.
- • About 121 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rashida 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
2004
11 births
Estimated living
121
2026
Meaning
What does Rashida mean?
The name Rashida has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic root word 'rashada', which means 'to be guided' or 'to be on the right path'. The name is commonly associated with the concept of righteousness, uprightness, and being rightly guided.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Rashida can be found in Islamic literature, particularly in the Qur'an and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad). In these religious texts, the word 'rashada' is often used to describe those who are guided by Allah and follow the path of truth and righteousness.
The name Rashida gained prominence during the early Islamic period, particularly in the 7th and 8th centuries CE. During this time, many notable figures bore this name or variations of it. One such figure was Rashida al-Marwaziyya (born around 790 CE), a renowned female scholar and poet from Khorasan (present-day Iran and parts of Central Asia).
Another prominent historical figure with the name Rashida was Rashida bint Abi Bakr (born around 592 CE), the daughter of Abu Bakr, one of the closest companions of Prophet Muhammad and the first Caliph of Islam. She was known for her piety and devotion to the Islamic faith.
In the 12th century, Rashida al-Baghdadiyya (born around 1138 CE) was a celebrated female scholar and poet from Baghdad. She was renowned for her expertise in various fields, including literature, poetry, and Islamic jurisprudence.
During the medieval period, the name Rashida also found its way into the Andalusian region of Spain. One notable figure was Rashida al-Andalusiyya (born around 1120 CE), a renowned poet and literary figure who contributed significantly to the cultural and intellectual life of the Andalusian court.
Throughout history, the name Rashida has been borne by numerous other notable individuals, including Rashida Tlaib (born in 1976), a American politician and the first Palestinian-American woman elected to the United States Congress, and Rashida Jones (born in 1976), an American actress, writer, and producer.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rashida over time
The chart below shows babies named Rashida 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 Rashida, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rashida by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rashida 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 | #4843 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5505 | 23 | 7 |
| 2000s | #2811 | 64 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2093 | 31 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Rashida
- Ruby 60,551
- Rebecca 45,764
- Rosie 35,558
- Rachel 19,034
- Rose 18,043
- Robyn 14,556
- Rosa 6,236
- Rhiannon 6,180
- Rachael 4,702
- Rebekah 4,395
- Rhianna 4,177
- Ruth 4,118
FAQ
Rashida: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rashida in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rashida was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Rashida most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 11 babies registered as Rashida in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rashida?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "rightly guided" or "upright".
How many people are called Rashida in the UK?
A total of 122 babies have been registered as Rashida across the 21 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.